Need some beginner info on Beowulf and paralell computing?

In summary, the conversation discusses the possibility of creating a Beowulf system using multiple computers with various types of connectors, such as PCI slots, AGP slots, parallel ports, and USB ports. The speaker suggests using a master computer to allocate tasks to slave computers and mentions the use of a hard drive for the master computer. They also mention the possibility of using a network of cheap PCs or PCI-based single board computers for parallel programming. However, the goal is to create a DIY server using multiple computers.
  • #1
Alex_Sanders
73
0
Say I can get some used MB with CPU and RAM on it at a very low price, and a DMA 33 hard drive, home made powersource, how am I going to get all thoese MB connected? Using PCI slots? AGP slots? Or para. Ports? USB ports?

Does Beowulf even support HD farm? That would be mind-blowing advance, for old hardwares, that is.

This is my premature understanding:

First, you need a master computer, giving orders through a main bus or something like that to other slave computers, the master computer will allocate the computing task to each of them, then wait and collect the results, PCI should be used to connect each computer, because most boards have more than 1 PCI slots, and the addressing and interrupt is much easier as most ppl use it so the technology relevant should be rather mature.

Only the master computer will have a harddrive, hosting the Beowulf system.

I could be wrong, though, and most likely I'm wrong.
 
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  • #2
Is there any reason you couldn't simply use a number of cheap PC's and connect them via a network, such as ethernet cables, all PC connected to a router to assign local IP addresses to each PC's network adapter?

One alternative would be PCI based single board computers. You'd be limited to the number of PCI slots on the main PC.

If the goal is just parallel programming, wouldn't a single PC with a multi-core processor be enough?
 
  • #3
rcgldr said:
Is there any reason you couldn't simply use a number of cheap PC's and connect them via a network, such as ethernet cables, all PC connected to a router to assign local IP addresses to each PC's network adapter?

One alternative would be PCI based single board computers. You'd be limited to the number of PCI slots on the main PC.

If the goal is just parallel programming, wouldn't a single PC with a multi-core processor be enough?

No, the goal is a DIY server, hosting apache or things like that.
 

1. What is Beowulf and parallel computing?

Beowulf is a type of computer cluster used for parallel computing. Parallel computing is the use of multiple processors or computers to simultaneously solve a problem.

2. How does Beowulf and parallel computing differ from traditional computing?

In traditional computing, a single processor or computer is used to solve a problem. In Beowulf and parallel computing, multiple processors or computers work together to solve a problem, resulting in faster and more efficient processing.

3. What are the benefits of using Beowulf and parallel computing?

The main benefit of Beowulf and parallel computing is the ability to solve complex problems in a shorter amount of time. This can be particularly useful for scientific research, data analysis, and other computationally intensive tasks.

4. What are the components of a Beowulf cluster?

A Beowulf cluster typically consists of multiple commodity computers connected by a high-speed local area network. It also includes a master node, which coordinates the tasks and data distribution among the nodes, and a file server for shared storage.

5. How is parallel computing used in other fields besides scientific research?

Parallel computing is used in a variety of fields, including finance, engineering, and artificial intelligence. It can be used to analyze large datasets, simulate complex systems, and improve the performance of software and algorithms.

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