1.

Introduction

The Virtual Cluster Toolbox (VCT) is a free, easy-to-use GNU/Linux cluster environment for computers running Microsoft Windows XP Professional^®. The VCT environment brings the most widely used high-performance cluster computing technologies to any desktop PC or PC lab. It's a great way to experiment with GNU/Linux cluster technologies without dedicated hardware.

The VCT is based on coLinux, a set of programs and patches that allows a Linux kernel to run concurrently with Windows. Other key technologies include WinPCAP and TAP32 (for sharing network resources between Windows and Linux), and the Debian-based Rocketcalc Cluster Toolbox GNU/Linux distribution.

The Rocketcalc Cluster Toolbox software distribution includes a standard GNU/Linux OS (Debian), tools to facilitate command-line and graphical access to the virtual cluster from Windows, and a large set of configured HPC software tools and examples.

The Virtual Cluster Toolbox is self-organizing: the GNU/Linux cluster network is configured automatically and independently of the Windows XP network. The independent cluster network operates concurrently with the Windows network.

The Virtual Cluster Toolbox is ideal for classroom experimentation with GNU/Linux clustering technologies. Some of the ready-to-run software packages included with the VCT are LAM/MPI, PVM, POVRay, MP_Lite, and GNU Octave (with parallel extensions).

The Virtual Cluster Toolbox is an open source project. Please feel free to modify, redistribute and contribute to the VCT in accordance with the component software licenses (mostly GNU GPL).