Re: How to create a Matlab cluster with 8 PCs

On Nov 20, 1:22 pm, "Ramanuj Lal" <ramanuj...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
hrh1818 <hr...@xxxxxxx> wrote in message <28003a71-f595-471d-b39d-602477d97...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>...
On Nov 19, 11:38=A0pm, "Ramanuj Lal" <ramanuj...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi! I am working on computational finance and simulation. I have around 8=
-9 brand new PCs lying around in my Hall library. I want to create a cluste=
r out of them for my financial simulations and visualizations.

I have Windows installed on all of them and if possible, would like to st=
ick to the Windows version. Please tell me how should I go about creating t=
his, so that all financial =A0engineering students can also submit their jo=
bs remotely from their rooms.

1. What hardware do I require?
2. What software?
3. How do I go about creating the cluster?
4. Can I work on Matlab normally as I use it on my PCs, or will I have to=
 deal with batch processes and all that I read on the net.

All your help will be highly appreciated.

Have you looked at " MATLAB Distributed Computing Server 4.0 "?.
see :
http://www.mathworks.com/products/distriben/ ; for more details.
The Web Page will answer many of your questions.  But one thing you
might gag  on is the sentence "Users program and prototype
applications on their desktops using Parallel Computing Toolbox=99 and
then scale up to a cluster using MATLAB Distributed Computing
Server".  The requirement for the Parallel Computing Toolbox most
likely will make this solution to expensive for students to
submit .their jobs from their dorm rooms.

Howard

Hey Howard,

Thanks for your reply. The links that you mentioned were quite useful in sorting out a few issues.

Firstly, acquiring the Parallel Computing Toolbox won't be a problem as I can approach my institute for funds. So let me put my problem like this. I have a set of 8 PCs and one LAN port which connects to the rest of the LAN network we have on campus. I have Vista installed on all PCs. Now, all the help sites I have gone through - including the MathWorks on you suggested - begin by assuming that the computer cluster is already setup. After that they they talk about installing the Parallel Computing Toolbox and the Distributed Computing Server.

My problem is I have no idea how to create a cluster first out of those PCs. Which platform should I use? How should I connect the PCs. And I would prefer to do all this in Windows. Can you give me some idea on how to move from Ground Zero?

Thanks again.

Creating a cluster is fairly easy and straight forward. What you need
is hardware and software to connect your PCs in a The cluster.
Typically the hardware consists of a router and ethernet cables. You
will need a router with at least 9 ports. Run one cable from the
ethernet connector on each PC to a port on the router. The majority
of PCs of recent vintage have an ethernet interface. Your PC's
documentation may call it a LAN interface. You are essentially using
your 8 PCs to build your own local area network in your laboratory.
Then you will need an additional cable to connect your campus LAN to
the router. The router is used both to connect your Campus LAN to
your laboratory LAN and to direct the flow of data between your 8
PCs. Vista comes with software for building your laboratory LAN. You
may want to get someone from the group who set up and runs your campus
LAN to help you set up your laboratory LAN.

OK that was the easy part now for the hard part. I am confused by the
"Network Requirements for the MathWorks Job Manager" on this Web
Page. http://www.mathworks.com/products/distriben/requirements.html
You really need someone from your campus network group to interpret
and to make sure your cluster meets Mathworks requirements.

Howard
.

Relevant Pages

  • RAS - Routingproblem? DNS? Wins?
    ... ging übers Kabelmodem ins Internet und die andere ins LAN. ... Adapter und über diesen nam der Router externe Anrufe unseres Aussenlagers ... anderen PCs ganz normal mit 1 Netzwerkkarte im LAN angehängt ist. ...
    (microsoft.public.de.german.windowsxp.networking)
  • RAS - Routingproblem? DNS? Wins?
    ... ging übers Kabelmodem ins Internet und die andere ins LAN. ... Adapter und über diesen nam der Router externe Anrufe unseres Aussenlagers ... anderen PCs ganz normal mit 1 Netzwerkkarte im LAN angehängt ist. ...
    (microsoft.public.de.german.windowsxp.networking)
  • Re: WEP and MAC Filter
    ... The router is connected to the LAN via one of the 1-4 lan ports. ... cabled to the 1-4 LAN ports, and the wireless PCs would be channeled ... and wireless PCs would be on the same LAN subnet, ...
    (alt.internet.wireless)
  • Re: Remote assistance
    ... Since both PCs are on the same LAN try this as an alternative... ... Make sure both PCs and the router have ... >>> the file it says Remote Assistance failed. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.work_remotely)
  • Re: TCPIP cluster alias, NAT/PAT routers, MAC addresses etc
    ... the LAN and the corresponding MAC addresses. ... VMS sends out a gratuitous ARP broadcast to change the ethernet address ... You would write a script tht causes your router to flush its ARP table. ... node currently hlding the cluster alias IP to idetify itself. ...
    (comp.os.vms)