Design and Deployment Guide for Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

Updated: August 2010

Applies To: Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

This guide provides conceptual information for planning the deployment of a high performance computing cluster using Windows® HPC Server 2008 R2. It also provides step-by-step procedures for deploying the head node in your cluster, adding nodes, and verifying that your deployment was successful.

This guide provides information and procedures common to most deployment scenarios for Windows HPC Server 2008 R2. Links are provided to additional guides for advanced deployment scenarios.

To learn about late-breaking issues and other important information about this release of Windows HPC Server 2008 R2, review the Release Notes for Windows HPC Server 2008 R2.

Note

You can configure your HPC cluster for high availability by installing the head node in the context of a failover cluster. If the server that is acting as the head node fails, the other server in the failover cluster automatically begins acting as the head node (through a process known as failover). For more information about running an HPC cluster with failover clustering, see Configuring Failover Clustering Step-by-Step Guide (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=194691).

Sections in this guide

This guide contains the following sections:

• Checklist: Deploy an HPC Cluster (Overview)

• Step 1: Prepare for Your Deployment

• Step 2: Deploy the Head Node

• Step 3: Configure the Head Node

• Step 4: Validate Your Environment Before Deploying Nodes

• Step 5: Add Nodes to the Cluster

• Step 6: Run Diagnostic Tests on the Cluster

• Step 7: Run a Test Job on the Cluster

• Additional Resources

• Appendices

  • Appendix 1: HPC Cluster Networking

  • Appendix 2: Creating a Node XML File

  • Appendix 3: Node Template Tasks and Properties

  • Appendix 4: Job Template Properties

  • Appendix 5: Scripted Power Control Tools

  • Appendix 6: Using HPC PowerShell