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Center for Performance Evaluation of Cluster Networking and I/O Technologies (PECNIT): Network Protocols & Application

Overview

Dr. Dhalbaleswar K. Panda of The Ohio State University’s Computer Science and Engineering Department and his team used the Data Intensive Computing Environment (DICE) test bed sites at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and Avetec in Springfield, Ohio to develop standard benchmarks for evaluating Cluster Networking and I/O Technologies. Dr. Panda is a well-respected leader in the HPC community and leads The Ohio State University’s Network Based Computing Research Group.  For more information on Dr. Panda and the Network-Based Computing Research group, visit http://nowlab.cse.ohio-state.edu/.

Challenge

A common problem faced by  both vendors in the HPC community and agencies in the federal government is the lack of a standardized methodology in which to measure and validate performance of various interconnection technologies and cluster networking. Without these standard methods of measurement, it is difficult for these communities to come to an effective conclusion about the relative strengths and weaknesses of any given cluster networking or I/O technology.

Objective

This project seeks to address the lack of standardized evaluation methodologies available to the HPC community by developing a valid, standard set of measurement tools for use in evaluating cluster networking and I/O technologies.  

Results

As a result of the DICE testing, Dr. Panda and his team successfully designed, developed and validated a set of MPI-level benchmarks that can comparatively demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of underlying networks and MPI libraries. These benchmarks are designed to target both individual system components and the overall network.

Ultimate Value

Since their validation on the DICE testbed, these benchmarks have been widely accepted and used in the HPC community. Organizations currently using these evaluation tools in their distribution include the Open Fabrics Enterprise Distribution as well as a large number of Infiniband vendors and Linux distributors.

This project is ongoing and is anticipated to  lead to a complete set of tools and a national facility that will evaluate all current and future cluster networking and I/O technologies and produce unbiased evaluation reports.

 

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