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limulus_design_philosophy [2021/04/30 16:01] brandonm [Limulus Design Philosophy] Punctuation, spacing, and word fixes |
limulus_design_philosophy [2021/05/03 14:24] (current) brandonm [Optimize Price, Performance, Convenience] Hyphenate appropriate terms |
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====Use Commodity Hardware==== | ====Use Commodity Hardware==== | ||
- | On of the key aspects of modern cluster computing is the commodity nature of hardware. In general " | + | On of the key aspects of modern cluster computing is the commodity nature of hardware. In general, " |
- | In general the commodity hardware segment has stratified into // | + | In general, the commodity hardware segment has stratified into // |
The two types of hardware are not equivalent, however, and there are features available (at additional cost) at the //server// level that are not needed at the // | The two types of hardware are not equivalent, however, and there are features available (at additional cost) at the //server// level that are not needed at the // | ||
- | ===Low Core Count Fast Processors=== | + | ===Low Core Count, Fast Processors=== |
One of the key design concepts is based on modern processor designs. Virtually all modern processors are based on multi-core designs. There are two concerns when using higher core (e.g. 16+ cores) count multi-core processors. These are heat and memory bandwidth. | One of the key design concepts is based on modern processor designs. Virtually all modern processors are based on multi-core designs. There are two concerns when using higher core (e.g. 16+ cores) count multi-core processors. These are heat and memory bandwidth. | ||
- | As clock speeds increase the amount of heat that must be removed from the processors increases. At a given manufacturing level, the more cores that are added to a processor the more heat that is generated. In order to mitigate this heat, modern multi-core processors with high core counts run at a lower clock base frequency. If all cores are NOT needed, the clocks for the running cores can be increased, however, for HPC applications, | + | As clock speeds increase, the amount of heat that must be removed from the processors increases. At a given manufacturing level, the more cores that are added to a processor, the more heat that is generated. In order to mitigate this heat, modern multi-core processors with high core counts run at a lower base clock frequency. If all cores are NOT needed, the clocks for the running cores can be increased, however, for HPC applications, |
- | In terms of memory bandwidth, a large number of cores can create contention for memory access. Thus, for applications that require good memory access (most HPC application) the choice of high core count processors may actually provide a lower number of " | + | In terms of memory bandwidth, a large number of cores can create contention for memory access. Thus, for applications that require good memory access (e.g. most HPC applications), the choice of high core count processors may actually provide a lower number of " |
- | The Limulus design uses processors designed for the // | + | The Limulus design uses processors designed for the // |
====Use Open Software==== | ====Use Open Software==== | ||
- | In HPC and Data Analytics, the use of open software is virtually standard. The reasons for this go back to the original Beowulf approach and the advantages clearly out weigh any disadvantages. Like commodity hardware, users are not locked-in to any specific software vendor (unless they choose). The advantage of leading edge open development combined with the ability to choose how to use the software is important to many users (and often extends the useful life of hardware). For these reasons, **all Limulus Systems are built with 100% open source software beginning the Linux operating system**. | + | In HPC and Data Analytics, the use of open software is virtually standard. The reasons for this go back to the original Beowulf approach, and the advantages clearly out weigh any disadvantages. Like commodity hardware, users are not locked in to any specific software vendor (unless they choose |
====Low Power, Noise, Heat==== | ====Low Power, Noise, Heat==== | ||
- | One of the key design aspects of Limulus computing is the ability to deploy high-performance Limulus systems almost anywhere. Most //server// level hardware makes assumptions about data-center available power, cooling, and noise levels (i.e. fan noise). Using data-center equipment in an office, lab, classroom, or home may not be possible due to specific requirements (e.g. electrical requirements my exceed typical office wiring, generation of heat may exceed local HVAC designs, and fan noise may limit the ability to use the phone or have conversations). | + | One of the key design aspects of Limulus computing is the ability to deploy high-performance Limulus systems almost anywhere. Most //server//-level hardware makes assumptions about data-center available power, cooling, and noise levels (i.e. fan noise). Using data-center equipment in an office, lab, classroom, or home may not be possible due to specific requirements (e.g. electrical requirements my exceed typical office wiring, generation of heat may exceed local HVAC designs, and fan noise may limit the ability to use the phone or have conversations). |
- | All Limulus systems are designed with " | + | All Limulus systems are designed with " |
- | The ability to operate virtually anywhere is accomplished through careful design using low power components (e.g. 65W processors) and efficient and quiet cooling designs (e.g. large variable speed fans) | + | The ability to operate virtually anywhere is accomplished through careful design using low power components (e.g. 65W processors) and efficient and quiet cooling designs (e.g. large variable speed fans). |
- | Another unique feature of the Limulus design is the ability to turn-off un-used | + | Another unique feature of the Limulus design is the ability to turn off unused |
====Optimize Price, Performance, | ====Optimize Price, Performance, | ||
- | The final design concept is to package all the above features into a low-cost, high performance, | + | The final design concept is to package all the above features into a low-cost, high-performance, |
**The end result is a high-performance, | **The end result is a high-performance, |