3. Manual RPM Installation

It is possible to manually install the RPM packages on the Cluster Nodes and the Cluster Management Node. This section describes how to do this if it should be necessary.

3.1. RPM Package Structure

The eXpressWare software stack is organized into a number of RPM packages. Some of these packages have inter-dependencies.

Dolphin-IX

Low-level hardware driver for the adapter. Installs the dis_irm kernel module, the node manager daemon and the dis_irm and dis_nodemgr services on a Cluster Node. Only needed if you are using the Dolphin Express IX Interconnect.

To be installed on all Cluster Nodes having a IX Adapter card.

Dolphin-SISCI

User-level access to the adapter capabilities via the SISCI API. Installs the dis_sisci kernel module and the dis_sisci service, plus the run-time I library and header files for the SISCI API on a Cluster Node. Required by Dolphin benchmark and diagnostic tools.

To be installed on all Cluster Nodes. Depends on Dolphin-IX.

Dolphin-SuperSockets

Standard Berkeley sockets with low latency and high bandwidth. Installs the dis_mbox, dis_msq and dis_ssocks kernel modules and the dis_supersockets service, and the redirection library for preloading on a Cluster Node.

To be installed on all Cluster Nodes. Depends on Dolphin-IX.

Dolphin-NetworkHosts

Installs the GUI application dis_netconfig for creating the cluster configuration files on the Cluster Management Node. Also installs some template configuration files for manual editing.

To be installed on the Cluster Management Node (and additionally other machines that should run dis_netconfig).

Dolphin-NetworkManager

Contains the Network Manager on the Cluster Management Node, which talks to all Cluster Node managers on the Cluster Nodes. Installs the service dis_networkmgr.

To be installed on the Cluster Management Node. Depends on Dolphin-NetworkHosts.

Dolphin-NetworkAdmin

Contains the GUI application dis_admin for managing and monitoring the interconnect. The dis_admin communicates to the Network Manager and can be installed on any machine that has connection to the Cluster Management Node.

To be installed on the Cluster Management Node (or any other machine).

Dolphin-SISCI-devel

Contains the SISCI Development Kit required to compile and link applications that use the SISCI API. This RPM installs the header files and library plus examples and documentation on any machine. The Dolphin-SISCI package is required to run the complied applications on a Cluster Node.

To be optionally installed on the Cluster Management Node, or any other machine on which SISCI applications should be compiled and linked.

3.2. RPM Build and Installation

On each machine, the matching binary RPM packages need to be built by calling the SIA with the --build-rpm option. This will take some minutes, and the resulting RPMs are stored in three directories:

node_RPMS

Contains the binary RPM packages for the driver and kernel modules to be installed on each Cluster Node. These RPM packages can be installed on every Cluster Node with the same kernel version.

frontend_RPMS

Contains the binary RPM packages for the user-level managing software to be installed on the Cluster Management Node. The Dolphin-SISCI-devel and Dolphin-NetworkAdmin packages can also be installed on other Cluster Nodes, not being the Cluster Management Node or any of the Cluster Nodes, for development and administration, respectively.

source_RPMS

The source RPM packages contained in this directory can be used to build binary RPMs on other machines using the standard rpmbuild command.

To install the packages from one directory, just enter the directory and install them all with a single call of the rpm command, like:

# cd node_RPMS
# rpm -Uhv *.rpm