You are correct in assuming the Windows nodes are DHCP. However, while the cluster is in operation I can (if needed) remove the connection to the rest of the world at the switch. Then introducing a (new) DHCP server doesn't cause a conflict. I wouldn't want other computers on the network (that are not part of the cluster) to see the PXE master and then boot to that.
I have enabled PXE in BIOS. Thanks, Ben On Thu, Aug 7, 2008 at 2:03 PM, Tim Mattox <timat...@open-mpi.org> wrote: > I think a better approach than using NFS-root or LiveCDs is to use Perceus in > this situation, since it has been developed over many years to handle this > sort of thing (diskless/stateless beowulf clusters): > http://www.perceus.org/ > It leverages PXE booting so all you need to do on a per-node basis is enable > PXE booting in the BIOS. The primary limitation I see would be if your > windows machines are set up to use DHCP to get their IP addresses from > some server that is outside your control, since Perceus would need to take > over DHCP services to do its magic. > > On Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 6:05 PM, Adam C Powell IV <hazel...@debian.org> wrote: >> On Tue, 2008-08-05 at 17:01 -0500, Ben Payne wrote: >>> Hello. I am not sure if this is the correct list to ask this >>> question, so if you know of a more appropriate one please let me know. >>> >>> I think am looking for a LiveCD that supports MPI, specifically one >>> that has mpif90 built in, and can easily mount external (USB) drives >>> for storing data. >>> >>> I have access to 40 Windows computers in a lab that rarely gets used. >>> I would like to use the computers to run a cluster during the >>> weekends, but be able to not mess with the Windows installation that >>> exists on the hard drive. Because of this, I think a LiveCD would be >>> good, and one that supports PXE booting is even better. If there is a >>> better way to do this (run MPI, not disrupt Windows) please let me >>> know. >> >> The easiest way to do what you want is probably to netboot from a server >> on the subnet with NFS-root. That way you don't need to make a bunch of >> new CDs to upgrade a single piece of software. Just upgrade/modify the >> environment on the server, and everybody else upgrades instantly. >> >> Turn on the server and reboot the machines, and you're in Linux with >> MPI. Disable PXE at the server and reboot and you're back in Windows. >> >> LTSP has some tools to do this, as does the Debian package lessdisks. >> The basic principle is in http://wiki.debian.org/DebianLive and >> http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/HowTo/LtspDisklessWorkstation . The >> old diskless package did this beautifully, but bitrotted and is >> deprecated due to lack of maintenance. >> >> -Adam >> -- >> GPG fingerprint: D54D 1AEE B11C CE9B A02B C5DD 526F 01E8 564E E4B6 >> >> Engineering consulting with open source tools >> http://www.opennovation.com/ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> users mailing list >> us...@open-mpi.org >> http://www.open-mpi.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/users >> > > > > -- > Tim Mattox, Ph.D. - http://homepage.mac.com/tmattox/ > tmat...@gmail.com || timat...@open-mpi.org > I'm a bright... http://www.the-brights.net/ > _______________________________________________ > users mailing list > us...@open-mpi.org > http://www.open-mpi.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/users >
