[Beowulf] Parallel File system as a storage Solution

[DGS]

> 
> > I think you're on the right track here:  have an NFS-hosted /home
> > directory where users can compile their applications.  have a pvfs2
> > /scratch file system where those applications can write their IO when
> > they run.
> 
> hmm.  it would be nice if FS's like Lustre and PVFS could be parameterized to
> provide adequate /home performance as well, since it's not nearly as easy
> to scale NFS.

I've thought of taking a bunch of machines with a few hundred GB
of disk each, exporting each's disk devices to the others via NBD,
iSCSI, or something else, tying all that together into one file
system with GFS, then exporting that from each of the hosts with
NFS.  Sort of a storage cluster.  Keep the ratio of clients to
servers low, maybe 15:1, and maybe you get a file system that
scales better than NFS, but still performs acceptably for home
directories and other interactive uses.  I don't how reliable
such system would be.  Any interested party out there with some
money burning a hole is his or her pocket? 

David S.

>