[GRASSLIST:1712] Re: clustering

[Willis, Ian (Ento, Canberra)]

Mosix is most effective you have multiple processes, so if you were running
the same program hundreds of times with a different dataset this may be good
(think of flooding scenarios). If you are looking for a speedup of a single
complex function and you have a Multiprocessor box thread the CPU intensive
parts of the code. If you have a complex algorith that has little data
dependency between the elements it may be suitable to split over a cluster
using PVM or MPI.
Its really a horses for courses approach. 

--
Ian Willis
Systems Administrator
Division of Entomology CSIRO
GPO Box 1700 
Canberra ACT 2601
ph  02 6246 4391
fax 02 6246 4000


-----Original Message-----
From: Lars Bromley [mailto:lbromley at aaas.org]
Sent: Saturday, 7 April 2001 7:55 AM
To: rshepard at appl-ecosys.com; ehillmuth at digitalmeridian.net
Cc: grasslist at baylor.edu
Subject: [GRASSLIST:1711] Re: clustering


MOSIX looks like it might allow me to run GRASS on a cluster without
recompiling GRASS for multiple processors, am I right?

I will indeed be trying this in the next week or so. I will be sure to
report to the list what happens. Luckily, I work in a large bloated office
environment which is fully caught up in perpetual windows upgrades, so older
PCs are one thing I have plenty of. Actual GIS education, heck no, but old
computers, no problem ;)

Lars

>>> Rich Shepard <rshepard at appl-ecosys.com> 04/06/01 04:44PM >>>
On Fri, 6 Apr 2001, Eric Hillmuth wrote:

> I had been following the clustering discussion a few days ago and ran
across
> this site today:
>
> http://www.mosix.org/ 
>
> I wonder how useful this kind of clustering framework would be for GRASS
> applications. It seems pretty straightforward to set up.

Eric,

  It certainly looks impressively easy! Now, if I had the spare cash to set
up a bunch of linux boxes in a rack, I could test it. :-)

  Worth looking at it detail, I suggest.

Thanks,

Rich

Dr. Richard B. Shepard, President

                       Applied Ecosystem Services, Inc. (TM)
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