The Armada Is Now Active!

[BitSpit]

I am extremely pleased to report that I have three diskless nodes all running properly! They all loaded server and think from the script (had to use nohup though), server successfully downloads and uploads (!) jobs, and now allocates them when needed.

Now a description of what I've been doing. The Folding@Home project has some members running things called yattamonsters. These are diskless, netbooting dedicated crunchers. Everything is run of a central server. This has some obvious advantages. The biggest is only one OS to install, in this case Mandrake 8.2 All work is also saved to the server so you could yank the power from one node and not lose anything. Every since I first learned about them, I wanted to do one. My main reasons are I got tired of having to buy drives for everything and having more copies of Windows installed than I'm allowed (I get to be legal now). It allows me to quickly add more crunchers. All I need is some RAM, CPU, PS (I prefer 1 PS/CPU), and a cheap integrated mobo that does net booting.

I get to start having some real fun now. I get to decide the mounting method I want to use and do a lot of custom wiring (gotta have buttons and lights you know).

I'll post some more details later including v1.0 of the script that gets the nodes going.

[BitSpit]

Recipe for a yattamonster

Thread at the FaD forums with my problems/solutions

And the all important script:

#!/bin/bash
# /home/armada/bin/fad_armada

echo
echo "fad_armada script is running"
# SLOW_HOSTS=""
FAD_CLIENT=/usr/bin/fad/loader

# Make sure the master copy exists
echo "Find-a-Drug: checking for master copy"
FAD_HOST=`hostname`
export FAD_CLIENT FAD_HOST
if [ ! -x $FAD_CLIENT ]; then
        echo "Find-a-Drug: critical error: master copy not found."
        echo "Aborting."
        exit 1
fi

FAD_start () {

# Check if the node directory exists
echo "Find-a-Drug: checking if node directory exists"
FAD_TASK=$1
FAD_DIR=/home/fad/`hostname`/task_$FAD_TASK
if [ ! -d $FAD_DIR ]; then
        echo "Find-a-Drug: creating node directory: $FAD_DIR"
        mkdir -p $FAD_DIR
fi

# Check if the node has a local copy of the client
echo "Find-a-Drug: checking for local copy of client"
if [ ! -x $FAD_DIR/loader ]; then
        echo "Find-a-Drug: copying program files to node directory"
        cp /usr/bin/fad/* $FAD_DIR
        echo $FAD_DIR
fi

# Check if a config file exists
FAD_CFG=$FAD_DIR/think.env
echo "Find-a-Drug: checking if this is a new node"
if [ ! -f $FAD_CFG ]; then
        echo "Find-a-Drug: registering new node"
        sleep 3
        cd $FAD_DIR
        ./isetup -nickname BitSpit -email cdavis@glasgow-ky.com -team 2037
        sleep 3
fi

# Fire it up now
echo "Find-a-Drug: configuration checks passed"
FAD_CLIENT=$FAD_DIR/think
FAD_SERVER=$FAD_DIR/server
FAD_SRVOPT="-auto"
export FAD_CLIENT FAD_SERVER FAD_SRVOPT
cd $FAD_DIR
rm -f nohup.out
echo "Find-a-Drug: loading server"
nohup $FAD_SERVER $FAD_SRVOPT &
sleep 3
echo "Find-a-Drug: loading THINK"
nohup $FAD_CLIENT &
echo
echo "cat the following files for status and errors:"
echo "THINK log: $FAD_DIR/`hostname`.tlg"
echo "THINK progress: $FAD_DIR/think.tip"
echo "SERVER log: $FAD_DIR/server.log"
echo "SERVER stats: $FAD_DIR/server.tip"
echo "Other errors not in the log (maybe): $FAD_DIR/nohup.out"
echo
return 0
}

# And this is what starts the whole process
echo "Find-a-Drug: verifiying configuration"
FAD_start 1
#

[RustyGT]

Congratulations Bitspit.
I'd been reading that thread earlier this week.
Man, for someone who confesses he doesn't know much about Linux.
You've done some great work.

As for the yattamonsters the guys at the [H] have built some gems.
The diskless farm that kingsley from OCAU built on Win software is way impressive.

As I said above. Congratulations!
Bet you're pleased with your effort.
Rightly so!

Cheers Rusty.

[BitSpit]

Yeah, that whole patience and persistance thing is quite useful. I've been sacrificing alot of sleep to get this going. I'm going to really enjoy my hard-earned sleep today and then have fun with hardware and maybe some power tools!

[eagle1]

Cool!
Congratz BS.! Glad you got it working!

[davidamarkley]

I was thinking about starting a yatta herd, but then I figured, well... If I'm going to build a computer, I want it to be able to run as a full desktop, not just like a 'slim-client' so I didn't do it. But glad you got it working!!

I know what you mean about being extremely pleased that you made it! I love to do things that are a challenge, I learn and get a good(hopefully) thing out of it as well.

Keep up the good work!

David

[BitSpit]

Just adding the two files I had to copy for FaD to work.

/bin/ps --> /opt/ltsp/i386/bin
/lib/libproc.so.2.0.7 --> /opt/ltsp/i386/lib

This is assuming Mandrake 8.2 and everything installed in the default locations if you followed the "recipe".

[sixf00t4]

wow. this is awesome bit!