Linux Cluster in Theory and Practice: A Novel Approach in Teaching Cluster Computing Based on the Intel Atom Platform

Abstract

Abstract Current trends and studies on future architectures show, that the complexity of parallel computer systems is increasing steadily. Hence, the industry requires skilled employees, who have in addition to the theoretical fundamentals, practical experiences in the design and administration of such systems. However, investigations have shown, that practical approaches are still missing in current curricula, especially in these areas. For this reason, the chair of Computer Architecture at the faculty of Computer Science at the Technische Universiẗat Dresden, developed and introduced the course “Linux Cluster in Theory and Practice” (LCTP). The main objectives of this course are to provide background knowledge about the design and administration of large-scale parallel computer systems and the practical implementation on the available hardware. In addition, students learn how to solve problems in a structured approach and as part of a team. This paper analyzes the current variety of courses in the area of parallel computing systems, describes the structure and implementation of LCTP and provides first conclusions and an outlook on possible further developments.