seti and beowulf? Cory?

[artemedes]

I have been reading all the recent messages about diskless clients and beowulf systems. I want to build a small system to learn about it, and I have a couple of questions:

I read on seti's site that none of the current clients support parrallel processing. So how are you guys using seti on your crack racks? is each node running a seperate client?

I havn't messed with RC5 yet, but does it support parrallel processing? Is a t-bird beowulf system better suited to RC5 and OGR than it is for seti?
Thanks

 

[Batti]

In general, each machine is running a separate client. Cory and LD have managed to make the workstations diskless, getting their OS and client from a server. Russ, on the other hand, has a floppy based client that he uses in each node.

Cory and I are working on boot proms that will eliminate the need for even a floppy on the node. I have a desk full of proms here right now. If we can iron out this process, I hope to make proms available to the team.

 

[artemedes]

Boot proms would really cool. I am thinking about doing this in late august or september. I will keep reading and learning before I go buy the equipment. I want to go the diskless route. My thinking is that if I can make it work in parrallel processing that it would be a very cool rack if I ever decide to do something besides seti.

 

[Assimilator1]

To take advantage of dual cpu's for SETI you need to install 2 instances of SETI & assign each 1 to a cpu

 

[nexus9]

Batti -

Where'd you get the boot proms? I've never been able to find any at a reasonable price, and I don't know anyone with a prom burner...

What brand/model of NIC cards are you using?

-Nexus9

 

[Assimilator1]

BTW ,WTF is a boot prom? 😱 ,anything like an EEPROM?

 

[Sukhoi]

Assim, I think it's a high school prom that everyone wears boots to. 🙂 Actually, I think it's a weird name for the ROM chip on NICs. I'm not sure though.

 

[mutex]

I think prom goes like this "Programmable"-ROM. 🙂

I am also looking into making a diskless client that has only M/B, CPU and perhaps 32MB of RAM. Since I cannot find a reasonable source of prom and burner, I am forced to look for a solution with a PCChips 741LMRT M/B that has an onboard Ethernet with bootable rom. I am trying to let the board boot from my main computer and create a ram disk that has seti client. Then, I hope it will run forever from there. Then, I hope to get a rackfull of them so I can be in top 10. by the way, 741LMRT = $99CDN, used 300A = $50CDN, used 32MB = $40CDN. I can have 5 of this client for 1000CDN which can produce 15WUs/day if I succeed.

And, you can even experiment PVM and MPI with this 1000 rack. or run POVray at 5X the speed.

Frank

 

[cory]

well i am on vacation this week but i decided to check in.

i gave batti some of the rom images and he is burning them to test.

i think the idea is then that if somebody wanted some
batti could do them up.
(after i get my 15 rom's haha)

he was having trouble getting blank roms the last i talked to him

the setting up of a diskless machine is not to tuff.

the hardest part (after the roms) is the building of a small
kernel.

i have scripts to create nfs root file systems for the
nodes (gave them to batti as well).

i will try and get all the setup scripts together and
get some quick instructions done up when i get back.

 

[artemedes]

that would be great cory. If they were on the net that would be even better.

If you are running each client on a node do you need to load the beowulf stuff? Or does the server just keep each node busy with work units? Sorry for the dumb ? just trying to understand this before I dump a load of cash.

thanks.

 

[cory]

the setup scripts that i have actually setup the node
for seti. (it copies the seti from a running machine and
then clears all the .sah files except the one that has your
user name)

so we you turn the node on (even the first time)
it just grabs its first w/u and
starts running seti