SDSC UCSD NPACI Rocks Cluster Distribution

1
SDSC / UCSDNPACI Rocks Cluster Distribution

• Overview/Problem Definition
• Make commodity Linux clusters easy
• Enable application scientists to build their own
  computational resources
• Automate common system administration tasks
• A single part-time administrator should be able
  to run a Top500 resource
• Non-cluster experts should be able to build a
  cluster in a couple of hours
• Promote cluster experimentation
• Automate software consistency
• Support Heterogeneous hardware, cannot assume
  clusters are homogenous
• Technical Approach
• Cluster on a CD (DVD for Itanium2)
• Downloadable ISO (based on RedHat Linux)
• ftp//ftp.rocksclusters.org/pub/rocks/rocks-2.3.2/
  ia64/rocks.iso
• Supports IA64 and x86
• Includes standard clustering software stack (PBS,
  Maui, Ganglia, etc)
• Can build a 128 node cluster in four hours
• Description based software installation
• Used to rapidly deploy heterogeneous clusters
• Used to enforce software consistency

2
SDSC / UCSDNPACI Rocks Cluster Distribution

• Results
• NPACI Rocks cluster registry
• http//www.rocksclusters.org/rocks-register
• Over 17 TFlops of peak computing enabled using
  Rocks
• Over 100 clusters world wide build with Rocks
• Largest known cluster is 604 CPUs (Standford
  University Bio-X)
• Rocks is a core software component for 4 large
  NSF ITR awards
• 233 on Nov 2002 Top500 list is a Rocks cluster
• Supports IA64 and x86
• Identical clustering software code base
• Both platforms are released concurrently
• Current Status/Looking Ahead
• Rocks is open source (active non-NPACI
  development)
• Always adding new users and clusters
• Exploring other Linux distributions (and
  non-Linux OSes)
• Exploring non-clustered applications