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Computer Science
Computer Science Club
The Beowulf Cluster Project
The Academy’s Computer Science program sponsors six co-curricular contests and two clubs. Information concerning the Computer Science courses and co-curricular activities are on the instructor’s Internet site at www.Alpcentauri.Info. This article describes one of the activities, the Computer Science Club.
The
objectives of the club are to explore relevant topics selected by members in
more depth than is possible in the computer science courses. Students are
involved in independent research and construction and visit similar activities
in industry, government, or universities.
Currently the club is conducting research on and building a Beowulf cluster. This is a group of computers networked to run one specific program together. A Beowulf cluster is a faster computer that is made from a network of slower ones.
Since Beowulf clusters use the free Linux operating system, the cost of creating them is minimal, and the increase in computing power is potentially immense. Another cost savings is the use of cheaper computers that may have individually become obsolete. Additionally, the open-source nature of all software means that computer scientists and hobbyists from around the world are constantly improving the source code.
Corporations, universities, and government entities have begun to develop extremely efficient Beowulf clusters known as High Performance Clusters (HPCs) to process intricate scientific models or render detailed three-dimensional graphics. The Albuquerque HPC at the University of New Mexico is one such organization. Members of the HPC recently conducted a tour of their facilities and provided a briefing for Academy club members and other Computer Science students.
Building a “Super Computer”
The team began by connecting five computers using older PCs and parts donated by the TIS department. Since then 11 additional computers have been donated by parents, along with peripheral equipment. The cluster will be used by students participating in Computer Science contests such as Science Fair, Adventures in Super Computing, Computing Olympiad, and The SPACE project.
This is a multi-year project whose final product could be a very powerful “supercomputer”. The team members are currently working to connect a total of 16 available computers.
