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Need the right direction on how to set up a server farm

S

superHARD

Diamond Member
Ok I am going to be having some Maya rendering and have 3 or 4 computers around here I could use.

My question is how would I do it? Would I start with Linux on the computers? Can I do something like that in windows?

As you can imagine the questions go on so how would I start looking into research for this?

Any help would be great!

Nathan
 
Originally posted by: superHARD Ok I am going to be having some Maya rendering and have 3 or 4 computers around here I could use.

My question is how would I do it? Would I start with Linux on the computers? Can I do something like that in windows?

As you can imagine the questions go on so how would I start looking into research for this?

Any help would be great!

Nathan
Click to expand...


I don't know if this is what you are looking for.

But, I have been reading everything I can find on it.




Kwatt
 
How hard is that to install?

How do you tell what version your kernel is?

Once you know what version the Kernel is how do you update it?
 
Actually with ClusterKnoppix only the Server Computer needs the CD. The rest Run off a ram disk.🙂
 
From this HOWTO

The openMosix software package turns networked computers running GNU/Linux into a cluster. It automatically balances the load between different nodes of the cluster, and nodes can join or leave the running cluster without disruption of the service. The load is spread out among nodes according to their connection and CPU speeds.

Since openMosix is part of the kernel and maintains full compatibility with Linux, a user's programs, files, and other resources will all work as before without any further changes. The casual user will not notice the difference between a Linux and an openMosix system. To her, the whole cluster will function as one (fast) GNU/Linux system.

openMosix is a Linux-kernel patch which provides full compatibility with standard Linux for IA32-compatible platforms. The internal load-balancing algorithm transparently migrates processes to other cluster members. The advantage is a better load-sharing between the nodes. The cluster itself tries to optimize utilization at any time (of course the sysadmin can affect the automatic load-balancing by manual configuration during runtime).

This transparent process-migration feature makes the whole cluster look like a BIG SMP-system with as many processors as available cluster-nodes (of course multiplied with X for X-processor systems such as dual/quad systems and so on). openMosix also provides a powerful optimized File System (oMFS) for HPC-applications, which unlike NFS provides cache, time stamp and link consistency.



Kwatt



 
Originally posted by: superHARD
So I see the instruction on how to get ClusterKnoppix setup. Is that it? http://bofh.be/clusterknoppix/knx-install.htm

does that install the auto load ballancing software? Or is there more to install?
Click to expand...

Once you have ClusterKNoppix running(I have only run from CD never have installed to hard drive) You have to start to Cluster or Mosix portion of the software. It is located in the "Start" menu and will walk you through starting the process. Then every new computer you add that has PXE selected as a boot option will boot up from the "server" and the software will commence load balancing.
 
Originally posted by: BofBnT
Originally posted by: superHARD
So I see the instruction on how to get ClusterKnoppix setup. Is that it? http://bofh.be/clusterknoppix/knx-install.htm

does that install the auto load ballancing software? Or is there more to install?
Click to expand...

Once you have ClusterKNoppix running(I have only run from CD never have installed to hard drive) You have to start to Cluster or Mosix portion of the software. It is located in the "Start" menu and will walk you through starting the process. Then every new computer you add that has PXE selected as a boot option will boot up from the "server" and the software will commence load balancing.
Click to expand...

What is PXE?
 
PXE - Preboot eXecution Environment - is an industry standard client/server interface that allows networked computers that are not yet loaded with an operating system to be configured and booted remotely by an administrator. The PXE code is typically delivered with a new computer on a read-only memory chip or boot disk that allows the computer (a client) to communicate with the network server so that the client machine can be remotely configured and its operating system can be remotely booted. PXE provides three things:

1) The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), which allows the client to receive an IP address to gain access to the network servers.

2) A set of application program interfaces (API) that are used by the client's Basic Input/Output Operating System (BIOS) or a downloaded Network Bootstrap Program (NBP) that automates the booting of the operating system and other configuration steps.

3) A standard method of initializing the PXE code in the PXE ROM chip or boot disk.

