Cluster Computing: A High-Performance Contender

Abstract

When you first heard people speak of Piles of PCs, the first thing that came to mind may have been a cluttered computer room with processors, monitors, and snarls of cables all around. Collections of computers have undoubtedly become more sophisticated than in the early days of shared drives and modem connections. No matter what you call them, Clusters of Workstations (COW), Networks of Workstations (NOW), Workstation Clusters (WCs), Clusters of PCs (CoPs), clusters of computers are now filling the processing niche once occupied by more powerful stand-alone machines. This article discusses the need for cluster computing technology, Technologies, Components, and Applications, Supercluster Systems and Issues, The Need for a New Task Force, and Cluster Computing Educational Resources.