scmt - SuperK Cluster Management Toolkit Plug-and-play management for single-board computer clusters

Abstract

Computer clusters have become increasingly important in elds such as high-performance computing and database management due to their scalability and lower economic cost compared with traditional supercomputers. However, computer clusters consisting of x86-based servers are expensive, highly power-consuming, and occupy signi cant space. <br><br> At the same time, the availability of cheap but performant ARM-based single-board computers has steadily increased, with products such as Raspberry Pi and Odroid becoming competitive in performance with traditional servers. <br><br> This report explores the creation of clusters using these devices, e.g. what benefits and downsides there are compared to x86-clusters. In particular, lower economic cost and decreased power consumption are compelling bene ts. However, the subject of building clusters from ARM-devices is not a mature field, and there is a lack of tools and research on the subject. <br><br> We present the SuperK Cluster Management Toolkit, a prototype software suite for managing clusters of single-board computers. In addition, we discuss problems particular to clusters of single-board computers and contrast different considerations in the design of cluster management software.