The PXE process consists of the client notifying the server that it uses PXE. If the server uses PXE, it sends the client a list of boot servers that contain the operating systems available. The client finds the boot server it needs and receives the name of the file to download. The client then downloads the file using Trivial File Transfer Protocol (Trivia File Transfer Protocol) and executes it, which loads the operating system. If a client is equipped with PXE and the server is not, the server ignores the PXE code preventing disruption in the DHCP and Bootstrap Protocol (BP) operations.

The advantages of using PXE include:

The client machine does not necessarily need an operating system or even a hard disk.
The client machine can be rebooted in the event of hardware or software failure. This allows the administrator to diagnose and perhaps fix the problem.
Since PXE is vendor-independent, new types of computers can easily be added to the network.
 
Originally posted by: BofBnT
Originally posted by: superHARD
So I see the instruction on how to get ClusterKnoppix setup. Is that it? http://bofh.be/clusterknoppix/knx-install.htm

does that install the auto load ballancing software? Or is there more to install?
Click to expand...

Once you have ClusterKNoppix running(I have only run from CD never have installed to hard drive) You have to start to Cluster or Mosix portion of the software. It is located in the "Start" menu and will walk you through starting the process. Then every new computer you add that has PXE selected as a boot option will boot up from the "server" and the software will commence load balancing.
Click to expand...

How do you select PXE as a boot option?


Thanks for quick answers guys!

And for not making me feel stupid!
 
Generally if you have an integrated nic that supports it there will be some setting in the BIOS. It is not always labelled PXE, it might be OS Boot mode or something like that. If you don't have an integrated nic, then you will need a PCI nic that supports it. Then you go in the BIOS and put the NIC card first in the boot device order.
 
Ok I have seen boot from lan is that what you are talking about?

There has to be more to it than that...isn't there?
 
So this version of Linux as a server will let nodes (when set to boot off lan) (automaticly) boot to it? That is awsome!!!!!!!

And once booted to it the load will be divided among the nodes? WOW!!
 
I think it has to run multiple processes to balance over all the nodes, but you should be able to set that when u setup the render client.
 
Uhh what do you mean by " it has to run multiple processes to balance over all the nodes, but you should be able to set that when u setup the render client. ""??

What is "it"

How would you set "it" up (whatever "it" is).
 
OK more issues!

I am following the directions here
To get Knoppix installed onto your hard drive:

1. Boot the Knoppix CD.
2. When the boot prompt comes up, choose your language.
Most of us speak English, so we'll type:

boot: knoppix lang=en

then press ENTER (you don't type the 'boot:' part, of course)
3. Wait till the system is fully launched, including the KDE desktop
4. Press CTRL-ALT-F1, to get a root console. You should see a shell prompt
5. Type: knx-hdinstall
6. Follow the guided installation menus. This will include:

But when type hnx-hdinstall (after I press CTRL-ALT-F1) it says it doesn't exist.
And I don't have to type "knoppix lang=en" like the directions say I would have to it just boots all the way to KNX. Mabye I need to DL the older version?
 
Originally posted by: superHARD
Uhh what do you mean by " it has to run multiple processes to balance over all the nodes, but you should be able to set that when u setup the render client. ""??

What is "it"

How would you set "it" up (whatever "it" is).
Click to expand...

"it" would be the Maya network renderer 🙂
I think you just have to set it up as you would for a multi processor system, eg. if you had 3pc's running knoppix, you would have to set up the Maya renderer for 3 processors 🙂

Im not sure about the HD install option, have you tried booting with "knoppix lang=en"?
 
Originally posted by: superHARD
OK more issues!

I am following the directions here
To get Knoppix installed onto your hard drive:

1. Boot the Knoppix CD.
2. When the boot prompt comes up, choose your language.
Most of us speak English, so we'll type:

boot: knoppix lang=en

then press ENTER (you don't type the 'boot:' part, of course)
3. Wait till the system is fully launched, including the KDE desktop
4. Press CTRL-ALT-F1, to get a root console. You should see a shell prompt
5. Type: knx-hdinstall
6. Follow the guided installation menus. This will include:

But when type hnx-hdinstall (after I press CTRL-ALT-F1) it says it doesn't exist.
And I don't have to type "knoppix lang=en" like the directions say I would have to it just boots all the way to KNX. Mabye I need to DL the older version?
Click to expand...

 
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