Simple comparison between server technology minicomputers and cluster servers

A cluster of servers uses a standard network to connect various common servers. Through specific methods, they provide users with higher system computing performance, storage performance, and management performance, A computer system that provides a single system image function. Generally, it consists of node machines, networks, storage, management and monitoring systems, cluster software, and cluster bearer systems. For example, sugon and Lenovo in China are important manufacturers of cluster servers. Of course, international vendors also have related products.

The design of cluster servers varies according to the application scenarios. Currently, cluster servers have two application fields: high-performance computing and information services. We divide clusters into two categories based on different application fields: high-performance computer groups and information service clusters.

(1) high-performance computing (HPC) clusters. This type of cluster mainly solves large-scale scientific problems such as computing and processing of mass data, such as scientific research, weather forecast, computational simulation, military research, CFD/CAE, biopharmaceutical, gene sequencing, image processing, and so on.

(2) Information service clusters have a wide range of applications, including data centers, e-government, e-libraries, large and medium-sized websites, online games, financial and telecommunications services, man/Campus Networks, large email systems, VOD, and management information systems. The implementation method can also be divided into Load Balancing clusters and high-availability clusters.

Compared with a traditional computer with a CPU or a general PC server group, the cluster has the following advantages:

Higher performance and price ratio: the cluster system has become the development direction of high-performance computers. The vast majority of the world's top high-performance computer systems are cluster systems.

Higher Scalability: the cluster system can seamlessly expand through the original reserved expansion interface.

Higher system robustness (robust or strong): cluster systems use standard hardware and are easy to purchase. It is also easy to maintain.

More vendors are supported: many Chinese manufacturers support cluster systems, while foreign manufacturers also produce cluster systems.

More support for application systems: Cluster Systems can support a large number of operating systems and support multiple operating systems at the same time, as well as 32-bit and 64-bit software systems, the software running on a cluster system is hundreds of times that of a Minicomputer System.