[Beowulf] Computation on the head node

[Perry E. Metzger]

Joe Landman <landman at scalableinformatics.com> writes:
>[...]
> We approach it from a different view.  Start out with a very fast RAID
> and attach good networking to it.  Here is a RAID6 across 12 disks.
>[...]

I have to emphasize, yet again, that the correct approach is not to
assume that you need a fast file system (or that you can make do with
a slow one) until you've actually benchmarked the application that
your cluster is intended to serve. One can have no idea without
checking. A very fast RAID array may be in order -- or it may be
completely unnecessary. One can't know without understanding one's
application intimately, and that requires testing.

Picking hardware without knowing the app in detail is like deciding
that the right vehicle for you is a formula 1 race car before
discovering your application is hauling 50 passengers across town
through heavy traffic, or picking a bus before discovering your
application is breaking a land speed record.


Perry