CSE 6350: Grid and Cluster Computing

CSE 6350: Grid and Cluster Computing

Spring 2005

Course Description

"Computing power on demand." "Sharing unused cycles." "Like the electric grid."

As PCs and workstations have become cheaper, faster, reliable and easy to connect

clusters of computers have been replacing high-end workstations, mainframes, and

supercomputers. Groups of clusters may form grids of available computing power.

How does one run a job on a cluster or grid? What is a "job"? How should

authentication and authorization be handled? What happens when computers or jobs

crash? When the network is unavailable? What can these systems do?

What is the future? This course addresses grid and cluster concepts, motivation,

principles, tools and goals.

Prerequisites:

A good, operative, usable understanding of: Operating Systems, Systems Architecture,

Networking, Probability and Statistics, and Programming.

You should (already) know how to write application programs employing OS systems

calls and network interfaces and have written (small) distributed programs as well as

understanding the concepts.

You should have upper level standing in the graduate program.

Details:

(Please check WWW site for up to date information)

Instructor: Patrick McGuigan

Office: 101A GACB

Phone: Main office: (817) 272-3785 or (817) 272-7610

WWW Site:

e-mail,etc: (please see web site)

GTA: None(?)

Text Books:

None (Publications and web sites)

Course Grades:

Course grades will be based on the following:

Assignments: 20%

Papers and presentations:20%

Quizzes (about 8-10): 30%

Class Project:30%

Make-ups for (non-quiz) graded activities may be arranged if your absence is caused

by illness or personal emergency. A written explanation (including supporting

documentation) must be submitted to your instructor; if the explanation is acceptable,

an alternative to the graded activity will be arranged. Make-up arrangements must be

arranged prior to the scheduled due date.

Note:

The instructor reserves the right to modify course policies, the

course calendar, and assignment or project point values and due

dates.

Americans With Disabilities Act
The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit

and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 93112 -- The

Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation

entitled Americans With Disabilities Act - (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of The

Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same

opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.
As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodation" to

students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability.

Student responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty at the beginning of the

semester and in providing authorized documentation through designated administrative

channels.

If you require any accommodation based on disability, please meet with

the instructor in the privacy of his office the first week of the

semester to be sure you are appropriately accommodated.

All students are expected to be responsible users of the computer
systems used for this course.

Academic Dishonesty
It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty

is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All

persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with

University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion

from the University.
"Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion,

the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in

part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to

give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." (Regents' Rules

and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22)

Any student found guilty of academic dishonesty will receive a negative double full

Pointsfor that work (project, exam, homework, etc.) as well as having the

course grade lowered one full letter grade - in addition to any otherpenalties

assessed (suspension, expulsion, probation.)

Students are encouraged to discuss homework with classmates, but

are not allowed to copy the solutions of others or share solutions

with others. All work turned in for grading must be the student's own

work.

A public access course directory (web site) is used as a repository for all

course material. This directory will contain copies of any homework

assignments, course handouts, project/team information, some notes, etc.

This will be discussed in the class.

Students are expected to obtain accounts on any university computers

needed for this class, and to be able to access the course repository,

and send and receive e-mail.