The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 3 (of 5)

Home-based Grid Computing

I have three computers with different configurations (all running Windows) at home. Is there a way I can probably "connect" all of them to form a Grid network where system resources are shared between the three so that the computational tasks are processed in parallel and hence overall performance can be improved. I'm sure this must be possible. Just curious what's the software and hardware add-on's required to build a distributed architecture like this.

GRiD
Thursday, September 25, 2003

I would recommend installing Advanced Cray Cyber-Think R5, and after that adding the neural network plug-ins you will find on the program's web site.

It has a special programming language called NeuroCOBOL which gives you the power to program it using advanced natural language processing commands.

You can also add the neuro-chips released recently by Hitachi, which connect using a small PCI card.

<grin>

Useless
Thursday, September 25, 2003

If you can use Linux, look at OpenMosix. There is even a CD version so you don't have to install anything on most of your boxes.

i like i
Thursday, September 25, 2003

Thanks. I've been looking for something exactly like OpenMosix (but for Windows). I also came across PVM (Parallel Virtual Machine) - http://www.netlib.org/pvm3/ which seems to be an effective solution to my needs. Anyone had any experience with PVM?

GRiD
Thursday, September 25, 2003

Take a look at Oz which can be found at http://www.mozart-oz.org/ and is a programming language ideally suited to distributed processing, (it was one of the many design goals).

There is also an (excellent) book currently available as a free download written by Peter Van Roy and Seif Haridi, and which will be published by MIT Press shortly.

David B. Wildgoose
Thursday, September 25, 2003

I'd like a little clarification about what the original poster is asking for.

It's my understanding that all the grid computing environments out there (for grids of personal computers, I mean, not the highly specialized supercomputer stuff) are really only applicable for specially designed tasks, not for simply turning three computers into one for general purpose tasks.

What I mean is that you install the "grid software" on all your machines then that gives you an environment where you can run applications *that were specially designed/programmed for that grid software*. What they don't do is suddenly make the group of computers look like one computer for general tasks, like running Word or Minesweeper.

From the original poster's comments it looks like he was looking for the later.

Bill Tomlinson
Thursday, September 25, 2003

To clarify for Tom, OpenMosix turns n workstations into n processors (shared between x users).

So if you are in a linux shop, then you can share each others idle cycles. This is especially ideal for compiles etc.

At one shop I was in once, Mosix (now forked to OpenMosix) was running on all the admin staff's PCs; developers could use those spare cycles transparently.

But as I said before, this is Linux. Of course it is great if you use the CD version, because then you don't need to install *anything* on your windows boxes.

i like i
Thursday, September 25, 2003

Actually, I'm not looking for a grid computing based/driven programming framework but a grid computing facilitation system - a way to convert n computers (their CPU/memory resources etc.) into a single logical entity - and ANY application on any of the systems may be able to use the resources from this single logical entity. I've heard this to be possible on Linux but I'm looking for a solution for Windows.

GRiD
Thursday, September 25, 2003

It might be extremely tricky to write without access to the OS sourcecode; maybe a bit beyond the average 3rd party?

i like i
Friday, September 26, 2003

you are not looking for a grid. you are looking for a cluster. As someone stated, openmosix is probably the easiest to setup. It's on knoppix linux which is bootable from cd. For a grid you can download the globus toolkit but that won't give you what you want.

Tom Vu
Friday, September 26, 2003