Conclusion (Summary)

Cluster computing is an emerging answer to several technological dilemmas. The competitive
nature of the business world has established a need for scalable, flexible, and reliable computing
systems. Advanced applications are now requiring computing power not available in a standalone
PC. Due to the rapid influx of new PCs on the market and ever increasing obsolescence
rates businesses are left with excess equipment gathering dust or filling landfills. Cluster computing
adds value to businesses while helping alleviate these problems. The future of high performance
computing will be found in cluster computing as a substitute for traditional supercomputers,
and at a reasonable cost. As the future draws near, preparing students becomes an important issue
in an ever-changing environment. Today’s students will face cluster-computing applications tomorrow;
they need to be prepared for their careers after graduation. Cluster computing has already
begun appearing as a part of university curriculums in the areas of computer science and
engineering. The challenge remains, to introduce cluster computing into MIS programs in business
schools. Business technology students need to be prepared with hands-on experience when
they enter the job market. Cluster computing is a great opportunity to provide students with a
unique learning experience.
As an experimental design, the authors developed a cluster-computing project at their institution,
to expose business students to the process of building and operating a cluster computer for use in
supercomputing applications. The project helped students to learn the technologies of distributed
networking, securing networked environments and designing an application for distributed computing.
A cluster is a resource for teaching various IS concepts through hands-on experience, application
development and research, but it is a resource not limited to the computer science department
or business school students. Anyone who needs serious computing power to conduct
research or solve complex problems can use the services of a cluster. This would include, but not
be limited to: chemists, physicists, biomedical scientists, architects, and engineers.