[vox-tech] Clustering two Linux machines

[Bryan Richter]

On Mon, Mar 10, 2008 at 12:52 PM, Matin Hashemi <matin.hashemi at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hello everybody :-)
>
> I would like to know how to make two Linux machines work as one computer.
> I think it's called "clustering" and a quick Google search showed me that
> there are quite a few different programs and Linux distributions for this
> purpose. But my problem is that I can't start everything from scratch
> because we already have one Linux machine up and running and everybody in
> the lab is using it. I just want to add another computer to that Linux
> machine and make it more powerful. We can't install OS on the first computer
> but we can do whatever we want with the new one.
>
>
I could be wrong, but I don't think it works that way. A cluster (yes,
that's the right term) is something that must planned for in advance,
something you must plan for before setting up the computers that will be
involved.

If that is indeed the case, one possibility for you could be the following:

1. Set up the new computer to be part of a cluster. Make it a cluster of
one, and set it up exactly like your existing computer.
2. Switch over to using the new computer. If you do it right, nobody will
even notice. :) (But be ready to switch back if it doesn't work right...)
3. Overhaul the original computer to be a member of a cluster.
4. Hook the two together and presto!

Now, there are other possibilities for utilizing extra computers besides
clustering. You might find something that is more suitable and less work.
What do you use the computer for such that it needs more power?

Finally, I would prepare yourself for a bit of work! Anything outside the
90%-of-use-cases Linux can blossom into large undertakings, quite suddenly
and unexpectedly. But that's what this list is all about. :) We're here to
help. (And some people probably know a lot more about clustering than I do.)

-Bryan
aka chreekat
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