Comment Closed architecture = pain in ass (Score 1) 665
The problem as I see it is that is a cluster you want to squeeze every cycle out of the chips for processing a large problem. You can create a 'cluster' of workstations to process a common problem by having each work on a sepaerate piece of the dataset (Seti at home, renderfarms etc) but that's not we're really about. The aim of beowulf and similar projects is to combine a number of distinct units in such a way so that they attack a problem as a single unit.
Yes you can do it on MS. No you would want to. Why?
1. You can't shave away the parts of the OS that are stealling cycles. Who really cares if the thing can allow you to click on icons or check email while it's processing.
2. You cant rebuild the kernel to include or exclude features. A number of Beowulf type sites rebuild the kernel to include interprocess communication channels to syn the nodes.
3. You're running the system as a single unit through a single user controller, so why the hell would you want to license each node....
4. Doing it through Linux would piss off MS
Personally, reason 4 is the main seller for me:>
Yes you can do it on MS. No you would want to. Why?
1. You can't shave away the parts of the OS that are stealling cycles. Who really cares if the thing can allow you to click on icons or check email while it's processing.
2. You cant rebuild the kernel to include or exclude features. A number of Beowulf type sites rebuild the kernel to include interprocess communication channels to syn the nodes.
3. You're running the system as a single unit through a single user controller, so why the hell would you want to license each node....
4. Doing it through Linux would piss off MS
Personally, reason 4 is the main seller for me:>
