ABSTRACT
Distributed systems, especially clusters, can be used to execute ray tracing tasks in parallel for speeding up the image computation. Because ray tracing is a computational expensive and memory consuming task, ray tracing can also be used to benchmark clusters. This paper introduces task-distributor, a free software solution for the parallel execution of ray tracing tasks in distributed systems. The ray tracing solution used for this work is the Persistence Of Vision Raytracer (POV-Ray). Task-distributor does not require any modification of the POV-Ray source code or the installation of an additional message passing library like the Message Passing Interface or Parallel Virtual Machine to allow parallel image computation, in contrast to various other projects. By analyzing the runtime of the sequential and parallel program parts of task-distributor, it becomes clear how the problem size and available hardware resources influence the scaling of the parallel application.
ABSTRACT
Clusters usually consist of servers, workstations or personal computers as nodes. But especially for academic purposes like student projects or scientific projects, the cost for purchase and operation can be a challenge. Single board computers cannot compete with the performance or energy-efficiency of higher-value systems, but they are an option to build inexpensive cluster systems. Because of the compact design and modest energy consumption, it is possible to build clusters of single board computers in a way that they are mobile and can be easily transported by the users. This paper describes the construction of such a cluster, useful applications and the performance of the single nodes. Furthermore, the clusters' performance and energy-efficiency is analyzed by executing the High Performance Linpack benchmark with a different number of nodes and different proportion of the systems total main memory utilized.
