Beowulf Cluster
Beowulf cluster (also called Beowulf-style cluster, Beowulf architecture) is a high-performance parallel computer cluster structure.The characteristic is that it uses cheap personal computer hardware to achieve the best cost-effectiveness. Its name is taken from the famous Old English epic "Beowulf", which was first published in 1994. NASA quilt Donald Becker Developed by others.
Beowulf cluster provides a way to use COTS (Commodity off the shelf) hardware to build a cluster system to meet special computing needs. COTS here refers to widely used standard equipment such as PC and Ethernet, which can usually be provided by multiple manufacturers and are usually very cost-effective. Beowulf clusters are now considered a branch or genre in high performance computing (HPC).
Almost every designer of a Beowulf cluster has his own definition of a Beowulf cluster, and it is difficult to give an exact definition of a Beowulf cluster.The following are characteristics of most Beowulf clusters:
- Beowulf is a system architecture that enables systems consisting of multiple computers to be used for parallel computing;
- The Beowulf system usually consists of a management node and multiple computing nodes. They are connected via Ethernet (or other networks). The management node monitors the computing nodes and is usually the gateway and control terminal of the computing nodes. It is usually also the cluster system file server. In large cluster systems, due to special requirements, the functions of these management nodes may also be shared by multiple nodes.
- A Beowulf system usually consists of the most common hardware devices, such as a PC, Ethernet card, and Ethernet switch. A Beowulf system rarely contains special devices that are customized by the user.
- Beowulf systems typically use inexpensive and widely available software, such as the Linux operating system, the Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM), and the Message Passing Interface (MPI).
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