Computer Science research done on Beowulf class systems

[Hindman, John (DHS - ITSD)]

Brad, et. al., here is an idea/question from an applications guy without the
technical know-how to answer it.

Everything on Beowulf seems to be related to large scientific/engineering
applications.  Is Beowulf suitable for a more business oriented architecture
of transaction processing against large relational databases?  How about a
TCP/IP network connecting remote users to a Beowulf system with the database
on a storage area network?

I have posed this question via fax and email to Red Hat and a professor
whose web page seemed oriented toward more general problems.  I have had no
responses so far, so either the topic is potentially so commercially
lucrative that they don't want to talk about it, or so off the wall that it
isn't worth a reply.

Thoughts, anyone?

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Bradley M. Kuhn [SMTP:bkuhn@ebb.org]
> Sent:	Monday, June 07, 1999 12:02 AM
> To:	beowulf@beowulf.gsfc.nasa.gov
> Subject:	Computer Science research done on Beowulf class systems
> 
> 
> I am posting to ask what (if any) types of Computer Science research is
> being done on Beowulf-class systems.  Our Computer Science department is
> considering building one.   However, there is some concern that this
> computer will be more helpful to the rest of the science departments than
> to
> the Computer Science department.
> 
> I realize that "navel-gazing" research into making Beowulf systems better,
> faster, and more reliable is certainly possible, and projects like the one
> at NASA and the Mosix project are doing this type of research.
> 
> I also know that work to make automatically parallelizing compilers  (an
> active area of research in the compiler design community) is very
> possible.
> 
> However, what I am looking for is information about *real* projects using
> Beowulf-class computers for Computer Science research.  I have found lots
> of
> information on various aerospace, geological, and other scientific
> problems
> being solved with Beowulf class systems.  However, I don't see lots of
> Computer Science projects using these systems.
> 
> If anyone could tell me about such projects, I would much appreciate it.
> 
> -- 
>          -  bkuhn@ebb.org  -  Bradley M. Kuhn  -  bkuhn@gnu.org  -
>                           http://www.ebb.org/bkuhn