Start Parallel Processing: Learn with 16 Computers

[welatiger]

I graduated from the Faculty of Science Department of Physics
and i want to know about parallel processing
from where i start ?
and i have 16 computer, what i can do to make a network between them to produce a parallel processing.

 

[rcgldr]

One somewhat cool tool that never seemed to make it out of Microsoft in house development was DMAKE, a distributed make utility for large multiple source projects. The network contained a computer with the source files, another computer with the DMAKE app and associated tools, and multiple computers that were compiler servers. DMAKE would send off messages to each of the compiler servers to start compiling individual source modules. When a compile server signaled completion, DMAKE would then assign yet another module to be compliled, until all modules were compiled. Once the compile steps for a library module were completed, DMAKE would then start a link server to link all the just produced objects into a library or directly to an executable if it was a single library project. I saw it demoed while taking some device driver class for Windows NT at Microsoft University (back in the 1990's). The compiler and linker servers were kept effeciently busy until all the libraries were made and then linked to create a completed project. I don't recall if DMAKE kept a history of compile times from previous builds in order to optimize the scheduling. Computers are so fast these days that it would take a huge project for something like DMAKE to make sense now, but it was impressive at the time.


Another example in the parallel algorithm thread was distributing the analysis of satellite photos by breaking them up into multiple parts and sending each part to a different computer to operate on.

 

[quicknote]

Congratulations on your graduation from the Faculty of Science Department of Physics! Parallel processing is a fascinating field of study that involves utilizing multiple computers to work together in order to solve complex problems and increase computational speed. To start learning about parallel processing, I would recommend familiarizing yourself with the basics of computer architecture, operating systems, and programming languages. This will provide a strong foundation for understanding how parallel processing works.

Next, you can explore the different types of parallel processing, such as shared memory and distributed memory systems, and the various techniques used to achieve parallelism, such as multi-threading and message passing. It would also be beneficial to learn about the different architectures and technologies used in parallel processing, such as GPUs and clusters.

Since you have 16 computers, you have the potential to create a network for parallel processing. This can be done by connecting the computers together using a high-speed interconnect, such as Ethernet or InfiniBand, and configuring them to work together using a parallel processing framework or library, such as MPI (Message Passing Interface) or OpenMP (Open Multi-Processing).

I would also recommend seeking out resources and courses on parallel processing, either through online platforms or at your university or local community college. Hands-on experience and practical projects will greatly enhance your understanding and skills in this field.

Best of luck on your journey into parallel processing! It is a rapidly advancing field with endless possibilities, and I am sure your knowledge and expertise in physics will greatly contribute to your understanding of this complex and exciting area of study.