Cluster

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May 6, 2008 8:51 PM PDT




Any local collection of distinct computers that are connected and used as a parallel computer, to form a redundant system for higher availability, or to expose their pooled resources to users via a single interface (such as distributed printer or batch queues). The computers in a cluster are not specialized to cluster computing and could in principle be used in isolation as stand-alone computers. In other words, the components making up the cluster, both the computers and the networks connecting them, are not custom built for use in the cluster. Examples include Ethernet-connected workstation networks and rack-mounted servers dedicated to parallel computing. See server/workstation farm.