Beowulf - Single Board Computers? (long)

[Perry Harrington]

> 
> As for "extra stuff" the biggest problem with using a non-PC based SBC is that
> Linux would not run on it directly - it would need porting.  In the long run
> you would probably want VxWorks or Qnix or something.  At that point we aren't
> really talking about Beowulf, are we?

You are mistaken.  The DEC Alpha UDB motherboards are a prime example of an SBC
that runs Linux quite well.  You can even obtain a 10 MB chassis.  These boards
would work quite well for FP type stuff.  Although the 21066AA chip has horrible
memory throughput, the IO is pretty great because the memory bus and PCI bus are
a separate set of pins which run into the chip.  I'll hand DEC that, the UDBs have
pretty damn good IO throughput for such a 486/75 performing box.  Mine will easily
saturate a 10Mb network.

--Perry

> 
> Walt
>

-- 
Perry Harrington       Linux rules all OSes.    APSoft      ()
email: perry@apsoft.com 			Think Blue. /\