2005-03-14 18:16:10

by Wiktor

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Building server-farm

Hi,

I'm looking for a way to connect multiple linux systems into one big
machine (server-farm) and I can't find any way of enabling it in kernel.
Is this feature supported? If not, how can I build cluster from, let's
say, 5 machines (I'm interestied in sharing of processes, memory, disk
space and network interface). Thanks for replies.

--
May the Source be with you
Wiktor


2005-03-14 18:34:55

by shogunx

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Building server-farm

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005, Wiktor wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'm looking for a way to connect multiple linux systems into one big
> machine (server-farm) and I can't find any way of enabling it in kernel.
> Is this feature supported?

Parallel Processing is not currently part of the mainstream linux kernel.
I have an openmosix patched kernel at http:/gnuveau.net under open-source
software downloads. It supports parallel processing and global shared
memory. you could use nfs for the disks. Not sure about the networking.

Enjoy,
Scott


> If not, how can I build cluster from, let's
> say, 5 machines (I'm interestied in sharing of processes, memory, disk
> space and network interface). Thanks for replies.
>
> --
> May the Source be with you
> Wiktor
> -
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
> the body of a message to [email protected]
> More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
> Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
>

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http://sleekfreak.ath.cx:81/

2005-03-14 18:51:38

by Matthias-Christian Ott

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Building server-farm

You'll can use OpenMosix
(http://sourceforge.net/project/openmosix) or Mosix
(http://www.mosix.org/).

Have a look at:
http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/cluster/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_%28computing%29
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeowulfProject2004 (German, it describes
howto setup a cluster)
http://216.239.39.104/translate_c?hl=de&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&langpair=de%7Cen&u=http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeowulfProject2004&prev=/language_tools
(Translation of the German Article)

Matthias-Christian Ott

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005, Wiktor wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'm looking for a way to connect multiple linux systems into one big machine
> (server-farm) and I can't find any way of enabling it in kernel. Is this
> feature supported? If not, how can I build cluster from, let's say, 5
> machines (I'm interestied in sharing of processes, memory, disk space and
> network interface). Thanks for replies.
>
> --
> May the Source be with you
> Wiktor
> -
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
> the body of a message to [email protected]
> More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
> Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
>

2005-03-14 20:20:40

by Indrek Kruusa

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Building server-farm

> I'm looking for a way to connect multiple linux systems
> into one big machine (server-farm) and I can't find any
> way of enabling it in kernel.

It seems that you have to analyse your problem a bit more.

There are 5 main types of clusters (or server-farms as you call it):
- parallel computing
- high availability
- load balancing
- storage cluster
- database cluster

Of course these overlap in functionality but so they say :) In many
cases those goals are achievable with "share nothing" in kernel level:
lam/mpi, ipvs, hartbeat, lvm etc. Well, about filesystems I am not sure
at moment :)

Please analyse your need to create "as it was one big machine" because
maybe it is not the solution you really need.

thanks,
Indrek

2005-03-15 19:33:41

by Wiktor

[permalink] [raw]
Subject: Re: Building server-farm

Hi,

see, in fact it is not huge commercial solution what i need - i'm
interested in squeezing every single electron from machines i have in
school, and i thought that for some applications cluster is the best
method of sharing computing power. i'm not thinking (yet) about
optimizing it to some particular function. i simply wanted to know how
clustrer works and how it makes use of multiple machines. but, the
system has to satisfy one limitation - it must be completly usuable in
floppy-booting mode (machines i can use are normally used under control
of Micro$oft (r) Win*** (tm) eXPloit Sewer and i cannot reinstall their
systems without being sucked from school, so i can incorporate them into
cluster only by booting system from another medium, prefferably from
floppy). as far i've tested openMosix, and it works quite good. maybe in
future i will be given a real server-farm, where i could set up
everything sane. but now i need only links to some solutions, so i can
test them.
thanks for your help

--
May the Source be with you
Wiktor