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Building clustered Linux systems / Robert W. Lucke.

By: Lucke, Robert W.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookSeries: Hewlett-Packard professional books.Publisher: Upper Saddle River, NJ : Prentice Hall PTR, c2005Description: xxxviii, 606 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 0131448536; 9780131448537.Subject(s): Linux | Operating systems (Computers) | Embedded computer systems -- Programming | Linux | Distributed systems | Operating systems | Computers and ITDDC classification: 005.432 LUC Summary: Robert W. Lucke offers a step-by-step guide to analysis of hardware needs & designing the cluster system, easing the implementation & management of Linux cluster technology for the everyday IT organisation, & offers examples of existing cluster systems & their construction.
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Item type Current library Call number Copy number Status Barcode
General lending MTU Kerry North Campus Library Ground Floor Main 005.432 LUC (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 38888000536494
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Praise for Building Clustered Linux Systems

"The author does an outstanding job of presenting a very complicated subject. I very much commend this work. The author sets the pace and provides vital resources and tips along the way. He also has a very good sense of humor that is crafted in the text in such a way that makes the reading enjoyable just when the subject may demand a break. This book should be a requirement for those that are clustering or considering clustering and especially those considering investing a great deal of financial resource toward that goal."

-Joe Brazeal, Information Technician III, Southwest Power Pool

"This book is for Beginner and Intermediate level system administrators, engineers, and researchers, who want to learn how to build Linux clusters. The book covers everything very well."

-Ibrahim Haddad, Senior Researcher, Ericsson Corporate Unit of Research

"Nothing that I know of exists yet that covers this subject in as much depth and detail. The practical 'hands-on' approach of this book on how to build a Linux cluster makes this a very valuable reference for a very popular, highly demanded technology."

-George Vish, II, Linux Curriculum Program Manager and Senior Education Consultant, HP

"In my opinion there is a significant lack of literature on this subject. Most of the currently available books are either dated or do not address the complete picture of the range of decisions that must go into building a Linux cluster. I feel comfortable recommending this to anyone interested in building a Linux cluster to better understand both the technical aspects of building and designing a Linux cluster, but also the business aspects of the same."

-Randall Splinter Ph.D., Senior Solution Architect, HP

"The author has set a precedent in the cluster design and integration process that is lacking in the industry today."

--Stephen Gray, Senior Applications Engineer, Altair Engineering, Inc.

The Practical, Step-by-Step Guide to Building and Running Linux Clusters

Low-cost, high-performance Linux clusters are the best solution for an increasingly wide range of technical and business problems. Until now, however, building and managing Linux clusters has required more specialized knowledge than most IT organizations possess. This book dramatically lowers the learning curve, bringing together all the hands-on knowledge and step-by-step techniques you'll need to get the job done.

Using practical examples, Robert Lucke simplifies every facet of cluster design and integration: networking, hardware, architecture, operating environments, data sharing, applications, and more. Lucke, who helped prototype and implement one of the world's largest Linux clusters, systematically addresses the key issues you'll encounter and the key decisions you'll have to make. Coverage includes:

Basic clustering concepts, hardware components, and architectural models A step-by-step cluster creation process: design, installation, and testing Choosing and implementing the optimal hardware configuration for your environment Life in the fast LAN: high-speed cluster interconnects Software issues: distributions, bootup, disks, partitioning, file systems, middleware, and more

Formerly CIP. Uk

Includes bibliographical references (p. 587-588) and index.

Robert W. Lucke offers a step-by-step guide to analysis of hardware needs & designing the cluster system, easing the implementation & management of Linux cluster technology for the everyday IT organisation, & offers examples of existing cluster systems & their construction.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • List of Figures
  • List of Tables
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction
  • I Introduction To Cluster Concepts
  • 1 Parallel Power: Defining the Clustered System Approach
  • Avoiding Difficulties with the Word Cluster
  • Defining a Cluster
  • The Evolution of a Clustered Solution
  • Collapsed Network Computing for Engineering
  • Scientific Cluster Computing
  • Revisiting the Definition of Cluster
  • Commercial Cluster Computing
  • High Performance, High Throughput, and High Availability
  • A Formal Definition of Cluster
  • The Why and Wherefore of Clusters
  • Summary
  • 2 One Step at a Time: A Process for Building Clusters
  • Building Clusters as a Complex Endeavor
  • Talking about the "P Word"
  • Presenting a Formal Cluster Creation Process
  • Formal Cluster Process Summary
  • II Cluster Architecture And Hardware Components
  • 3 Underneath the Hood: Cluster Hardware Components and Architecture
  • Hardware Categories in a Cluster
  • A Survey of Cluster Hardware Configurations
  • High-Throughput Cluster Configurations
  • High-Availability Cluster Configurations
  • High-Performance Cluster Configurations
  • Common Cluster Hardware Architecture
  • Cluster Hardware Architecture Summary
  • 4 Any Way You Slice It: Work and Master Nodes in a Cluster
  • Criteria for Selecting Compute Slices

