This document discusses low cost supercomputing using Linux clusters. It begins with an introduction to parallel processing and clustering. Clusters offer a way to use multiple computers together as a single system for higher performance and lower costs. The document then covers parallel processing schemes and provides a conceptual overview of clusters. It discusses cluster design considerations including topology, hardware specifications, and software requirements. Linux is identified as a suitable operating system for clustering. The document outlines features and benefits of clustering, such as data sharing and parallel processing. It provides examples of clustering applications in fields like web serving, simulation, and science.

1. LOW COST SUPERCOMPUTING
USING LINUX CLUSTERS

2. Topics :
1. Introduction
2. Overview of Parallel Processing
3. Conceptual Overview of Clusters
4. Cluster Design
5. Features & Benefits
6. Application Areas
7. References

3. 1. INTRODUCTION

4. Introduction To Clusters
o Parallel processing, the method of having many small tasks solve
one large problem, has emerged as a key enabling technology in
modern computing .
o In past several years Parallel Processing is increasing for :
 High performance scientific computing
 General purpose applications
o It results in :
 High performance
 Low cost
 Sustain productivity

5. What is Clustering ?
Meaning :
o Clustering is a parallel or distributed system consisting of
independent computers that corporate as a single system.
o Cluster offers a way to use a computer more productively in
comparison to when number of machines working standalone.

7. 2. OVERVIEW OF
PARALLEL PROCESSING

8. Introduction to Parallelism
o Parallel Processing refers to the concept of speeding-up the
execution of the program by dividing the program into multiple
fragments.
o Parallel Processing operates on two levels :
a. Hardware Parallelism
b. Software Parallelism

10. Parallel Processing Schemes
o There are different approaches to creating effective parallel
computers , and all of them have different levels of effectiveness
for different kind of problems.
o Some of the methods are :
 Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP)
 Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA)
 Uniform Memory Access (UMA)
 Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD)
 Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (MIMD)

11. SMP machines

12. NUMA & UMA machines

13. SIMD machines

14. MIMD machines

15. 3. CONCEPTUAL
OVERVIEW OF CLUSTERS

16. Brief History Of Clusters
o In the summer of 1994 Thomas Sterling and Don Becker working
at CESDIS under sponsorship of the EES project, built a cluster of
16 DX4 processors connected by channel bonded Ethernet .
o They called their machines Beowulf .

17. BEOWULF CLUSTER

20. 4. CLUSTER DESIGN

21. Cluster Design
o Cluster design includes :
 Design Considerations
 Topology
 Cluster Style
 Hardware Specification
 Software Requirements
 Cluster Architecture

22. Design Issues
o Design Issues considers :
1. Size Scalability (physical & application)
2. Enhanced Availability (failure management)
3. Single System Image (SSI look-and-feel of same system)
4. Fast Communication (network & protocols)
5. Programmability (simple API if required)

23. Cluster Style
Cluster
Styles
Homogeneous Heterogeneous

24. Topology
o Currently used topologies in networking are :
 Ring
 Bus
 Star
 Line
 Mesh
 Tree etc.
o We are using star topology due to following reason :
 Failure of one node does not effect entire network
 Range provided by star topology is greater than that of bus topology
 Range can be extended by using routers

25. Hardware Specification
o Hardware configuration of cluster mainly consists of two
components.
 Nodes or Workstations

26.  Interconnection Network

27. Hardware Requirements
Hardware Requirement for MASTER NODE :
o Master mode is where the users of the system will log in.

28. o They submit their job processed by system and look at the result
of their work.
o It requires :
 CPU capable system as master node with fast CPU
 Greater than 128 MB RAM
 8 GB HDD or more
 10 Mbps/ 100 Mbps Ethernet adapter.

29. Hardware Requirement for SLAVE NODE:
o Slave nodes are useful for computation only.
o For Slave node hard disk capacity need to be very large for
better storage capacity.
o It requires,
CPU based system with fast CPU
 32 MB or more memory modules
 4 GB HDD or more
 10 Mbps/ 100 Mbps Ethernet adapter.

30. Software Requirement
o The platform (O.S.) for developing cluster is very important
because the throughput and performance of machine is totally
depends upon how the platform manages the whole cluster.
o Some of the O.S that supports Clustering are,
 Linux
 Unix
 Windows 2000
 Windows NT

31. Why Linux ?
o Linux is generally cheaper than other O.S and is frequently less
problematic than many commercial systems.
o Linux is chosen because :
1. It is a 32-bit multitasking Operating System.
2. It runs on hardware ranging from low-end 386 boxes to massive ultra-
parallel machines.
3. Linux has a very strong networking support & also its efficient processing
support.
4. The programming environments & development tools for parallel
programming are more mature in Linux.

32. Cluster Architecture
o It covers :
 Network Interface Hardware
 Communication Software
 Cluster Middleware

34. 5. FEATURES &
BENEFITS

35. Features & Benefits
o Data sharing across the interface
o Parallel processing of small tasks
o Easy server maintenance

36. 6. APPLICATIONS

37. Applications
o General high performance computing
o Bulk disk servers
o High performance web servers
o Flight simulators
o Alife

38. Clustering Examples
o It is used in :
 NASA uses Beowulf which was started in a project headed up by CESDIS
 NOAA uses several Clustering technologies in their project
 Google.com introduced largest ever LINUX cluster which powers their popular
web search engine

39. 7. REFERENCES

40. Book References :
o Red Hat Linux System & Network Administration
o Building Linux Clusters -David HM Spector (Oreilley Publications)
o Beginning Linux Programming - Wrox Publications

41. Web Reference :
 www.beowlf.org
 www.redhat.com/mirrors/LDP
 www.jics.utk.edu Parallel Computing Resources
 www.linux-mag.com/gallery.html Linux Magazine Open Source

42. THANK YOU