Frequently Asked Questions about
gridMathematica
Parallel Computing
Will parallel computation make all my
Mathematica programs faster?
No, it will only speed programs written using the
parallel functions in the Mathematica language, and only
tasks suitable for parallelization. See the tutorial
for details. Also, some built-in Mathematica commands will
make use of gridMathematica if it is available.
Can I do parallel computations without
gridMathematica?
Yes. Since
Mathematica 7, every Mathematica license includes
all of the parallel programming tools, one controlling kernel, and
four computation kernels. This configuration is optimized for
writing parallel computations to run on standard quad-core machines.
Mathematica Core Extensions allow you to add additional
computational kernels to your local machine, and
gridMathematica scales such programs up to ad hoc and
formal grid architectures.
Do I need Parallel Computing
Toolkit?
No. The parallel
programming tools contained in Mathematica supersede
Parallel Computing Toolkit, which has been
discontinued.
What is the optimal number of computation
kernels for my hardware?
This depends
on the details of your programs, but a rough guide would be one
computation kernel for each available CPU core.
Can other people use my single-machine
computation kernels from their Mathematica
programs?
No. Your single-machine
license and any Mathematica Core Extensions added to it
must either be used directly at the computer it is installed on or
remotely by you, the registered user.
gridMathematica
Can Mathematica use
gridMathematica and a Mathematica Core Extension
at the same time?
Yes. A
Mathematica parallel program will simultaneously distribute
tasks seamlessly across all available local and remote computation
kernels, including any computation kernels from
gridMathematica and Mathematica Core
Extensions.
Do I still need Mathematica if I
have gridMathematica?
Yes.
gridMathematica computation kernels are controlled by a
Mathematica controlling kernel. Every user of
gridMathematica must have access to a Mathematica
license to be able to submit tasks. Our sales team will help you get
set up with the right licenses for your needs.
Can I access gridMathematica from a
single-machine license of Mathematica?
Yes. Both single-machine and network licenses of
Mathematica can send computations to
gridMathematica.
Can other people use my
gridMathematica?
Yes, if they
are members of your organization and you allow them to. Each
gridMathematica computation kernel can be acquired by a
different user. This allows up to 16 people to benefit from each
gridMathematica license at the same time. Wolfram
Lightweight Grid Manager makes this easy and lets you control
access.
Do controlling and computation machines need
to share a common filesystem?
No. The
Mathematica parallel programming tools can send any kind of
data, including the program to be executed, over the connection
between the controlling and computation kernels. There is no need to
copy data or the distributed program onto the filesystem of the
computation machine.
Can I control which computers the
computation kernels run on?
Yes. As
long as you have the means and privileges to launch
Mathematica on those machines (e.g. having Wolfram
Lightweight Grid Manager installed), you can configure how many
kernels to run on which machines. Even if you have no access to
remote machines, you can acquire kernels from
gridMathematica to run on your local machine.
What grid-management systems does
gridMathematica support?
gridMathematica supports Wolfram Lightweight
Grid Manager, Altair PBS Professional, Microsoft Windows Compute
Cluster Server, Microsoft HPC Server, Platform LSF, and Sun Grid
Engine. See also the supported
platforms page.
How do I set up gridMathematica
Server?
Explicit instructions,
additional guidance, and screencasts are available here.
How is gridMathematica
priced?
gridMathematica
pricing depends on your needs: the number of computer kernels, and
full Mathematica licenses, as well as whether you wish to
buy or lease. Please contact
sales to receive a personalized price quote.
Wolfram Lightweight Grid Manager
Can Wolfram Lightweight Grid Manager control
a group of separate computers?
Yes, but
Wolfram Lightweight Grid Manager must be installed on every computer
in the group.
Can I control who has access to each
machine?
Yes, you can control which IP
addresses or ranges can launch kernels via Lightweight Grid Manager.
Other grid-management systems may provide other options.
Can I control the machines'
workload?
Yes, you can specify a
maximum number of computation kernels that can run on each
machine.
Do I have to use Lightweight Grid
Manager?
No. If you are running a
supported grid-management system, you may use that instead of
Wolfram Lightweight Grid Manager. Even if you do not, you can set up
your own solution for remotely launching and connecting to
Mathematica kernels.
Are there security considerations for
running Lightweight Grid Manager?
Yes.
Lightweight Grid Manager allows users to run any
Mathematica code on your computer. Mathematica can
read, write, and delete files and can run other programs. You should
consider who to allow to do this and what access privileges to give
them. Wolfram Lightweight Grid Manager configuration control is
password protected.
