A research on interconnection network for large scale clusters based on commodity network

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In this research, we have established a technology to provide high-performance, scalable and reliable interconnection network for PC clusters, based on commodity LAN such as Gigabit Ethernet to utilize multiple links of them. In our technology, we implemented all these functionalities by software only. The system consists of two components ; (1) utilizing multiple network links to combine both for high-bandwidth and redundancy, and (2) conquering the limitation of performance scalability on traditional Ethernet utilization, a simple tree construction, to provide multi-path solution with standard tagged-VLAN technology controlled by additional Ethernet driver. These two technologies are named as RI2N/UDP and VFREC-Net, respectively.We constructed a test-bed PC cluster system with 16 nodes where each node is equipped with dual Gigabit Ethernet links to develop the system and evaluate the performance and functionality. As a result, RI2N/UDP provides doubled bandwidth with dual links with … More more than 95% of efficiency. When one of two links fails, the communication traffic is automatically redirected to the other link to provide user-transparent fault tolerance. In this situation, the system with a single link also provides more than 95% efficiency. In the evaluation of VFREC-Net, we could construct a multi-stage FAT-Tree configuration with ordinary and inexpensive Layer-2 Ethernet switch and our software. For the scalability test, we ported the software to another platform with 64 nodes, and confirmed the FAT-Tree with four up-links exactly provides four times bandwidth which is enable to expand for thousands of PC cluster nodes.Finally at the last stage of our research, we could successfully combined two technologies to provide high-bandwidth, reliable and scalable interconnection solution for cost/effective PC cluster for high performance computing. These three features are really essential for large scale HPC, and we proved that it is possible with only low-price Gigabit Ethernet and Layer-2 switches controlled by the developed drivers and communication libraries in this research. Less