The Beowulf clump occurs as class action of commonly monovular PC computers going an open source Unix-like operating models, like Linux or BSD. It is networked into the little TCP/IP LAN, & use at times libraries and software installed which allow processing to exist as shared among the babies.

No particular piece of software system that defines the bunch as a Beowulf. Normally utilized parallel processing libraries include MPI (Message Passing Interface) and PVM (Parallel Virtual Machine). Each one permit a coder to divide the project among a class action of networked computers, & recollect the effects of processing.

A title comes from either a legend of Beowulf.

Operating Systems
Presently, there are the total of different Linux distributions that are designed for building Beowulf bunch. These include: ClusterKnoppix (based on Knoppix) dyne:bolic (geared towards multimedia production) Rocks Linux Oscar Scyld Clustermatic

The bunch may be install by applying Knoppix bootable CDs within combination using openMosix. the computers might automatically hyperlink together, while forgoing require for complex configurations, to form a Beowulf clump using completely CPUs & RAM in the clustering. This nature and severity of body is scalable to the about limitless total of computers.

Examples
Kentucky Linux Athlon Testbed (KLAT2) Stone Soupercomputer [http://beowulf.cheme.cmu.edu/ Carnegie Mellon University, Process Systems Engineering Beowulf Cluster] SETI@home - Home computers networked to buy More-Terrestrial Intelligence. Folding@home - Home computers networked to compute protein folding.

Other software solutions

[http://www.clusterresources.com/products/maui/ Maui Cluster Scheduler]-open source [http://www.clusterresources.com/products/torque/ TORQUE Resource Manager]-open source [http://www.clusterresources.com/products/moabclustersuite.shtml Moab Cluster Suite]-commercial [http://www.clusterresources.com/products/moabgridsuite.shtml Moab Grid Suite]-commercial