[TLUG-ANNOUNCE]: Cluster Workshop

[Digimer]

On 10-05-14 03:31 PM, Lennart Sorensen wrote:
>> Does a cluster have any useful purpose in a home environment (ie. web;
>> email; office suite; photo management...)? Would any of the software in a
>>   typical home be able to use a cluster?
>
> I believe the answer is quite simply: No.
>
> At least that was what we told people on IRC in the late 90s when beowulf
> came out and everyone was asking how to use beowulf with their pile of
> 386 and 486 machines.  As soon as you told them it would not speed up
> their web browser they tended to go away.  Somehow people assumed it
> would magically make one fast computer.
>
> Most everything using a cluster needs to use OpenMPI or similar to pass
> messages around to synchronize a parallel job.  Obviously most software
> doesn't do this.  Plenty of software doesn't even use threads.

For "cluster = performance", Lennart is right. For high-availability, it 
may have use. Generally speaking though, a good backup is all a home 
needs, unless you're gunning for the geek factor. :P

-- 
Digimer
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