Virtualization in HPC
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Presentation Transcript
Virtualization in HPC Minesh Joshi CSC 469 Dr. Box Feb 1, 2012
Introduction • HPC differ from type of server and the workloads at the workstation • Hardware virtualization has been an important factor • Virtualization helps in advancing the power or HPC • HPC operating systems preserve the legacy compatibility • Multiple operating systems can coexist on one physical machine • Machine is multiplexed by a small privileged kernel, known as hypervisor or virtual machine monitor (VMM) • VMM gives illusion of one or more machines
Coexistence of operating systems avoids incompatibilities, reduces testing and upgrade costs. • Virtualization enables the specification of operating systems with full control over hardware resources. • Hypervisor multiplexes the hardware resources • HPC application can bypass legacy OS mechanisms and algorithms. • Virtual machines communicate via low-overhead and low-latency communication mechanism
Productivity • Hypervisor allows VM to monitor state, interrupts and communications of another VM • Hypervisor can provide a virtual cluster of VMs • Productivity can be enhanced by using virtual cluster • Virtual reboot avoids the latencies of hardware re-initialization by the BIOS • Decrease the start up time for the system by shipping VM image to all nodes in cluster
Performance • Software pre-virtualization • Specifying memory address translations • Supports OSes Optimized for classes of HPC applications • Hypervisor can guarantee resource allocations to a VM • Allocation of fixed percentage of CPU cycles, or maximum latency • Interrupts handling code for a real time VM • Concurrent running of virtual cluster communicates nodes in real time
Focus on checkpoint/restart capability • High priority work, inter-node migration of work in a cluster for load balancing • Preemption allows real-time HPC • These scenarios prosper the system availability • Prevent long running HPC application loss
Security • VM isolation provides a platform for building secure system • Isolated VM have no unauthorized interaction • Inrospection is used to monitor the communication and state of VM • Only trusted program loaded into an isolated VM
Software complexity • Hypervisor-based systems can reduce the complexity of software development • Hypervisor should be sta • ble than usual OS • Hardware and software initialization done only once • Maintenance of the system becomes more automated • Gradually leads to improved software quality
Conclusion • Virtualization helps HPC systems and applications • Productivity, performance, reliability, availability, security, and simplicity