Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!iuvax!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!tank!eecae!cps3xx!usenet
From: usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Experience sought with large HP 9000 clusters
Keywords: cluster, network
Message-ID: <3517@cps3xx.UUCP>
Date: 22 Jun 89 20:07:05 GMT
Reply-To: lees@frith.egr.msu.edu (John Lees)
Distribution: na
Organization: Michigan State University, College of Engineering
Lines: 33

We are beginning to set up a large network of HP 9000 machines running
HP-UX 6.5. Our target network, which we will be assembling over the course
of the next year, will have four cluster servers with approximately 30 cnodes
per cluster. I would like to hear from anyone who has done this sort of thing
with this number of machines.

The cluster servers will be 9000/360's with 12mb of memory and a fast
and a slow SCSI interface. We will put four 700mb disks on the fast SCSI
interface, an 8mm tape drive (Perfect Byte EXB-8200) on the slow SCSI
interface, and an HP QIC drive and a printer on the HPIB interface (the
console, a 700/92, is using the serial port).

The cnodes will mostly be 9000/340's with 8mb of memory and a 150mb HP7958B
disk on the HPIB interface. The cnodes will all be configured for local swap.
Applications include C and FORTRAN programming, Frame word processing, and
various engineering packages such as SDRC I-DEAS.

We'll have a sprinkling of other machines, including a 370/SRX and an 835,
which we'll problably run as standalone systems (on the network, but not
part of a cluster).

Questions: Is this a reasonable number of cnodes per cluster? Has anyone
experienced problems running out of process ids in a large cluster? Does
anyone have a workaround for the inability to put spooled devices, e.g.,
printers, on cnodes? Any advice? Horror stories?

Thanks for your help.
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 John Lees                     A. H. Case Center for CAE/M     OoO
 UNIX Systems Manager          236 Engineering Building        /O
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