Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[NickBiker]

Hello

I just wondered if anyone had tried to use Puppy as the o/s for cluster/grid computing. This is where you have a number of hardware boxes, all linked by network, that can run code in parallel (see http://www.open-mpi.org/) - used to tackle NP-hard problems (i.e. lots and lots of number crunching)?

It strikes me that a thin-puppy, with the right software would be great for this?

Any offers?

Nick

[Aitch]

Hi Nick
I've asked the same question before, though don't think there was a conclusive answer

Have a look here:-

http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/bookshelf/articles/how_to_build_a_cluster.html


btw your webcam link is broken

Aitch

[Lobster]

There was an attempt
they tried . . .

then we never heard from them again
maybe their head exploded?

These things happen watch the film 'PI' which shows the effects of
too much coding . . .

[NickBiker]

Hi

Well I am determined to have a go! I suspect I will use OpenMPI and a cut-down puppy for each of the clusters. I let you know how I get on!

In meantime, anyone know of a nice multi-core processor usage viewer? Dare I say that Windows has a nice task manager where you can see each core and the use - is there similar for Linux?

Thanks

[alcy]

^^http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/how-do-i-find-out-linux-cpu-utilization.html

[Lobster]

The matrix has you
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=137484&search_id=1769021214#137484

Maybe you can collaborate
Good luck

[Aitch]

Nick

It's a while since I looked into this, but what put me off was I was hoping to just use my own gash hardware, but several recommends said 'High speed single core' for the server was more reliable, and matching P3s for clients

Just what I didn't have!
I would have thought matching network speeds more important, but what do I know?
I have a dualie P3/1.1Ghz dell server/scsi h/ds & several P3 667/500Mhz vanilla boxes/SCSI/ATA mixed

Be very interested, as big_bass/MU have just produced Puppy4.1 with SMP on slackware 12.1 kernel, AFAIK

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=34201&start=105

Don't know if it SCSI boots though, as this is new -SitHeelSpeak was working on SCSI boot with the latest kernel

Good luck, can help maybe with research

Aitch

[John Doe]

I've been hoping to test these projects out sometime myself:

openmosix, which only made it to the 2.6x kernel with an alpha version.

LinuxPMI seems to be currently at a 2.6.17 kernel.

Those two are both kernel based.

After having checked out the Open MPI FAQ for Compiling MPI applications, it looks as though apps would need recompiled to work with this system.

I would prefer a kernel based system myself (in order for 'anything' to just work 'out of the box'), but it's a neat idea to try as an alternative. Perhaps someone could even implement a "Open MPI T2 build system".

[KF6SNJ]

This might help.

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/


I may include this in RoboPup.

[Aitch]

Wolfpup has boinc sorted/confirmed by Jay & others

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=32604&sid=1153d52e235fd61801249dd6bc8ac8d8

Aitch

[cb88]

http://svn.oscar.openclustergroup.org/trac/oscar/wiki


tried getting some stuff working with oscar.. oscar worked but the front end to the software was poorly programed and we never got it to work

[shroomy_bee]

lol, pi is also about what happens when you show a computer how it executes and runs its code; kinda like if you thought about how you think - and then also experienced the neurons flashing and the neurotransmitters moving through the gates / synaptic junctions........the CPU develops biomaterial, then ants live in your computer. Or something.

Rocks is supposed to be good and user-friendly for clusters. I managed to blag a copy from the official servers but haven't got the boxes to test it; not sure if it would run on multiple virtual machines?
Beware, it is a giant download (multiple disks - the link says 1?! maybe DVD then, not CD) and only seems available on slooooow servers, last time I checked,

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=rockscluster

see also FreeBSD cluster project:

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/cluster/?p

[Aitch]

bump

It's been over a year...sadly NickBiker seems to have disappeared shortly after posting interest....?

Many developments have taken place in the business world

NFS/NetApp/Lawsuits by Sun

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/07/sun_gets_netapp_patent_invalidated/

but the CEO is buoyant

http://blogs.netapp.com/dave/2009/11/why-netapp-is-winning.html

http://blogs.netapp.com/dave/2009/10/server-virtualization-the-fastest-major-infrastructure-transition-ever.html

NFSv4.1 has an RFC number

http://blogs.netapp.com/eislers_nfs_blog/

Micro$oft open source [!] NFS client

http://www.engin.umich.edu/newscenter/pressReleases/20090422111000nvi/

Cloud Computing on free ESXi issue

http://searchservervirtualization.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid94_gci1322340,00.html

Cloud Computing explained

http://blogs.netapp.com/dave/2009/10/ive-looked-at-clouds-from-both-sides-now-a-nontechnical-definition-of-cloud-computing.html



Any further interest...?

I came across this apparently dead project, recently, which sparked this post

[Aitch]

bump

Just to whet some appetites.....I couldn't resist it!

Some render tests result here:
The storming sea scene



file 24 frames in resolution 4000x4000 pixels.

- On a MacPro 2 x DualCore Xenon 2.66 Ghz with 4 GB ram
took 552 minutes (9.2 h)

- Helmer did same 24 frames in 4k format in 64 min.

Some approximate numbers give Helmer a floating point capacity of 186 Gflops

http://helmer.sfe.se/

Aitch

[DMcCunney]