O'Reilly has published a book about open source and free software for setting up, running, and programing Linux clusters. “High Performance Linux Clusters with OSCAR, Rocks, openMosix, and MPI” introduces specific software packages that author Joseph D. Sloan says can save new cluster administrators time.

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According to Sloan, the book focuses mainly on clustering for high-performance computation, although much information also applies to clustering techniques for high-availability, such as failover and disaster recovery. High availability clustering is a cornerstone of Carrier Grade Linux, among other embedded Linux projects.

A few of the projects covered include:

• MPI, described as the most popular programming library for clusters. Sloan says the book includes simple but realistic introductory examples, along with some pointers for advanced use
• OSCAR and Rocks, described as two comprehensive installation and administrative systems
• openMosix, described as a convenient tool for distributing jobs. Consists of Linux kernel extensions that migrate processes transparently for load balancing
• PVFS, described as one of the parallel filesystems that make clustering I/O easier
• C3, a set of commands for administering multiple systems
• Ganglia, OpenPBS, and cloning tools Kickstart, SIS, and G4U are also covered

According to Sloan, the book looks at cluster installation packages (OSCAR and Rocks) and then considers the core packages individually, offering greater depth for folks wishing to do a custom installation. Guidelines for debugging, profiling, performance tuning, and managing jobs from multiple users round out the content.

Sloan said, “I selected the software I believe is most useful for someone new to clustering. This book doesn't stand alone, [but] should reduce the amount of work you'll need to do. I've tried to write the sort of book I would have wanted when I got started with clusters.”

The book is available now, in bookstores or direct O'Reilly, priced at $39.95. A sample chapter (PDF download) is also available.

 
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