Chapter 9. Programming Software

After the operating system and other basic system software, you'll want to install the core software as determined by the cluster's mission. If you are planning to develop applications, you'll need software development tools, including libraries that support parallel processing. If you plan to run a set of existing cluster-ready applications, you'll need to select and install those applications as part of the image you will clone.

This chapter presupposes you'll want to develop cluster software and will need the tools to do so. For many clusters this may not be the case. For example, if you are setting up a cluster to process bioinformatics data, your needs may be met with the installation of applications such as BLAST, ClustalW, FASTA, etc. If this is the path you are taking, then identifying, installing, and learning to use these applications are the next steps you need to take.^[1] For now, you can safely skip this chapter. But don't forget that it is here. Even if you are using canned applications, at some point you may want to go beyond what is available and you'll need the tools in this chapter.

^[1] Steven Baum's site, http://stommel.tamu.edu/~baum/npaci.html, while ostensibly about Rocks, contains a very long list of cluster applications for those who want to write their own applications.

This chapter describes the installation and basic use of the software development tools used to develop and run cluster applications. It also briefly mentions some tools that you are likely to need that should already be part of your system. For clusters where you develop the application software, the software described in this chapter is essential. In contrast, you may be able to get by without management and scheduling software. You won't get far without the software described here.

If you've installed OSCAR or Rocks, you will have pretty much everything you need. Nonetheless, you'll still want to skim this chapter to learn more about how to use that software. For cluster application developers, this is the first software you need to learn how to use.