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MOSIX Group Releases Grid Manager for Linux Clusters


The MOSIX group from the Hebrew University has released the Grid version of its software for Linux 2.6. MOSIX2 is a management system that makes a Linux cluster or a grid of clusters perform like a single computer with multiple processors. Its goal is to leverage the organization infrastructure to form a super-cluster that can consist of private and pooled homogeneous clusters that can be shared in a flexible manner.

MOSIX allows applications to run in remote nodes as if they run locally. This means that there is no need to modify or to link applications with any library, to copy files or login to remote nodes, or even to assign processes to different nodes -- it is all done automatically, like in an SMP. Users run their regular applications while MOSIX transparently and automatically seeks resources and migrates processes among nodes to improve the overall performance.

MOSIX2 is most suitable for running compute intensive applications with a moderate amount of I/O. Its main features are:

  • Support of a single-system image, including automatic resource discovery, workload distribution, load balancing, migration of processes from slower to faster nodes as well as from nodes that run out of free memory.
  • Supports virtual organizations, including disruptive configurations in which clusters can join or leave the grid at any time.
  • A run-time priority for flexible use of nodes within and among groups.
  • Clusters could be shared symmetrically or asymmetrically.
  • Each cluster owner can assign priority to processes from other clusters.
  • Guest processes are automatically moved out from disconnecting clusters.
  • A secure run time environment (sandbox) for guest processes.
  • Live queuing -- queued jobs preserve their full generic Linux environment.
  • Support of batch jobs, checkpoint and recovery.
  • An on-line monitor for the status of the grid and each cluster.

A production Campus Grid (HUGI) with 14 MOSIX clusters (~500 nodes) is operational at the Hebrew University. HUGI combines private clusters from Computer Science, Chemistry, Life-sciences and the Medical School, as well as several student labs.

MOSIX2 is available for free to researchers in academic and research organizations. An optional tech support is also available. More information about the MOSIX project, papers, a tutorial and a live monitor of HUGI is available at http://www.MOSIX.org



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