From owner-freebsd-cluster@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Apr 4 03:33:46 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-cluster@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 964CD16A4CE for ; Sun, 4 Apr 2004 03:33:46 -0700 (PDT) Received: from web41501.mail.yahoo.com (web41501.mail.yahoo.com [66.218.93.84]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 6ECF443D41 for ; Sun, 4 Apr 2004 03:33:46 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from asporner@yahoo.com) Message-ID: <20040404103346.76151.qmail@web41501.mail.yahoo.com> Received: from [80.131.177.252] by web41501.mail.yahoo.com via HTTP; Sun, 04 Apr 2004 03:33:46 PDT Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2004 03:33:46 -0700 (PDT) From: Andy Sporner To: Michael McDonald , freebsd-cluster@freebsd.org In-Reply-To: <002401c419e7$76692ac0$2f01a8c0@MICHAELIWZHLNY> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Subject: Re: Request for Cluster Recommendations X-BeenThere: freebsd-cluster@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Clustering FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 04 Apr 2004 10:33:46 -0000 Hi Michael, I am going to presume you mean a compute cluster (there are other types) based on the context of your message. I work for a company that makes network switches and we have seen best case where a server that is doing for instance a firewall application can do a maximum of about 30% of a gigabit. As this is more network centric rather than compute centric, I would expect that your utilitization would be lower than this. For 4 nodes I would think a standard gigabit switch would be enough. Managed allows you to have vlans, which doesn't seem to be requisite in your application. Additionally, haveing a separate network for the other traffic seems more trouble than it's worth. If you want reliability, and can find a bonding ethernet driver, than I would suggest creating a Adapter fault tolerance virtual adaptor and then use 2 gigabit adapters on the server and send them through two separate switches. I have looked in the last months for such a driver on Freebsd without luck. There was in times past an FEC driver. But all reports show that it is unstable. I have tried it anyways and can confirm that it is in fact.. unstable. There is a one to many configuration in netgraph that might however be usable. As for the software, somebody else will have to speak up. I only work on HA (and later Mosix) type clustering for network application scalablity, rather than compute farms. I would suggest if Ronald Milch is still listening that he would be the perfect answer man for your needs as this is his strong area. Best wishes for your project... Andy __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business $15K Web Design Giveaway http://promotions.yahoo.com/design_giveaway/