[Beowulf] [EXTERNAL] Re: Is Crowd Computing the Next Big Thing?

Douglas Eadline deadline at eadline.org
Sat Nov 30 18:27:18 PST 2019


Indeed, I was observing the "flash cluster" fiasco at USF
years ago (everyone bring your laptop and we will
build a supercomputer! ... why? IDK) In any case
the only thing that worked was a bunch
of pristine identical desktop donated by a vendor.
Laptops were notoriously unreliable for any number
of reasons.

The most interesting thing I learned was how well
some laptops functioned for a "users needs" while technically
in a state of "brokenness" There is a larger lesson there.

--
Doug


> But just think of the challenges of implementing MPI on a network of
> ephemerally connected cellphones. Or any of the cluster filesystems?  What
> about a scheduler/queue manager?  The nature of the computing nodes and
> communication would bring new meaning to the Byzantine General problem.
>
> This is an order of magnitude more complex than a cluster of RPi or
> Beagles, which, frankly, is a doddle.
>
> (I'm omitting the obligatory "what about a Beowulf cluster of X" comment,
> since we are, after all, the Beowulf mailing list and it goes without
> saying.
>
>
> On 11/30/19, 1:38 PM, "Beowulf on behalf of Douglas Eadline"
> <beowulf-bounces at beowulf.org on behalf of deadline at eadline.org> wrote:
>
>
>     "Big Thing" as in over-hyped idea: Yes
>     "Big Thing" as in practical use: No
>
>     --
>     Doug
>
>
>     > Seen the below where a company wants to rent your smartphone as a
> cloud
>     > computing resource. From a few years ago there was a company making
> space
>     > heaters that contained servers to compute and heat your house.
>     >
>     > Are there any classes of problems that would be monitizeable in a
> grid
>     > computing environment to make those efforts financially viable?
>     >
>     > Is Crowd Computing the Next Big Thing?
>     > https://www.eejournal.com/article/is-crowd-computing-the-next-big-thing/
>     >
>     > Heating houses with 'nerd power'
>     > https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32816775#<https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32816775>
>     >
>     > Chuck Petras, PE**
>     > Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc
>     > Pullman, WA  99163  USA
>     > http://www.selinc.com
>     >
>     > SEL Synchrophasors - A New View of the Power System
>     > <http://synchrophasor.selinc.com>
>     >
>     > Making Electric Power Safer, More Reliable, and More Economical (R)
>     >
>     > ** Registered in Oregon.
>     >
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>
>     --
>     Doug
>
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-- 
Doug



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