ClusterMonkey.net: Remember these words; location, location, location. Clusters need space, power, cooling, and network access. So far, this column has focused on getting you started on cluster computing, where by "started" I mean started at the very beginning with the basic ideas of parallel computing. If you've been reading along, you'll recall that we began by describing the very simplest of cluster designs, the "I already have a Network Of Workstations, presto-change-o and it's a NOW cluster" design. We then put this simple cluster to work with a threaded Perl task distribution script, learned about Amdahl's Law, and most recently how learned to write a "real" parallel application using PVM.

Hopefully you are convinced at this point that clusters can be put to work for you to speed up your parallelizable high performance computational task. You're ready to write your grant proposal, to go to the board for funds, to pull money out of your own darned pocket if necessary but one way or another, build yourself a spanking new cluster and put it to work. The only problem is that you don't quite know what you need. What does one need to think about and plan for to build a cluster of any given scale, anyway?

http://www.clustermonkey.net//content/view/130/32/