In Search of Clusters [Paperback]

Gregory F. Pfister (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1995

This text explains an increasingly popular form of parallel or distributed computing that is frequently misunderstood. A leading expert on microprocessing, Pfister demonstrates that clusters are a distinct form of parallel computing with extraordinary potential and highlights the critical role clusters can play in downsizing. The book covers the underlying hardware and software technologies and shows how clusters of small computers can match the performance of the most powerful supercomputers. It provides the background needed to understand the real issues involved in implementing parallel and distributed systems, and also includes an analysis of the various forms of clusters and how they differ from the competitive symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) architectures.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Simon Guerrero ([e-mail]) from Stone, Staffordshire UK ,
04/23/98, rating=10:

Learn about clusters without falling asleep

About a month ago I started work on a project running on a small cluster and
involving the Oracle 8 Parallel Server at a low level (writing the Distributed
Lock Manager support libraries for a certain OS). At this point, I'd never used
(or even seen!) a clustered system, and I knew nothing about clusters at all.
Then a colleague loaned me the first edition of Dr Pfister's book. Unwilling
to be over-eager to learn anything out of 'paid' time, I opened the book with
some trepidation, expecting to find the usual dessicated prose and tons of
TLAs. What a pleasant surprise! From the 'legal stuff' at the front of the book
('a kind of garlic'), right through to the bibliography ('I found this paper
almost unreadable'), the author understands the need of the reader to remain
conscious through what is potentially the dullest of subjects and emerge,
slightly surprised ('Did I actually enjoy that?') at the other end. Thousands
of college lecturers have a lot to learn from this man!

The second edition of the book is more a re-write than an update, and just as
packed with anecdotes, humour (right down to pseudo-Paul Simon lyrics - people
were hanged for less in the Wild West), and at the same time, probably the most
thorough explanations of the why/how/when/wheres of clustering you will find in
any book. As the quote on the back says 'This book is what would happen if
Scott Adams wrote a book on parallel computers'... Full marks!

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

This provocative new book explains an increasingly popular form of parallel or distributed computing that is frequently misunderstood. A leading expert on multiprocessing, Pfister demonstrates that clusters are a distinct form of parallel computing with extraordinary potential and highlights the critical role clusters can play in downsizing.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 444 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0134376250
• ISBN-13: 978-0134376257
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,094,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the Clustering Bible, December 14, 1999

By 

A. McKee (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Search of Clusters (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

As other reviewers have said, this is an excellent book and is a *must have* for anyone exploring practically any aspect of cluster computing. Even beyond the quality of the information conveyed, the writing style is wonderful and the author makes an otherwise abstract and cumbersome topic quite readable and quite approachable. This book is regarded as the Clustering Bible worldwide, and I've seen copies placed prominently in the bookshelves of individuals in Beijing, Tokyo, Paris, and the US. Microsoft's own Cluster Server was codenamed 'Wolfpack', as an honerable reference to the cover art of this specific book.

Aaron McKee
Clustering Products Manager
TurboLinux Inc.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good technical overview of systems architectures, July 16, 2001

By 

"alvee" (Corvallis, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Search of Clusters (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

This book provides a terrific introduction to the hardware, software, and systems architecture of parallel computing, candidly discussing the issues and trade-offs in various approaches. The emphasis is on clusters, but there is lots of information on the whole continuum from single processor machines to SMPs to clusters to distributed computing. Pfister will leave you with a better understanding of things like how SMP machines keep processor caches coherent, what the differences are between SMP, NUMA, and distributed computing, how various cluster products work, real world cluster issues (like system administration), programming models used in parallel computing, and why programming code that runs efficently on these architectures is usually the hard part.

The book is somewhat dated - nothing about Beowolf for example - but the concepts remain valid. Many of the issues are illustrated with reference to mainframe clusters, especially IBM's 390 sysplex, which I found particularly interesting since I don't have much experience with these systems.

The style is highly readable and informal, but not insultingly non-technical. The book is loaded with opinion and insights - it is not a dry textbook of issues related to clustering. Highly recommended for anyone in the business of creating information systems that need to run fast.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exemplar of how to write a readable technical book, June 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In Search of Clusters (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Other reviewers, both publishers and individuals, have already said many good things about this book. Believe them all. There's plenty of meat for the greying professional yet it's accessible (and enjoyable) to the relative neophyte.

The author has been compared to Scott Adams. While his style is eminently readable, I think this may not entirely do it justice: I'd be more inclined to liken his ability to present detailed concepts in an approachable manner to that of Richard Feynman - though as a non-neophyte with an intense interest in the subject matter my evaluation may be biased.

If you have an interest in high-performance, high-availability processing and/or SANs (whether you call them 'storage area networks' or 'system area networks'), there may well be no better single source of information. If you simply have an interest in computers in general, you could just read it for fun.