VTLUUG:Beowulf Cluster

In 1999, VTLUUG created an 8-node Beowulf cluster out of spare and donated hardware. In March 2013, planning begun for Beowulf v2 out of 19 donated Pentium 4 servers .

About Our Cluster Project

(Taken from here.)

'Beowulf', in addition to being the name of the hero of a Norse epic poem, is also the name of the networking software used to link together a 'Beowulf' class Linux cluster - a group of computers running the operating system Linux and networked together to work as a single computer potentially rivaling the power of modern-day supercomputers (maybe...).

The local Linux/UNIX Users Group here in Blacksburg, Virginia has set out to set up just such a cluster initially using donated and scavenged PC parts. The resulting cluster may be put to use calculating PI, altering time, speeding up the harvest, or doing complex calculations for departments of the university that are interested in becoming involved with the project.

In February 2013, the idea for a Raspberry Pi cluster arose as a reincarnation of the beowulf cluster. In March 2013, Beowulf v2 planning began using donated Pentium 4 boxes.

Sunway Cluster (Beowulf v2) Specs

• 20x 19x 1U servers (we were told there were 20, but could only find 19...)
  • Pentium 4, 2.80 GHz
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 40 GB HDD
  • 10/100 Mbps onboard
  • 5 also have wifi cards
  • CentOS 6.4 i386
• Matt's 48-port 10/100 switch (Dell Powerconnect 3348)
• 48-port Patch panel
• Housed in VTLUUG Rack 2
• Soon to be collocated/transferred to WUVT

Project Timeline

Early February, 1999

Members of the L/UUG at VT officially begin planning a Beowulf cluster project.

March 2, 1999

Project team met to assemble assorted donated and purchased parts into 7 (one more still under construction) functional computers that will become the 8 nodes in our cluster. Note: Clemmit, in a fit of over-productivity, assembled two of these 7 the night before by himself. What a poser. :)

Late March, 1999

The hardware was set up in space provided graciously by the Atomistic Simulation Lab of the Materials Engineering Department at Virginia Tech during the week of Spring Break (how nerdy is that?).

April 16, 1999

Seven nodes are up and running.

May 10, 1999

Lots of people gone for the summer. We're gearing up for setting up software and starting some real capability testing - probably not until Fall when people get back though.

(Unknown)

Beowulf cluster is decommissioned

February 2013

Planning begins for a Raspberry Pi cluster (mostly colocation rather than shared computing). Unfortunately, someone had difficulties placing a group order so this was delayed for months.

Late March, 2013

Beowulf v2 begins planning as VTLUUG is given use of old Pentium 4 machines.

March 30, 2013

Beowulf v2 is constructed in the CVL; nodes are named after elevator manufacturers. The cluster is named Sunway after an elevator in the hacker movie Cypher.

April 2, 2013, 1:12 AM

VTLUUG uses Sunway for xkcd's university hash-cracking challenge.

April 2, 2013 1:28 AM

VTLUUG discovers that a single 20A circuit is not sufficient for our cluster when running if full throttle.