PCA Forums

I've got a bunch of old comps that really have to perpose but to collect dust and possible be thrown at a cat or two, figure I gotta do something with em' right? so why not make a learning experence out of them, lets make a Linux cluster!

I got like 15 comps that i'm hoping to cluster togrether, all of them are of slightly differnt specs, some have 75Mhz pentuim CPUS, some 100MHz, 133MHz, 1 of them is a 200MHz. PPro, another is a 400MHz K6/3 all have ram ranges from 8MB to 160MB of ram different HDD sizes 500MB to 30GB. I've decided that I will have to use some ISA network cards Slow the cluster down consideribly but oh well, dont wonna spend any moolah. Ill post the full specs of the computers soon as i can.

I've been reading ALOT of stuff about clusters, how they work, software packages, etc. With help from Doc silly (Thanks DUDE!) and a few other ppl whom aren't in this fourm anyway becasue i really have no idea what to do to get a cluster going, Im hoping some of you who want to help please give me some information on:

• Clustering software packages for slackware
• General tips for design, construction of the cluster
• Any other info that i may find useful or require

I'm not sure exactly what i will do with the cluster if it ever works, I'll probibly compile my C programs with it, and compile Halflife maps, I plan to benchmark the CPU power over that of several different CPUS I think the the cluster will be the equivelent of a 1GHz PIII (on big stuff)

Im going to get a disposible camera and take some pics of the nodes and other things..... have it put into a CDROM and ill post some of them on this forum.

Thanks for the help in advance!!

All I can suggest is make sure you have enough power! Lan parties easily go bust when the host does not consider the amount of juice it takes to run 10 or so pc's.

Yeah, I could see were that would create a problem, i don't think it will be an issue, so long as i monitor it closely and i plug in only 2 comps per outlet, mom's gonna get pissed if the power bill goes up too high, exactly how much power we talkin' here?

Hmm..... I'm not too sure but, here is a good page for you to peruse through.

Lan Party info on loactions

From long experience with LAN parties the safe rule is 3 computers per circuit breaker. Usually you can get away with 4 (since these will be older systems - maybe even 5).

DO NOT GO BY OUTLETS!!!! There are multiple outlets connected to each circuit breaker.

In home it's not uncommon for one circuit breaker to power two bedrooms, so be aware you may not have much power available.

I agree with F/P there.
I made a mistake of putting one on the same line as the AC a few weeks ago.
Luckly I caught it before any trouble.
If u have a ups that might help filter out
spikes also.

Major bummer a few of the comps aren't working so i trashed them, oh well, I bought a 650MHz Athlon CPU and mobo, gonna upgrade this comp i got now if someone wants to buy my 333MHz K6/III with a DFI socket 7 mobo (VIA chipset) I'm selling it for about $50 if no one is interested, gonna make another comp with it and add it to the cluster. I plan to add the Athlon machine too. Also I am going to make a Athlon XP 2100 512MB ram GF4 comp at some point in time, gotta save up the money from working at this one place called "todai" japaneese food place. i wash dishes. anyway, gonna add that to the cluster as well, i think it'll be real sweet with the "nice" comps in it. so this is the comps i have that will be in the cluster:

• Penpro 200MHz @ 250Mhz 128MB ram
• 333MHz K6/III @ 400MHz 160MB ram
• 650MHz K7 slot A @ 750MHz 256MB ram
• 133MHz @ 150MHz pen 32MB ram
• 75MHz pen @ 100MHz 32MB ram (desktop)
• 75MHz pen @ 100MHz 16MB ram (desktop)
• 133MHz @ 150MHz pen 32MB ram (desktop)
• 133MHz @ 150MHz pen 32MB ram
• (soon) 1768MHz AthlonXP @ 1900 512MB ram

So the cluster hardware looks sweet now. I need someone to tell me about software that i'll need, been lookin' at this one package called OSCAR it seems like it may fit my needs.

I now know how the cluster will be set up. first the 650Athlon machine, until i get the XP comp will be the main node, being the gateway to the internet and the "Task distributer" the K6/III machine will the the 2ndary node, and will be used for internet serfing (family's node) the pentuim pro machine will be used to monitor, and maintain the cluster, it will make sure everything is running smoothly, have a monitor with a bunch of diagnostic programs and stuff running, this computer will the the only one that someone can access root on. The 650Mhz and athlon XP machines will have the ability to enter and exit the cluster at will (will be a multi boot of: linux-clustered, linux-nonclustered, and windows98SE) everything will be networked togrether with 10/100PCI networkcard (gonna have to buy some) anyway, if someone's got any ideas as to what software is should get, and any other stuff.........