VSU high-performance computing cluster

High-performance computing clusters recently gain the increasing distribution and are widely used for computer simulation at solution of the major tasks in priority scientific directions. Solution on actual tasks in this area quite often cannot be lead on traditional sequential computers because of too major execution time of programs, therefore usage of computer clusters frequently becomes unique possibility of obtaining of new scientific results.

In 2002 on department of digital technologies of VSU at support of grant VZ-010 of Fund CRDF the 20-processor high-performance computing cluster in a composition of four-processor SUPERSERVER 8060 server (4xCPU a Pentium III Xeon, 700 MHz, 4 Gb SDRAM), four dual-processor SUPERSERVER 6010H servers (2xCPU a Pentium - III, 1,13 GHz, 1 Gb SDRAM), eight workstations (a Pentium - 4, 2,0 GHz, 512 Mb RIMM) is created. Peak productivity of a cluster is 28 Gflops. Windows 2000 operating system is installed on a cluster. Sites of a cluster of the first level (four and dual-processor) are bound on Gigabit Ethernet protocol, for link of remaining sites Fast Ethernet protocol is implemented.

Derivation on the basis of a cluster of laboratory of high-performance evaluations and its inclusion in IES will create the new information environment of scientific researches in Voronezh, regions and locale. The laboratory of high-performance evaluations is integrated with e-learning laboratory of VSU on the basis of the high-speed fiber optic network of access to their resources. On their basis the universal education-scientific complex in which educational occupations are carried on is organized, transit scientific seminars, and also the software is developed for holding researches with usage of possibilities of a computer cluster and the system of remote access.

Usage of a computer cluster for difficult evaluations is grounded on application of the environment of parallel programming MPICH 1.2.5 and FORTRAN languages and C ++. At development of programs were applied both known receptions(tricks) of multisequencing of algorithms, and recreated for support of effective operation of the concrete parallel program.

Usage of a high-performance computing cluster has allowed to gain experience of making of parallel algorithms and the programs, necessary for application of new methods of computer simulation in different directions of researches of scientific schools VSU.

In the educational process the cluster is used for organization of practical operation in a special course "Programming for high-performance parallel systems" for students 3 courses of faculty of computer sciences and in special laboratory for students 4 courses of the same faculty.

On the basis of department of digital technologies of faculty of computer sciences the fixed seminar “High-performance parallel evaluations on a computer cluster” for students of high courses, post-graduate students, teachers, employees works. The map of cluster structure is:

Two perspective students of high courses are detected and enlisted on mastering a cluster:

• the student 4 courses department of digital technologies of faculty of computer sciences of Krivtsov A.N. (development of parallel algorithms for a high-performance cluster),
• the student 4 courses department of digital technologies of faculty of computer sciences of Parshina E.N. (system development of testing of a computer cluster).

On subjects of operation on a computer cluster by students it is fulfilled two course operations:

• “Development of parallel algorithms for a high-performance cluster” (the student 3 courses department of digital technologies of faculty of computer sciences of Krivtsov A.N., lector Kurgalin S.D.),
• “System development of testing of a computer cluster” (the student 3 courses department of digital technologies of faculty of computer sciences of Parshina E.N., lector Kurgalin S.D.).

Index of publications on the given direction of REC participants for 1 half-year 2003:

1. S.A.Zaprjagaev, S.D.Kurgalin. A high-performance computing cluster in the educational process of the Voronezh State University // “Mathematics. A computer. Derivation”. Theses / under ðåä. G.J.Riznichenko. The tenth international conference. Push’ino, on January, 20-25, 2003. Moscow - Izhevsk, 2003.-With 26.
2. S.A.Zaprjagaev, S.D.Kurgalin, A.P.Tolstobrov. New information technologies in educational of VSU // process “Computer science: problems, the methodology, technologies”. Materials of the third regional scientific and methodical conference, on February, 12-13, 2003 Voronezh, publishing house Voronezh State University. – 2003. with 63-65.
3. S.D.Kurgalin. The complex of nuclear physical programs for a high-performance computing cluster // “Telematics’ 2003”. Transactionses X of the All-Russia scientific and methodical conference, on April, 14-17, 2003 St.-Petersburg, publishing house SPbGITMO. – 2003. Ò.1. with 225-226.