Network Performance in High Performance Linux Clusters

Abstract—Linux-based clusters have become more prevalent as a foundation for High Performance Computing (HPC) systems. With a better understanding of network performance in these environments, we can optimize configurations and develop better management and administration policies to improve operations. To assist in this process, we developed a network measurement tool to measure UDP, TCP and MPI communications over high performance networks, such as Gigabit Ethernet and Myrinet. In this paper, we report on the use of this tool to evaluate the network performance of three high performance interconnects in HPC clusters: Gigabit Ethernet, Myrinet, and Quadrics ’ QsNet and discuss the implications of those results for configurations i