3
Table Of Contents
- Distributed Processing Setup
- Contents
- Introduction to DistributedProcessing
- Getting Started Quickly
- Preparing a Network forDistributed Processing
- The Interfaces
- Creating and AdministeringClusters
- An Overview of Configuring a Cluster
- Configuring Service Nodes and Cluster Controllers
- Creating Clusters with AppleQadministrator
- About QuickClusters
- Advanced Settings in the AppleQmaster Preferences Pane
- Modifying and Deleting Clusters With AppleQadministrator
- Monitoring Cluster Activity
- Accessing Activity Logs
- Setting Cluster Preferences
- Setting Passwords and Scratch Storage
- Recovery and Failure Notification Features
- Command-Line Usage
- Installing AppleQmaster from the Command Line
- Shell Commands for Configuring Service Nodes and Cluster Controllers
- Shell Commands for Submitting Compressor Jobs
- Shell Commands for Submitting AppleQmaster Jobs
- Shell Commands for Monitoring Batches
- Using Scripts to Run AppleQmaster, Compressor, and BatchMonitor
- Troubleshooting
- Index
42 Chapter 4 Creating and Administering Clusters
An Overview of Configuring a Cluster
Assuming Apple Qmaster software is installed on all the computers that you plan to
use as part of the cluster, there are three basic steps involved in configuring a cluster.
Note: If you are an Apple Qmaster user and you want to create a cluster that includes
computers that do not have Apple Qmaster installed, see the Apple Qmaster
User Manual for instructions.
Step 1: Configure service nodes
Configuring a service node to perform distributed processing is a matter of turning on
processing services in the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences. Optionally, you
can also set passwords at this time. See “Configuring Service Nodes and Cluster
Controllers,” below, for details.
Step 2: Configure a cluster controller
To configure a computer to control the cluster, turn on the cluster control services in
the Apple Qmaster pane in System Preferences. See “Turning Cluster Controller Services
On or Off” on page 48 for more information.
Step 3: Create a cluster
Important: You can create a simple “QuickCluster” in the Apple Qmaster pane in System
Preferences, or you can create a “managed cluster” from the service nodes and cluster
controller using Apple Qadministrator. After a cluster is created, client applications on the
same network can start sending batches to the cluster. You can use Apple Qadministrator
from any computer (with Apple Qadministrator installed) that is on the same network as
an Apple Qmaster cluster. See any of the following for more details:
 “Getting Started Quickly” on page 15
 “Creating QuickClusters” on page 53
 “Creating Clusters with Apple Qadministrator” on page 50
Configuring Service Nodes and Cluster Controllers
Once service processing or cluster controlling is enabled on a computer, the computer
is advertised on the network as available to be used in a cluster.
There can only be one cluster controller in a cluster. However, a computer can be
designated as both a cluster controller and a service node (see “Using One Computer
to Serve Two Distributed Processing Roles” on page 22).