Using multipe computers to do one task

[lalunamel]

Im wondering if I can hook some computers together and have them complete a task, like playing a game that requires lots of processor and graphics power.

 

[raybay]

Well, you can do that with a RAID setup, but the component and cable costs and tech time you would spend would be prohibitive otherwise.

 

[SNGX1275]

For your purposes, no its not possible, the OS and the software don't support it.

RAID and SLI Graphics card can distribute the load within 1 computer, and thats about as close as you'll get.

 

[DelJo63]

The concept is called Grid Computing; parceling out portions of a task to different
systems on a network. Each system runs independently and is only connected via the network.

The other form is SMP; Symetric MultiProcessing, where memory is in common
to
all processors and the peripherals are accessible to all cpus.

The issues are similar, How do you partition the task into pieces for partial evaluation
and then reassemble the many results into one answer?

 

[raybay]

Not to mention that speed and memory issues no longer come close to matching up with the modern single unit that has hard drives of 320 to 750 GB, high speed memory of 4 GB and now 8 GB, astonishingly fast video graphics, and ethernet connections, along with Wireless.
Grid computing is engineering whose time has come and gone.

 

[DelJo63]

not so -- it's a high end solution for professionals, not average windows hacks.

btw: IBM and others (still) sell machines for Cluster processing with High Availability;
eg: the cluster continues with single cpu failures
(including the processes that were running on the failing cpu)