From: Ben Houston <bhouston@chat.carleton.ca>
Newsgroups: comp.parallel
Subject: seti@home -> general purpose parellel machine
Date: 8 Jul 1999 23:33:46 GMT
Organization: Carleton University
Approved: bigrigg@cs.cmu.edu
Message-Id: <7m3cgq$9kc$1@goldenapple.srv.cs.cmu.edu>
Originator: bigrigg@ux6.sp.cs.cmu.edu
Xref: ukc comp.parallel:15715


Hi,

Based on the phenomena of SETI@Home and the DES cracking programs I
think it is time that a general-purpose parallel machine is developed
for personal computers.

It should support the downloading of new applications automatically as
well as providing a consistent interface. It's really easy to outline
the basic design for such as application: 

- Must be supported on at least Unix (X), PC (Win32), Macintosh (MacOS).

- Should allow for downloading of new parallel client module. This way
the user doesn't have to update the whole application.

- Module updates should be downloaded to clients automatically. This
keeps all users up to date and the projects running along smoothly.

- Certificates to ensure proper sources should verify new
modules. This is just basic security.

- There should be better security on the data files being passed
around. The way the data is passed around in the SETI@Home seems very
open to being hacked.

- Probably should let the user choose which project (or type of
project) they would like to dedicate their CPU cycles to. This can
cause problems such as ignored projects but it would increase user
satisfaction. 

- The interface should provide control over how to run the parallel
client module, provide optional graphics if they are included in the
parallel client module.

- A standard server frame should be written that would allow for
server modules. It would be fairly basic -- more of a database which
provides (1) parallel client module downloads/updates, (2) download of
data packets, (3) upload of results, (4) statistics, etc.

- I believe these clients should work off of servers instead of trying
to do inter-client communication. It's just simpler having pure
client-server architecture.


Benefits of having one client application for all distributed projects are:

- The client application would get to be very polished since every
project is using the same one. The effort is focused.

- Projects could change quickly because the clients would
automatically adapt by downloading new parallel client modules.

- Standardization is always good.


I am not sure how this should be developed but maybe some professor
should grab a few grad students and put them to work on it.  Or there
is always the open source method.  Maybe a couple of grants could be
used to fund development because it would turn out to be a super
computer in the end. 

I would like to ask if anything like this exists already? If you would
like to discuss this further continue the thread of give drop me an
email. 

Cheers,
-ben houston
http://chat.carleton.ca/~bhouston

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