Subject: Network performance

From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 15:42:06 +0200

From: [email-masked]

We are planning to build a Beowulf-type cluster, using either
dual-processor Pentium III nodes or single-processor Alpha nodes (we'd
prefer Pentium nodes, but administrative complications might force us
to buy Alphas). The biggest open question is the type of network:

- Fast Ethernet
- 2x Fast Ethernet (channel bonding)
- Myrinet
- Gigabit Ethernet

In view of the significant cost of Myrinet or Gigabit Ethernet, we'd
like to have some information on what performance increase we can
expect *for our applications*, which are Molecular Dynamics
simulations of biomolecular systems. Has anyone ever done a comparison
for this type of calculation between systems with identical nodes that
differ only in networking performance? Or is there any way to estimate
the performance difference? It doesn't have to be very precise, we
just want to decide if it is better to invest into fast networks or
into more nodes.
-- 
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Konrad Hinsen                            | E-Mail: [email-masked]
Centre de Biophysique Moleculaire (CNRS) | Tel.: +33-2.38.25.55.69
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