Supercomputer operating system: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:53, 19 November 2020

Revision as of 20:10, 11 December 2020

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Although most modern supercomputers use the [[Linux]] operating system,<ref>{{cite web

|url=http://www.zdnet.com/linux-continues-to-rule-supercomputers-7000016968/ |title=Linux continues to rule supercomputers |last=Vaughn-Nichols |first=Steven J. |date=June 18, 2013 |website=[[ZDNet]] |accessdateaccess-date=June 20, 2013}}</ref> each manufacturer has made its own specific changes to the Linux-derivative they use, and no industry standard exists, partly because the differences in hardware architectures require changes to optimize the operating system to each hardware design.<ref name=Padua426 /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.top500.org/overtime/list/32/os |title=Top500 OS chart |publisher=Top500.org |date= |access-date=2010-10-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305234455/http://www.top500.org/overtime/list/32/os |archive-date=2012-03-05 |df= }}</ref>

==Context and overview==

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Lloyd M. Thorndyke, ''The Demise of the ETA Systems'' in "Frontiers of Supercomputing II by Karyn R. Ames, Alan Brenner 1994 {{ISBN|0-520-08401-2}} pages 489-497</ref> Written in [[Cybil (programming language)|Cybil]], a Pascal-like language from [[Control Data Corporation]], EOS highlighted the stability problems in developing stable operating systems for supercomputers and eventually a Unix-like system was offered on the same machine.<ref name=Thorndyke /><ref>''Past, present, parallel: a survey of available parallel computer systems'' by Arthur Trew 1991 {{ISBN|3-540-19664-1}} page 326</ref> The lessons learned from developing ETA system software included the high level of risk associated with developing a new supercomputer operating system, and the advantages of using Unix with its large extant base of system software libraries.<ref name=Thorndyke />

By the middle 1990s, despite the extant investment in older operating systems, the trend was toward the use of Unix-based systems, which also facilitated the use of interactive [[graphical user interface]]s (GUIs) for [[scientific computing]] across multiple platforms.<ref>''Frontiers of Supercomputing II'' by Karyn R. Ames, Alan Brenner 1994 {{ISBN|0-520-08401-2}} page 356</ref> The move toward a ''commodity OS'' had opponents, who cited the fast pace and focus of Linux development as a major obstacle against adoption.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sandia.gov/~rbbrigh/slides/conferences/commodity-os-ipdps03-slides.pdf |title=On the Appropriateness of Commodity Operating Systems for Large-Scale, Balanced Computing Systems |accessdateaccess-date=January 29, 2013 |author=Brightwell,Ron Riesen,Rolf Maccabe,Arthur}}</ref> As one author wrote "Linux will likely catch up, but we have large-scale systems now". Nevertheless, that trend continued to gain momentum and by 2005, virtually all supercomputers used some [[Unix-like]] OS.<ref name=National136 >''Getting up to speed: the future of supercomputing'' by Susan L. Graham, Marc Snir, Cynthia A. Patterson, National Research Council 2005 {{ISBN|0-309-09502-6}} page 136</ref> These variants of Unix included [[IBM AIX]], the open source [[Linux]] system, and other adaptations such as [[UNICOS]] from Cray.<ref name=National136 /> By the end of the 20th century, Linux was estimated to command the highest share of the supercomputing pie.<ref name=Padua426 /><ref>[https://www.forbes.com/2005/03/15/cz_dl_0315linux.html Forbes magazine, 03.15.05: ''Linux Rules Supercomputers'']</ref>

==Modern approaches==