MOSIX: How Linux Clusters Solve Real-World Problems

As the complexity of software increases, the size of the software tends to increase as well, which incurs longer compilation and build cycles. In this paper, the authors present one example of how clusters of Linux systems, using the MOSIX extensions for load monitoring and remote execution, were used to eliminate a performance bottleneck and to reduce the cost of building software. We present a discussion of our original software development cluster, an analysis of the performance issues in that cluster, and the development and modifications done to MOSIX and Linux in order to produce a solution to our problem. We finish by presenting future developments that will enhance our cluster.