Scyld and pvfs ...

[Franz Marini]

On Mon, 13 Nov 2000, Walter B. Ligon III wrote:

> That said, why do you feel you NEED a complete install on each node?  Scyld
> does NOT use NFS to access the root file system as you mentioned - the entire
> kernel and supporting files ARE placed on the LOCAL disk at boot time.  The
> key is that you don't NEED any more than that when you are running Scyld
> Beowulf.

ok, thank for the explanation... I thought it would load the kernel from
the cd (or floppy) and then mount the / partition via NFS. Forgive me, but
it is such a rather strage way of doin' things that at first I haven't
understood it.

> I know it sounds rather incredible (it took me a while to get used to the idea
> and I've been aware of it for a very long time) but I would encourage you to

Incredible, indeed. 

> As Phil pointed out, PVFS works fine with it.  Finally, if a traditional 

Well, very well. I thought it but I wasn't sure.


BTW, just a couple more questions :

1) has someone used a Scyld installation with Portland Group
fortran compilers ?
2) What about using ssh on the master node (I don't see any problem in
this, but you know. Murphy's law is always awaiting) ?
3) Anyone tried ScaLapack w/ Scyld ?
4) (quite a long list of questions ...) we're using the CPMD
(Carr-Parrinello Molecur Dynamics) program on our current beowulf, but we
have some performance problems w/ mpich 1.2.1 (w/ or without mpd). It
seems like it uses LOTS of all2all comms. Has someone tried it w/ Scyld ?

And now an hardware related question : has someone had any experience w/
VIA 694x motherboards for the nodes ?

Thank you all very much,

Franz
  


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Franz Marini
Sys Admin and Software Analyst,
Dept. of Physics, University of Milan, Italy.

"There's nothing wrong in M$oft that Linux can't cure..."

email : marini at pcmenelao.mi.infn.it
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