[Beowulf] Configuring Infiniband on Linux

[Nifty niftyompi Mitch]

On Wed, Aug 27, 2008 at 10:42:23AM -0400, Prentice Bisbal wrote:
> 
> I will soon be setting up my first cluster that uses Infiniband. I've
> searched the net, but I haven't found any good tutorials or articles on
> configuring Infiniband networking on Linux and/or how the Infiniband
> networking protocol (if that is the correct term) works.
> 
> Can someone point me to a good guide/tutorial?
> 

First start with your InfiniBand vendors documentation.

Then look at the suite of applications that 
will be run on your cluster.

If the applications are MPI applications most vendors have
accelerated MPI stacks and libraries.

If the applications are not MPI then I suspect that they
are basic TCP/IP so look at the vendor documentation for 
IPoIB (IP over Infiniband).

In general cluster management uses TCP/IP over Ethernet
so design things so the various physical IP transports
have unique and clearly defined subnets and interface(host) 
names.

Some storage protocols make a TCP/IP connection to share
Infiniband local ID information (think bootstrap) so do
not eliminate Ethernet connectivity from your setup 
out of hand.

One key to Infiniband is that the IB fabric must have
a subnet manager.  You only need one...



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