[FAD] Building the best PC cluster: ProcessingPower/$$$

[Eladijaz]

Here is the thought:-
Let's hypothetically build a cluster of machines for FAD at the best possible CRUNCH/$ ratio ... including all of the direct costs (costs to the environment etc are out of the scope, basic building man-hours are also out of the scope, but electricity/maintenance costs are in ... ) - so in other words, something a tech enthusiast might do as a home project.

For the sake of argument, let's say we will run this cluster for a period of 24 months and that it will include 20 PCs.
Please feel absolutely free to throw any and all reasonable arguments this way.
Let's start with the components that might be necessary:-

Hardware:-
20 Motherboards
20 CPUs
20 PSUs
20 BNC NICs
19 Coax Cables (50ohms)
20 T-Pieces
2 thin ethernet terminators.
1 10 GB HDD
1 CD ROM
1 Monitor
1 KB/mouse
1 Video Card (onboard perhaps)

Software:-
1 OS with LAN booting capabilities
1 Remote access program

The idea is that the system runs from 1 terminal with FAD using each PC as a node and the central PC as the server.

Thoughts ... ?
Elad.

DOH! where is the memory ELAD? ... let's add 19 x 32MB RAM + 1 x 64MB

[paul9]

well the first thought is that you stole the idea from pyrosama, or was that inspired by pyrosama? second thought is that you have to be careful with the nics, as they don't always have a bnc connector for the coax network cables.
are you going linux (or win 95) with a freevnc type program to keep the os costs at rock bottom?

[Eladijaz]

Inspired by, of course! here is his thread:-
http://www.techimo.com/forum/t127599.html

I would suggest Linux, simply because of the costs involved with MS products (wouldn't want to do anything illegal :P).
FreeVNC sounds like a possibility ... would it be appropriate for this project (I have never used it ...).
Elad.

[mazdarx7-64]

Yes using a legal copy of a MS clustering product would not be an option for most people, $$$$$. That is what Linux is for

[Eladijaz]

So finding motherboards with LAN booting is an issue ... perhaps we can save a bit there too by buying boards with onboard NI(C)s ...

[mazdarx7-64]

Yeah, most, but not all, boards with no onboard NIC, don't do network booting. You would have better luck with newer boards, but older socket 370 boards without onboard NICs, it would be harder to find thoes with network boot options, but not impossible.

[paul9]

the ones with onboard nics are even less likely to have the bnc connector, just a rj45 socket. you may still need nics for them....

[Eladijaz]

good point paul9 ... I have rarely seen BNC onboard ...

[mazdarx7-64]

Very true, but why not just use cat5 insted of coax??

[paul9]

using knoppix, you would be able to do a cdrom boot and therefore wouldn't need an hdd. or perhaps a usb memory stick version of linux would help?
from my post in the other thread.

and from mazda:

Quote:

You do need a HD to download FaD to, and to store job info.

EDIT: you could uas a USB drive for that. Good thinking.