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2
21
2 Preparing a Network
for Distributed Processing
A distributed processing network can consist of as few as one
or two computers, while a high-volume network may include
many computers, an Xserve and Xserve cluster nodes in a
rack, and high-speed networking infrastructures.
You can scale up a distributed processing system as your workload demands by adding
features and devices to the network that supports it. This chapter helps you prepare
your network by describing the following:
 The Minimum You Need to Know (p. 21)
 Using Compressor AutoClusters (p. 23)
 Sample Setup for Part-Time Processing on Desktop Computers (p. 27)
The Minimum You Need to Know
The following are the basic rules for setting up a distributed processing network:
 A cluster must contain one (and only one) computer acting as the cluster controller,
and at least one computer acting as the service node. (These two can be the same
computer, as shown next in “Example of a Minimal Distributed Processing Network.”)
 The client computers and the computers in any cluster that supports them must be
on the same network.
 The network must support the Apple networking technology built in to Mac OS X.
 All the computers in a cluster need Read and Write access to any computers (or
storage devices) that will be specified as output destinations for files.