Rating: 
Summary: Broad introduction to PC clusters
Review: A "Beowulf" is the concept of using a network of low cost personal computers for distributed processing. The book doesn't specify a particular configuration. The author describes the three fundamental parts of a Beowulf system: node hardware, network hardware, and parallel software applications. Three chapters explain how to use the message passing interface (MPI) standard to distribute the work for a program executing on multiple nodes. An example MPI program for sorting is presented. The features of the Linux operating system are covered in Chapter 4 since Linux is a common choice for Beowulf clusters.
Rating: 
Summary: Stunningly awesome!
Review: Although the book has yet to be released, the concept is amazing. Essentially, it's about bringing the power of supercomputing to the masses through the use of off-the-shelf PC hardware. Specifically, clusters PC's running the Linux operating system.Donald Becker is intimate with the hardware end of Beowulf clusters, being associated with one of the first Beowulf's to be built, and also author of several of Linux' ethernet drivers. This book should be nothing less than stunning. I, personally, intend to build a bowulf to explore complex system theory and its applications to the world's financial markets. If these kind of high-power, calculation intensive topics interest you, join me in pre-ordering this phenomenal offering.
Rating: 
Summary: Useless in 1999, a total waste of money in 2005
Review: As most other readers have elaborated, the book has little or no real substantive material concerning the actual building of a beowulf. Everyone knows Myrinet is better than gigabit ethernet, bu HOW MUCH better for a given class of problems? For any problem???
The book does not even consider addressing real issues and configuration choices, but babbles with obvious choices like ssh vs rsh etc, for pages and pages. I feel I was ripped off. These guys seem to be just resting on their laurels and apparently it doesn't seem to bother them that they are giving the intended audience of the book no real value whatsoever. I believe they should either research the matter thoroughly and completely rewrite the book, or just withdraw it from circulation. One can get orders of magnitude more relevant and reliable information just by reading HOWTOs and Googling around.
I just wish I had read the other reviews BEFORE buying the book.
Rating:
Summary: excellent resource for building a beowulf
Review: Before I purchased this book I was completely intimidated by the idea of building a Beowulf Cluster. I found this book to be a surprisingly thorough and accessible resource, allowing me to get a great understanding of what was needed. I've just placed my order for the equipment for my first cluster and can't wait to get it up and running!
Rating: 
Summary: Jack of all trades, master of none.
Review: Being one of the first books to deal with Beowulf systems, I was very eager to see what approach the authors would take in dealing with the subject. As they state in their introduction, a Beowulf system encompasses everything from the hardware that you use to the applications run on it, with many layers in between. They do a good job of outlining each of the different steps needed to get a Beowulf systems up and running, however, they don't do it in a consistent manner. The book jumps from nitty details concerning voltages of power supplies to highly abstract concepts concerning overall system security architecture and parallel algorithm development. It also constantly switches focus from a handbook for someone who has never seen a computer, to addressing seasoned system administrators. The switching between these different styles made it very difficult to identify material applicable to ones experience level. Overall, the book identifies some key issues and provides a rough framework for possible solutions. I personally would have liked to have seen more "from the field" information, as this is still a rapidly evolving system architecture, being able to understand the growing pains would be very useful. Lastly the book does provide adequate references to online sites with more in depth information on some of the topics they cover.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent history of everything ~ Lousy Beowulf HOWTO
Review: Fortunately for me, I checked this one out from the library. The book spends a huge amount of time and paper detailing the history of Linux and several other esoteric topics. Yet it fails to tackle the core issue, as defined in the title. I give the authors credit for their amazing work in parallel computing and Beowulf clusters, however, I hope their next edition actually discusses HOW to build a Beowulf.
Rating:
Summary: excellent resource for building a beowulf
Review: I have had bad experiences with cluster books before, this one is no exception. There's no how to in here, just a bunch of lecture. For mega nerds only, average computer people need not apply.
Rating:
Summary: I still can't build a beowulf.
Review: I have had bad experiences with cluster books before, this one is no exception. There's no how to in here, just a bunch of lecture. For mega nerds only, average computer people need not apply.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent history of everything ~ Lousy Beowulf HOWTO
Review: I must take issue with some of the other reviewers of this text. I found this book to be a very good overview (and snapshot) of the current status of a rapidly evolving system architecture. It is written at a fairly high level (although it does dip periodically into details) - so the reader gets a good overview of what a Beowulf is, its' components, and many of the issues involved in designing and implementing one. In my view it balances detail and theory quite well. IT IS NOT (nor do I believe it was intended as) a detailed roadmap of EXACTLY how to build one. The Beowulf architecture isn't so much a single type of implementation, but rather an approach to applying COTS technology to solving computational problems. The details of any single Beowulf implementation depend greatly on the specific computational problem being attacked. (Something that is pointed-out within the book.) The authors therefore took a different approach. Some of the topics covered in the book WILL, eventually, be outdated: specifically, the section on the PCI bus, some of the material on network technology, and the section on available processors. As COTS technology advances, and as Beowulf architectures change to take advantage of those advances, some sections will become outdated. However, this is unavoidable for any text reviewing the current state-of-the-art. There is also a lot more here that is NOT likely to be outdated within the next several years.. There may also be sections in the text that the reader will already be familiar with, and can therefore skip. This is also inevitable considering the nature of the text and will obviously vary depending on the reader. I can recomend this text highly as a starting point in learning what a Beowulf is, some of the ways they are put together, and for exploring many important design and implementation decisions. In my own case, it helped me resolve a number of design issues I was wrestling with about my own system. It does not, however, stand alone. After starting with this text, most readers will then certainly need to refer to online sources for further information.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent starting point
Review: I must take issue with some of the other reviewers of this text. I found this book to be a very good overview (and snapshot) of the current status of a rapidly evolving system architecture. It is written at a fairly high level (although it does dip periodically into details) - so the reader gets a good overview of what a Beowulf is, its' components, and many of the issues involved in designing and implementing one. In my view it balances detail and theory quite well. IT IS NOT (nor do I believe it was intended as) a detailed roadmap of EXACTLY how to build one. The Beowulf architecture isn't so much a single type of implementation, but rather an approach to applying COTS technology to solving computational problems. The details of any single Beowulf implementation depend greatly on the specific computational problem being attacked. (Something that is pointed-out within the book.) The authors therefore took a different approach. Some of the topics covered in the book WILL, eventually, be outdated: specifically, the section on the PCI bus, some of the material on network technology, and the section on available processors. As COTS technology advances, and as Beowulf architectures change to take advantage of those advances, some sections will become outdated. However, this is unavoidable for any text reviewing the current state-of-the-art. There is also a lot more here that is NOT likely to be outdated within the next several years.. There may also be sections in the text that the reader will already be familiar with, and can therefore skip. This is also inevitable considering the nature of the text and will obviously vary depending on the reader. I can recomend this text highly as a starting point in learning what a Beowulf is, some of the ways they are put together, and for exploring many important design and implementation decisions. In my own case, it helped me resolve a number of design issues I was wrestling with about my own system. It does not, however, stand alone. After starting with this text, most readers will then certainly need to refer to online sources for further information.
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