Computer cluster: Difference between revisions

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The components of a cluster are usually connected to each other through fast [[local area network]]s, with each [[Node (networking)|node]] (computer used as a server) running its own instance of an [[operating system]]. In most circumstances, all of the nodes use the same hardware<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9723040/what-is-the-difference-between-cloud-grid-and-cluster|title=Cluster vs grid computing|website=[[Stack Overflow]]}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2017}} and the same operating system, although in some setups (e.g. using [[Open Source Cluster Application Resources]] (OSCAR)), different operating systems can be used on each computer, or different hardware.<ref name=pcauthority>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/306972,weekend-project-build-your-own-supercomputer.aspx|title=Weekend Project: Build your own supercomputer|date=29 June 2012|first=Darien|last=Graham-Smith|website=PC & Tech Authority|access-date=2 June 2017}}</ref>

Clusters are usually deployed to improve performance and availability over that of a single computer, while typically being much more cost-effective than single computers of comparable speed or availability.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~bader/papers/ijhpca.html|title=Cluster Computing: Applications|last1=Bader|first1=David|author-link=David Bader (computer scientist)|David Bader|date=May 2001|publisher=[[Georgia Institute of Technology College of Computing|Georgia Tech College of Computing]]|first2=Robert|last2=Pennington|access-date=2017-02-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221011621/http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~bader/papers/ijhpca.html|archive-date=2007-12-21|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Computer clusters emerged as a result of convergence of a number of computing trends including the availability of low-cost microprocessors, high-speed networks, and software for high-performance [[distributed computing]].{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} They have a wide range of applicability and deployment, ranging from small business clusters with a handful of nodes to some of the fastest [[supercomputer]]s in the world such as [[IBM Sequoia|IBM's Sequoia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/9338651/Nuclear-weapons-supercomputer-reclaims-world-speed-record-for-US.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/9338651/Nuclear-weapons-supercomputer-reclaims-world-speed-record-for-US.html |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Nuclear weapons supercomputer reclaims world speed record for US|publisher=The Telegraph|date=18 Jun 2012|access-date=18 Jun 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Prior to the advent of clusters, single unit [[fault tolerant]] [[mainframes]] with [[Triple modular redundancy|modular redundancy]] were employed; but the lower upfront cost of clusters, and increased speed of network fabric has favoured the adoption of clusters. In contrast to high-reliability mainframes clusters are cheaper to scale out, but also have increased complexity in error handling, as in clusters error modes are not opaque to running programs.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gray |first1=Jim |last2=Rueter |first2=Andreas |title=Transaction processing : concepts and techniques |url=https://archive.org/details/transactionproce0000gray |url-access=registration |date=1993 |publisher=Morgan Kaufmann Publishers |isbn=978-1558601901}}</ref>