The Rocks Cluster Distribution
We continue our coverage of Linux-based cluster distributions by delving into Rocks, a free and customizable distribution for commodity platforms funded by the National Science Foundation and distributed by the San Diego Supercomputing Center.
The March 2005 column discussed how to get started in cluster computing with a (very) low cost cluster. The sample cluster shown was a four-node, diskful cluster, costing only about $1,600. And while that system consisted of modest 2.3 GHz Intel Celeron processors interconnected via 100 Mbps Ethernet, it was quite suitable for testing the technology and the scalability of parallel software applications.
Last month’s column discussed the
Clustermatic Linux distribution, a collection of software packages — including
BProc (presented in the February column, available online at
http://www.linuxmagazine.com/2005-02/) — that provides infrastructure for running a cluster. Last month’s column showed how to install Clustermatic on the low-cost cluster created previously, and presented a detailed procedure for setting up shared filesystems using
NFS.While Clustermatic runs well on all kinds of compute clusters, it is certainly not your only choice for a turnkey cluster solution. A variety of distributions or software suites for existing Linux installations are available for free or from Linux cluster integrators. In addition to Clustermatic, the more popular free distributions include Rocks, Oscar, and Warewulf.
These cluster distributions tend to be combinations of individual packages (many of which have been discussed previously in this column) and automated installation and configuration programs and scripts. Each suite has its own strengths and weaknesses and idiosyncrasies, but over the last few years they have become more usable, useful, and customizable.
