Cluster interconnect overview

Today cluster computers are more commonplace than ever and there are a variety of choices for the interconnect. The right choice for a particular installation will depend on a variety of factors including price, raw performance, scalability, etc. This paper will present an overview of the popular network technologies available today including Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Myrinet, SCI, Quadrics, and InfiniBand. Where possible a comparison will be included for multiple vendors of a given technology. Included will be comparisons of cost and performance of each along with suggestions for when each might present the best choice for a cluster installation.