Hardware for a cluster computer(Switching hub or etc.)

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Yu JW

Commendable
Jul 2, 2016
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1,510
Hi,I want to build up a linux cluster computer consisting of 5 Work stations(WSs)
I will use one of them as a master node and remaining 4 will do the
parallel computing using the MPI(something like numerical calculations or simulations).

I want to know which switching hub product will be proper to manage these nodes?
all of WSs support gigabit network.

I think something like gigabit switching hub will be okay. However, as I am a beginner in the sense of networking, I don't know the extent of performance for my need(things like L2, L3, L4 or bandwidth, Packet forwarding rate? or etc. It's complicated for me to understand but I know that as the number gets larger, the performance is better).

Can someone explain what is needed and recommend suitable switching hub or other hardwares needed for a cluster computer(linux 5WSs and cat5e. lan cable are all I have now)?

Thanks in advance.

p.s. I'm, sorry for my poor english, I'm not native. Hope you can understand this.



 
Solution
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What feature do you need that a managed switch offers. Generally if you do not know you do not need it.

It sounds like there is not even a lot of traffic going between the devices.

From a performance ability almost every switch can run at what is called wire speed. Every port can run gigbit at the same time. This technology is now so old its price has dropped to almost nothing. When you look at the simple switching ability there is no difference between a high end cisco switch and the cheap brand you can get from walmart

The difference in the switches is the extra feature. High end switch for example support redundancy so you can fail uplink that go to other switches or they support thing like stacking to allow multiple switch...
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bill001g

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Aug 9, 2012
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If all the devices are at the same location a simple unmanged gigbit switch will likely be all you need. Pretty much unless you know what feature you need a managed switch will buy you nothing. They all pretty much can run all ports at 1g up and 1g down all at the same time. Even the $20 5 port unmanged consumer switches can run that fast.

Now if your machines have 10g ports in them you can buy a small 10g switch. In 10g switches you still must read the fine print because not all can run all the ports at maximum speed.
 
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Yu JW

Commendable
Jul 2, 2016
8
0
1,510


Thank you,

Actually I have a dell cluster with 15 nodes and this is built with local seller with maintenance and software solution.
I want to build my WSs in the same way that I run computing things that I have been doing with my old cluster.

The old cluster works in this way.
First, remote access to a master node at the cluster with ssh.
Second, ssh node# which is a slave.
Third, qsub jobs with MPI shell script

This is a simple task flow I've been doing.

Do you think I need a managed switch or a unmanaged one?

And I did search for a while, there are a lot of gigabit switches at a wide range of price.
Expensive ones are worth buying? I mean, is there really huge difference in performance even in gigabit switch with the same ports?

I'm sorry for my ignorance but i don't get a sense of what to buy
 
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bill001g

Titan
Aug 9, 2012
28,365
2,766
125,640
What feature do you need that a managed switch offers. Generally if you do not know you do not need it.

It sounds like there is not even a lot of traffic going between the devices.

From a performance ability almost every switch can run at what is called wire speed. Every port can run gigbit at the same time. This technology is now so old its price has dropped to almost nothing. When you look at the simple switching ability there is no difference between a high end cisco switch and the cheap brand you can get from walmart

The difference in the switches is the extra feature. High end switch for example support redundancy so you can fail uplink that go to other switches or they support thing like stacking to allow multiple switch to appear as a single switch. Again unless you know what feature you need these extras just cost money and give you no performance benefit.
 
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Solution
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Yu JW

Commendable
Jul 2, 2016
8
0
1,510


I heard a system using parallel computing between nodes and It needs a special network system called Inifiniband(correct me if it's not). And I think it will may be needed for my old cluster in the future but it is not for my new cluster. I just want a easier access to slave nodes, and wanna my jobs more easily switching from node to node. And wanna setting up a script or simulation system at a node automatically transfer to the other nodes. Anyway I'm not in the situation(as you mentioned) that there is a lot of traffic between devices. So cheap gigabit switch with as many ports as possible will certainly be my choice.

Thank you for your help and explanation
 
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