[Beowulf] Compute Node OS on Local Disk vs. Ram Disk

[Jon Forrest]

Prentice Bisbal wrote:

> This brings up something else I was wondering about: If you truly strip
> down the OS running the nodes so that its just a tiny kernel and only
> the essential libraries, the users would have to compile all their
> software (assuming they compile their own code, like they do here)
> statically linked.
> 
> Is anyone here using an arrangement like that? Is that too impractical?

 From 50,000 feet up, this is one of the main differences between
Rocks and Perceus. With Rocks you get a turn key system with lots
of stuff already installed and configured. With Perceus, you start
off with very little, but you can build what you want and add
it to the vnfs capsules.

Comparing and contrasting these approaches is a good topic
for another thread.

Cordially,


-- 
Jon Forrest
Research Computing Support
College of Chemistry
173 Tan Hall
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
94720-1460
510-643-1032
jlforrest at berkeley.edu