High Performance Linux Clusters with OSCAR Rocks OpenMosix and MPI or CCNP BCMSN Portable Command Guide

High Performance Linux Clusters with OSCAR, Rocks, OpenMosix, and MPI

Author: Joseph D Sloan

To the outside world, a "supercomputer" appears to be asingle system. In fact, it's a cluster of computers that share a local area network and have the ability to work together on a single problem as a team. Many businesses used to consider supercomputing beyond the reach of their budgets, but new Linux applications have made high-performance clusters more affordable than ever. These days, the promise of low-cost supercomputing is one of the main reasons many businesses choose Linux over other operating systems.

This new guide covers everything a newcomer to clustering will need to plan, build, and deploy a high-performance Linux cluster. The book focuses on clustering for high-performance computation, although much of its information also applies to clustering for high-availability (failover and disaster recovery). The book discusses the key tools you'll need to get started, including good practices to use while exploring the tools and growing a system. You'll learn about planning, hardware choices, bulk installation of Linux on multiple systems, and other basic considerations. Then, you'll learn about software options that can save you hours—or even weeks—of deployment time.

Since a wide variety of options exist in each area of clustering software, the author discusses the pros and cons of the major free software projects and chooses those that are most likely to be helpful to new cluster administrators and programmers. A few of the projects introduced in the book include:

• MPI, the most popular programming library for clusters. This book offers simple but realistic introductory examples along with some pointers for advanced use.
• OSCAR and Rocks, two comprehensive installation and administrative systems
• openMosix (a convenient tool for distributing jobs), Linux kernel extensions that migrate processes transparently for load balancing
• PVFS, one of the parallel filesystems that make clustering I/O easier
• C3, a set of commands for administering multiple systems

Ganglia, OpenPBS, and cloning tools (Kickstart, SIS and G4U) are also covered. The book looks at cluster installation packages (OSCAR & Rocks) and then considers the core packages individually for greater depth or for folks wishing to do a custom installation. Guidelines for debugging, profiling, performance tuning, and managing jobs from multiple users round out this immensely useful book.

Table of Contents:

Pt. I	An introduction to clusters
1	Cluster architecture	3
2	Cluster planning	18
3	Cluster hardware	31
4	Linux for clusters	46
Pt. II	Getting started quickly
5	OpenMosix	65
6	OSCAR	86
7	Rocks	121
Pt. III	Building custom clusters
8	Cloning systems	139
9	Programming software	164
10	Management software	184
11	Scheduling software	198
12	Parallel filesystems	210
Pt. IV	Cluster programming
13	Getting started with MPI	227
14	Additional MPI features	248
15	Designing parallel programs	264
16	Debugging parallel programs	283
17	Profiling parallel programs	300
Pt. V	Appendix

New interesting textbook: The Iron Cage or Infrastructure

CCNP BCMSN Portable Command Guide

Author: Scott D Empson

All the BCMSN 642-812 commands in one compact, portable resource

Preparing for the CCNP® certification? Working as a network professional? Here are all the CCNP-level commands for the BCMSN exam you need in one condensed, portable resource. The CCNP BCMSN Portable Command Guide is filled with valuable, easy-to-access information and is portable enough for use whether you’re in the server room or the equipment closet.

This book will help you memorize commands and concepts as you work to pass the CCNP BCMSN exam (642-812). The guide summarizes all CCNP certification-level Cisco IOS® Software commands, keywords, command arguments, and associated prompts, providing you with tips and examples of how to apply the commands to real-world scenarios. Sample configurations throughout the book provide you with a better understanding of how these commands are used in simple network designs.

The topics in this portable command guide cover how to do the following:

• Implement VLANs
• Conduct the operation of Spanning Tree Protocol and EtherChannel in a hierarchical network
• Implement inter-VLAN routing
• Implement gateway redundancy technologies
• Describe and configure wireless client access
• Describe and configure security features in a switched network
• Configure support for voice

Scott Empson is currently the assistant program chair of the bachelor of applied information systems technology degree program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, teaching Cisco® routing, switching, and network designcourses in certificate, diploma, and applied degree programs at the post-secondary level. He is also the program coordinator of the Cisco Networking Academy® Program at NAIT, a Regional Academy covering central and northern Alberta. He has earned three undergraduate degrees and currently holds several industry certifications, including CCNP, CCDA®, CCAI, and Network+.

• Access all CCNP BCMSN commands—use as a quick offline resource for research and solutions
• Logical “how-to” topic groupings provide one-stop research
• Great for review before taking the CCNP BCMSN certification exam
• Compact size makes it easy to carry with you, wherever you go
• “Create your own journal” section with blank, lined pages allows you to personalize the book for your needs

This book is part of the Cisco Press® Certification Self-Study Product Family, which offers readers a self-paced study routine for Cisco® certification exams. Titles in the Cisco Press Certification Self-Study Product Family are part of a recommended learning program from Cisco that includes simulation and hands-on training from authorized Cisco Learning Partners and self-study products from Cisco Press.

Category: Cisco Press—Cisco Certification

Covers: CCNP BCMSN Certification 642-812