The Network IS the Cluster: Infiniband and Ethernet Network Fabric Solutions for HPC (Part One)
An often asked question by new HPC cluster users is, What kind of interconnects (networks) are available? This question is important because the network is perhaps the single most important factor in terms of cluster performance. GigE, 10 GigE, Infiniband: Which one is right for you?
An often asked question by new HPC cluster users is, What kind of interconnects (networks) are available? This question is important because the network is perhaps the single most important factor in terms of cluster performance. It can limit top end performance and also determine the scalability (that is the ability to improve performance as you add more processing power). The most common interconnect in use today is Gigabit Ethernet (GigE). It offers good performance for many applications and is inexpensive (most server motherboards already have at least 2 GigE NICs and most desktops have at least one or more GigE NICs). But, there are other networks that are gaining popularity.
These networks are usually higher performing networks such as Infiniband and 10 Gigabit Ethernet (often written “10GigE”). As the volume of shipments increases, the price of these interconnects has been falling and may now be the price/performance winner for many applications. Moreover, with the advent of multi-core these high speed networks may change how clusters are designed and operated. The interconnect is an important choice when designing a cluster and ultimately the choice depends upon on your code, requirements, and budget.
In the first part of this article we will discuss 10GigE and Infiniband networks and how they have become an almost essential element in cluster design. I’ll start by discussing the networks themselves - GigE, 10GigE, and Infiniband. Then I will present some micro-benchmarks of the interconnects. In Part Two, we will look at some real benchmarks of…
Please log in to view this content.
Not Yet a Member?
Register with LinuxMagazine.com and get free access to the entire archive, including:
