Building Clustered Linux Systems

Praise for Building Clustered Linux Systems

"The author does an outstanding job of presenting a very complicated subject. I very much commend this work. The author sets the pace and provides vital resources and tips along the way. He also has a very good sense of humor that is crafted in the text in such a way that makes the reading enjoyable just when the subject may demand a break. This book should be a requirement for those that are clustering or considering clustering and especially those considering investing a great deal of financial resource toward that goal."

–Joe Brazeal, Information Technician III, Southwest Power Pool

"This book is for Beginner and Intermediate level system administrators, engineers, and researchers, who want to learn how to build Linux clusters. The book covers everything very well."

–Ibrahim Haddad, Senior Researcher, Ericsson Corporate Unit of Research

"Nothing that I know of exists yet that covers this subject in as much depth and detail. The practical ‘hands-on’ approach of this book on how to build a Linux cluster makes this a very valuable reference for a very popular, highly demanded technology."

–George Vish, II, Linux Curriculum Program Manager and Senior Education Consultant, HP

"In my opinion there is a significant lack of literature on this subject. Most of the currently available books are either dated or do not address the complete picture of the range of decisions that must go into building a Linux cluster. I feel comfortable recommending this to anyone interested in building a Linux cluster to better understand both the technical aspects of building and designing a Linux cluster, but also the business aspects of the same."

–Randall Splinter Ph.D., Senior Solution Architect, HP

"The author has set a precedent in the cluster design and integration process that is lacking in the industry today."

--Stephen Gray, Senior Applications Engineer, Altair Engineering, Inc.

The Practical, Step-by-Step Guide to Building and Running Linux Clusters

Low-cost, high-performance Linux clusters are the best solution for an increasingly wide range of technical and business problems. Until now, however, building and managing Linux clusters has required more specialized knowledge than most IT organizations possess. This book dramatically lowers the learning curve, bringing together all the hands-on knowledge and step-by-step techniques you'll need to get the job done.

Using practical examples, Robert Lucke simplifies every facet of cluster design and integration: networking, hardware, architecture, operating environments, data sharing, applications, and more. Lucke, who helped prototype and implement one of the world's largest Linux clusters, systematically addresses the key issues you'll encounter and the key decisions you'll have to make. Coverage includes:

• Basic clustering concepts, hardware components, and architectural models

• A step-by-step cluster creation process: design, installation, and testing

• Choosing and implementing the optimal hardware configuration for your environment

• Life in the fast LAN: high-speed cluster interconnects

• Software issues: distributions, bootup, disks, partitioning, file systems, middleware, and more

Robert W. Lucke, a former solution architect for HP's Technical Consulting Organization, worked on one of the world's largest Linux clusters at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories. Robert specializes in UNIX development, performance tuning, interoperability, technical computing architectures, and large-scale system management. He brings more than twenty-two years of experience to the analysis and design of complex hardware and software environments and is also a Red Hat Certified Engineer.