> On Mon, Apr 02, 2007 at 12:12:29PM -0400, Douglas Eadline wrote: >> > Hi All, >> > >> > Would any of you please like to share usage-experience/views/comments >> > about Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 based Beowulf Clusters? >> >> As a point of clarification, there is no such thing >> as a "Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 based Beowulf Clusters" >> This link may help: >> >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_cluster >> > > I don't know why everyone is so obsessed with saying "Your Beowulf must > run > an (F)OSS operating system to be a Beowulf."
Because I believe, "the art of Beowulf" has a rich history of development that is based on the original definition from "How to Build a Beowulf" by Thomas Sterling, John Salmon, Donald J. Becker and Daniel F. Savarese: ".. a collection of personal computers interconnected by widely available networking technology running anyone of several open source Unix-like operating systems. " I would not want to see it usurped by other clustering efforts. I believe that if we do not protect against revisionist history, then all of a sudden WCCS is now "Beowulf" computing. Such things, in my opinion dis-honor all the people (who I respect) that have contributed to this community. To me it is almost akin to removing author credit in open source software. A short aside. I overheard a conversation at SC-2000 about the origin of Beowulf from a MS representative "Beowulf was a copy of the Microsoft Wolfpack software. They chose that name so it would seem like Wolfpack some how". Truth is a slippery fish. Certainly Thomas Sterling can rework the definition as he pleases (he co-authored it), And I am not disparaging WCCS or any other clustering method. I just want to keep the credit where credit is due. So I stand as a defender of the faith, as it where. -- Doug > > You can build a Beowulf out of Windows. God only knows why you'd want to, > but > you can. > > Just to invent a little bit of evidence, Thomas Sterling edited a book > called "Beowulf Cluster Computing with Windows" > > http://www.amazon.com/Beowulf-Computing-Scientific-Engineering-Computation/dp/0262692759/ref=pd_sim_b_5/002-1371173-4594458?ie=UTF8&qid=1175531228&sr=8-1 > > It was actually two books - a "Beowulf Cluster Computing with Linux" and a > "Beowulf Cluster Computing with Windows". 75% of the text was the same. > (We > wrote a chapter in it - we used the same chapter, with latex macros > \iflinux > and \ifwinnt for whichever book was being built) > > The Linux book way outsold the Windows book, and so there was no second > edition of the Windows book. My guess is that most everyone had the good > sense to say "Windows as the base OS for my cluster? No thanks" > > >> > >> > What in your opinion is the future of such clusters? >> > >> > How you compare these with the LINUX CLUSTERS? >> >> You will not find much information on this list as >> it mainly focuses on Linux Beowulf style clusters. >> > > The parallel programming part of this list applies to Windows as > much as it applies to Linux (or FreeBSD or Darwin or HURD) > > -Erik > > > !DSPAM:46113337114068298414181! > -- Doug _______________________________________________ Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf@beowulf.org To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf
