A Rasp Pi HAT for clustering Pi Zeros
More than Zero
© Lead Image © lightwise, 123RF.com
Inexpensive, small, portable, low-power clusters are fantastic for many HPC applications. One of the coolest small clusters is the ClusterHAT for Raspberry Pi.
When I started in high-performance computing (HPC), the systems were huge, hulking beasts that were shared by everyone. The advent of clusters allowed the construction of larger systems accessible to more users. I always wanted my own cluster, but with limited funds, that was difficult. I could build small clusters from old, used systems, but the large cases took up a great deal of room. The advent of small systems, especially single-board computers (SBCs), allowed the construction of small, low-power, inexpensive, but very scalable systems.
Arguably, the monarch of the SBC movement is the Raspberry Pi [1]. It is now the third best selling computer of all time [2], overtaking the Commodore 64 and behind the PC and the Mac, and has sparked a whole industry around small, inexpensive, low-power but expandable computers that can be used for anything from sensors in the field, to desktops, to retro game consoles, and even to experiments on the International Space Station. The top-end Raspberry Pi, the Raspberry Pi 3 (RPi3), is about $35, and the introduction of the Raspberry Pi Zero (Pi Zero) in 2015, set the low-end price of $5.
People have been building clusters from Raspberry Pi units, starting with the original Raspberry Pi Model A, ranging from two to more than 250 nodes [3]. That early 32-bit system had a single core running at 700MHz with 256MB of memory. You can build a cluster of five RPi3 nodes [4] with 20 cores connected by a Gigabit Ethernet switch for about $300, including a case and case fan.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Kubuntu Focus Goes Ultra
The Kubuntu Focus team has upped the performance ante of its M2 and Zr laptops with the latest, greatest CPUs from Intel.
-
Linux Gamers May Soon See Less Mouse Lag in KDE Plasma
Gamers using KDE’s Plasma desktop have been suffering from a slight input delay in mouse movement that could lead to getting fragged.
-
Three Lines of Code Improve Linux Storage Performance
A developer changed three lines of code, giving Linux storage performance a 5% bump.
-
AUR Hit Again with Malicious Packages
Once again the Arch User Repository is plagued by a high volume of malicious packages.
-
Alpine Linux 3.24 Features Fresh Desktops and a Newer Kernel
If you're a fan of Alpine Linux, it's time to upgrade because the latest version has been released with KDE Plasma 6.6, Gnome 50, and Linux kernel 6.18 LTS.
-
EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
Comprehensive measures adopted by the European Commission aim to reduce dependency on non-EU countries.
-
Linux Foundation Report Indicates AI Driving Tech Hiring
Within growing security and skills gaps, AI has been found to be a positive driving force behind tech hiring trends in Europe.
-
United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
A new open source portal seeks to coordinate and scale open source efforts across the United Nations system.
-
KDE Linux Drops AUR
KDE Linux developers have dropped the Arch User Repository from the build pipeline due to security concerns; other distributions should consider doing the same.
-
California May Exempt Linux from Its Age-Verification Law
After backlash from the Linux community, California may be backing off on its promise to force all operating systems to verify age, but one platform may still have to comply.