High performance clusters (abstract): state of the art and challenges ahead

Clusters have become established as a viable, flexible, and exciting architecture for parallel computing. The complete system on every node, including full I/O capability, virtual memory, and scheduling, provides a great deal of power, allowing cluster architectures to be applied to a wide range of interesting, data intensive problems. They are inexpensive and easy to build. Recent innovations allow fast, protected messaging in a general purpose environment, and clusters are on the verge of a broad commercial transformation with the Intel/Microsoft/Compaq standardization on the Virtual Interface Architecture, as well as the arrival of gigabit Ethernet. Clusters are no longer just a personal supercomputer.