Lecture (2 weekly hours) 0432 L 520 in SS 2014

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Start: 28.04.2014

Informatik (Diplom): Study Area BKS
Informatik (MSc): Mandatory course in module MINF-KS-PS
Technische Informatik (Diplom): Catalogue Technical Applications
Technische Informatik (MSc): Mandatory course in module MINF-KS-PS

The course will be given in English.

Cluster computer are the prevailing type of high performance computers. They are built of custom off-the-shelf processor boards that are connected by a high speed interconnection network. Although usually locally integrated, they are conceptually distributed systems with local operating system images. Their enormous potential, however, can only be exploited, if program code and data are optimally distributed across the nodes. Cluster management mechanisms also need to be scalable to be employed in systems with thousands of nodes. The lecture course gives an overview of the architecture of cluster computers and the related management problems for which algorithmic solutions are presented. It runs in parallel to the integrated course Parallel Programming. Both complement each other and form the module Parallel Systems.

After finishing this course students should

• have an overview of current technology in cluster computing
• have gained an understanding of the particularities of highly parallel systems and the resulting demands for operating system support
• know elementary algorithms and mechanisms to support execution of parallel programs
  

• Architecture of cluster computers
• Performance aspects of parallel computing
• Allocation problems
• Mapping
• Partitioning
• Load balancing
• Scheduling

• Heiss, H.-U.: Prozessorzuteilung in Parallelrechnern, BI-Verlag, Mannheim, 1996 (in German)
• Andrews, G. A.: Foundations of Multithreaded, Parallel and Distributed Programming, Addison-Wesley, 2000
• Pfister, G.: In Search of Clusters 2nd ed., Prentice Hall, 1998
• Zomaya,A.: Parallel and distributed computing handbook, McGraw Gill,1995
• Buyya,R.: High Performance Cluster Computing, Vol. 1+2, Prentice Hall, 1999
• Bauke, H.; Mertens, S.: Cluster Computing, Springer, 2007 (in German)

• Course slides

Oral examination of the module (together with Parallel Programming). Successful completion of assignments is a prerequisite.

Bachelor in Informatics or related, Basic knowledge in computer architecture, operating systems.