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

Welcome! This book will introduce you to building computing solutions from groups of interconnected systems running the Linux operating system. If you want to learn practical information about building this type of solution, often called a Linux cluster, read on! I am writing this book because I believe the time has come for Linux cluster solutions to move into the mainstream information technology (IT) world from their current homes in universities and research institutes. This cannot happen until Linux clustered solutions, or "clusters," are introduced and demystified for mainstream system administrators and IT solution architects. If this information is what you are looking for, read on! In this book we examine some of the architectures, processes, and collections of technologies that may be used to build clustered Linux systems. We examine the reasons that Linux may make the best choice as the base operating system for a cluster. We do this while attempting to avoid the assumptions and jargon that currently make building Linux clusters the domain of a small club of high-performance computing specialists. If this approach is what you are lookingfor, read on! Learning to build Linux clusters is a journey, like learning any other complex technicaltask. One of the most difficult parts in any journey is just getting started. There is a folk saying that goes something like, "A map does you no good if you don't know where you are." This book will pick a starting point, identify some of the opportunities for Linux cluster solutions, define aprocess for creating a cluster solution, introduce you to some of the necessary components, and give concrete examples of cluster design and construction. Let's begin the journey, shall we? About This Book The intent of this book is to provide an introduction to clustered Linux systems for an audience that may not have any experience working with this type of solution. A cluster comprises multiple physical systems, interconnected and configured to act in concert with each other as if they were a single resource. Throughout, I assume a basic understanding of computer hardware, network,and operating system concepts or the ability to research required topics. I do not, however, assume previous experience with clustered systems. This book is not intended to be an introduction to Linux system administration or Transmision Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network administration. I make every attempt to point you to appropriate reference books and external sources of information as we proceed. Experience with administering Linux or UNIX systems and an understanding of network connections is essential to getting the most useful information from this book. This book attempts to tie together the "big picture" for those system administrators and system architects who already understand the individual elements of that picture. My goal is to teach you how to configure and use Linux subsystems and tools on multiple physical computers to create the appearance of a single-system "clustered" solution. This is a potentially complexendeavor that relies foremost on understanding the basic operation of the Linux operating system and subsystems, which may involve network connections. Using This Book Part I introduces the concept of a cluster, defines the term cluster as we will use it, and outlines a general process for building a cluster. Part II introduces the hardware components that make up a cluster, along with an architectural model that shows the relationship between the individualhardware components in various types of clusters. Part III applies Linux and open-source software to the software architecture of a cluster, pointing out available solutions and approaches. Part IV discusses the economics and physical construction of cluster hardware, detailing the design and implementation details (cables, power, cooling, and so on). Part I is the key to understanding the process and components involved in building a clustered Linux system--you should start with the chapters in this section. If you are new to the hardware and software components involved in a Linux cluster, you should proceed linearly through the remaining parts of the book. After completing Part I, experienced system architects who are anxious to dive right to the Linux software portion of building clusters should read thematerial in Part III, followed by Part IV. Experienced Linux system administrators may wish to read Parts II and IV, then skim over Part III. Excerpted from Building Clustered Linux Systems by Robert W. Lucke All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Robert W. Lucke , a former solution architect for HP's Technical Consulting Organization, worked on one of the world's largest Linux clusters at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories. Robert specializes in UNIX development, performance tuning, interoperability, technical computing architectures, and large-scale system management. He brings more than twenty-two years of experience to the analysis and design of complex hardware and software environments and is also a Red Hat Certified Engineer.



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