Computer Science 4413
Cluster Computing

Fall, 1999
http://csce.uark.edu/~aapon/courses/cluster/

Description: In this course we will investigate the cluster of computers as a computing platform for concurrent computing. By the end of the course, each student should understand, at a deep level, several specific hardware and software tradeoffs for application performance, development, and management on a cluster of computers. Each student will complete, in teams, a project based on concurrent computing. Course material will come from the required texts and several assigned readings.

Prerequisites:	Senior status is required to take this course. Specifically, you should have had a good computer organization course before taking this course (e.g., CSCI 3303).
Required Texts:	In Search of Clusters: The ongoing battle in lowly parallel computing, Second Edition, by Gregory F. Pfister, Prentice Hall Publishing Company, 1998.
	Parallel Programming with MPI  by Peter Pacheco, Morgan Kaufmann, 1998.
Optional Text:	MPI The Complete Reference   by Marc Snir, et. al., The MIT Press, 1995.
On-line Information:	A list of assignments, a working schedule, and some code examples will be maintained on-line.
Course Outline:	Topics to be covered include: a general introduction to the concept of a concurrent computing, software and software architectures for cluster computing, including both shared memory and message-passing models, hardware technologies for cluster computing, including a survey of the key high-speed networking technologies and symmetric multiprocessing architectures, performance tradeoffs, and application development.
Professor:	Amy W. Apon ( aapon@csce.uark.edu) Phone: 575-6794 Office Hours: 10-11 MWF
Time/Place:	MWF 12:30-1:20 in BELL 291
Grading:	A portion of the grade in the course will be based on the project, to be presented in class near the end of the semester. It is expected that the project will be of very high quality. Further information about the project will be given later in the semester. Other portions of the grade are based on programming exercises, homework, and exams. The breakdown is as follows: Semester Project: 20% Approximately Four Programming Exercises: 30% Exams (4 required exams will be given): 50%
Safety and Computer Use:	All use of computer equipment at the University of Arkansas falls under the acceptable computer use guidelines of the University. Any violations of these guidelines will result in dismissal from the course with a failing grade, and possible punitive or legal action!
Honor Code:	Except as noted for team projects, all work must represent the individual effort of the student, without assistance from others. For team projects, work must represent the effort of the team.
Course Credit:	CSCI 4413 is worth 3 hours of undergraduate credit. Graduate students who are enrolled in CSCI 4413 must request graduate credit for this course. Graduate credit is not automatic for graduate students! The grading scheme is the same for both graduate and undergraduate credit. The expectations for the quality of the project will be higher for those enrolled for graduate credit.
Computer Resources:	This semester we will be doing projects on garfield.csce.uark.edu, a four-processor cluster of Pentium III computers! Garfield is a dual-processor PIII, 450MHz, 256MB computer, connected to Jon and Odie via a Fast Ethernet switch. Jon and Odie are both single processor PIII, 450MHz, 128MB computers.