View source for Rocks Cluster Distribution

{{short description|Linux-distro for high-performance computing clusters}}
{{Infobox OS
| name                   = Rocks Cluster Distribution
| logo                   = Rocks Clusters logo and wordmark.png
| screenshot             =
| caption                =
| family                 = [[Linux]] ([[Unix-like]])
| source model           = [[Open-source software|Open source]]
| developer              = National Partnership for Advanced Computational Infrastructure, [[San Diego Supercomputer Center|SDSC]], [[University of California, San Diego|UCSD]]
| released               = 
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|references|edit|Q972850|P348|P548=Q2804309}} (Manzanita)
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|single|Q972850|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}}}
| language               = [[English language|English]]
| kernel type            = [[Monolithic kernel|Monolithic]] ([[Linux kernel|Linux]])
| ui                     = 
| working state          = Active
| website                = {{URL|www.rocksclusters.org}}
| supported platforms    =
| updatemodel            =
| package manager        = 
| license                = Various
}}

'''Rocks Cluster Distribution''' (originally '''NPACI Rocks''') is a [[Linux distribution]] intended for [[high-performance computing]] (HPC) [[cluster (computing)|clusters]].  It was started by National Partnership for Advanced Computational Infrastructure and the [[San Diego Supercomputer Center]] (SDSC) in 2000.<ref name="RocksAbout">{{cite web|url=http://www.rocksclusters.org/wordpress/?page_id=57|title=About Rocks Cluster|publisher=Rocks Cluster Distribution|access-date=2010-10-10|archive-date=2012-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413032101/http://www.rocksclusters.org/wordpress/?page%5Fid=57|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was initially funded in part by an [[National Science Foundation|NSF]] grant (2000–07),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0438741|title=Award Abstract #0438741 SCI: Delivering Cyberinfrastructure: From Vision to Reality|publisher=National Science Foundation|date=July 1, 2005|access-date=2007-08-05}}</ref> but was funded by the follow-up NSF grant through 2011.<ref name="FollowupAward">{{cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0721623|title=Award Abstract #0721623 SDCI: NMI: Improvement: The Rocks Cluster Toolkit and Extensions to Build User-Defined Cyberenvironments|date=August 31, 2007 |access-date= June 6, 2013 }}</ref>

== Distribution ==
Rocks was initially based on the [[Red Hat Linux]] (RHL) distribution, however modern versions of Rocks were based on [[CentOS]], with a modified [[Anaconda (installer)|Anaconda]] installer that simplifies mass installation onto many computers. Rocks includes many tools (such as [[Message Passing Interface]] (MPI)) which are not part of CentOS but are integral components that make a group of computers into a cluster.

Installations can be customized with additional software packages at install-time by using special user-supplied CDs (called "Roll CDs").  The "Rolls" extend the system by integrating seamlessly and automatically into the management and packaging mechanisms used by base software, greatly simplifying installation and configuration of large numbers of computers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gridtoday.com/04/0216/102698.html|date=February 16, 2004|title=SDSC Enhances Rocks Cluster Management Toolkit|publisher=Grid Today|access-date=2007-08-05 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927031015/http://www.gridtoday.com/04/0216/102698.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-09-27}}</ref>  Over a dozen Rolls have been created, including the [[Sun Grid Engine]] (SGE) roll, the [[Condor cycle scavenger|Condor]] roll, the [[Lustre (file system)|Lustre]] roll, the [[Java (Sun)|Java]] roll, and the [[Ganglia (software)|Ganglia]] roll.

By October 2010, Rocks was used for academic, government, and commercial organizations, employed in 1,376 clusters, on every continent except Antarctica.<ref name="RocksRegister">{{cite web|url=http://www.rocksclusters.org/rocks-register/|date=October 10, 2010|title=Rocks Cluster Register|access-date=October 10, 2010|archive-date=October 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024140030/http://www.rocksclusters.org/rocks-register/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The largest registered academic cluster, having 8632 CPUs, is [[GridKa]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://grid.fzk.de/ |title=GridKa - Grid Computing Centre Karlsruhe |access-date=2010-10-10 |archive-date=2011-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719030053/http://grid.fzk.de/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> operated by the [[Karlsruhe Institute of Technology]] in [[Karlsruhe]], [[Germany]]. There are also a number of clusters ranging down to fewer than 10 CPUs, representing the early stages in the construction of larger systems, as well as being used for courses in cluster design. This easy scalability was a major goal in the development of Rocks, both for the researchers involved,<ref name="RocksAbout" /> and for the NSF:

{{blockquote|Broader impact mirrors intellectual merit, and specifically lies in Rocks' new capabilities enabling management of very large clusters such as those emerging from the NSF Track 2 program, the ease of configuration of clusters supporting virtualization capabilities and generally the continuing effect of Rocks on installation and use of Linux clusters across NSF communities.|SDCI: NMI: Improvement: The Rocks Cluster Toolkit and Extensions to Build User-Defined Cyberenvironments<ref name="FollowupAward" />}}

== Release history ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Release Date !! Rocks version !! CentOS version
|-
| Dec 2017 || Rocks 7.0 || CentOS 7.4
|-
| May 2015 || Rocks 6.2 || CentOS 6.6
|-
| Apr 2014 || Rocks 6.1.1 || CentOS 6.5
|-
| Nov 2012 || Rocks 6.1 || CentOS 6.3
|}

== See also ==
* [[Scientific Linux]] – a Linux distribution by Fermilab and CERN
* [[Cray Linux Environment]]
* [[Compute Node Linux]]
* [[CNK operating system]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|www.rocksclusters.org}}

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[[Category:Cluster computing]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 2000]]
[[Category:Linux distributions]]
[[Category:Parallel computing]]
[[Category:RPM-based Linux distributions]]