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The Tops

Admins solve problems ranging from slow servers to failing applications. The first tool I reach for when I need to check on a server with shell access is Top.

ioprof, blktrace, and blkparse

Understanding how applications perform I/O is important not only because of the volume of data being written and read, but because the performance of some applications is dependent on how I/O is conducted. In this article we profile I/O at the block layer to help you make the best storage decisions.

How the Spanning Tree protocol organizes an Ethernet network

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Ethernet is so popular because it simply works and is inexpensive. However, the administration side looks a bit more complicated: For the network to run smoothly, the admin might need to make important decisions about the Spanning Tree protocol.

Tool Your HPC Systems for Data Analytics

As data analytics workloads become more common, HPC administrators need to assess their hardware, software, and processes.

Graphite

Graphite converts confusing columns of time series data into handy diagrams, showing trends in operating system and application metrics at a glance.

A Better Builder

Developers fed up with cryptic Makefiles should take a look at the new Meson build system, which is simple to operate, offers scripting capabilities, integrates external test tools, and supports Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X.

Parallel Shells

The most fundamental tool needed to administer an HPC system is a parallel shell, which allows you to run the same command on a series of nodes. In this article, we look at pdsh.

Metadata for Your Data

Understanding the proliferation of data in your filesystem is key to being an administrator. Understanding file sizes and file ages and their distribution helps you tune filesystems for performance and develop policies for data management.

Nerve Center

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Ganglia is probably the most popular monitoring framework and tool, in that HPC, Big Data, and even cloud systems are using it. In this article, we show you how to install and configure Ganglia and get it up and running on a simple two-node system.

Iron Ore

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Google Compute Engine removes the technical and financial headaches of maintaining server, networking, and storage.