Kevin, My understanding is that the servlet container (tomcat) starts a new thread for each servlet instance. All the treads run in the same server process (tomcat). I am not sure of the cluster software will allocate based on Java threads or server processes. It could be a fun project to test out. Now, if I can just find those spare 20 hours when I am not sleeping to fool around with this idea.... Mark Phillips Phillips Marketing, Inc. 602 524-0376 office 480 945-9197 fax mark@phillipsmarketing.biz -----Original Message----- From: plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us [mailto:plug-discuss-admin@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us] On Behalf Of Kevin Brown Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2004 11:13 AM To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us Subject: Re: cluster software > A real clustering newbie question.... > > Would a cluster of several PCs using Pentium processors running > apache/tomcat be equivalent in throughput a single PC with a Pentium III or > IV processor running apache/tomcat as a web server serving JSPs and running > Java code? > > Just curious as I have some old Pentium and Pentium IIs that are ready for > the junk pile. There are two reasons for utilizing clusters. 1) You have a problem that can be broken into smaller chunks and the output when recombined gives you the overall solution. 2) You want to divide the load of an application across multiple systems to help it scale. Type 1 would be what a lot of clusters are being built for in the scientific/research area. Take a large, comlex problem and divide it into smaller, more manageable chunks to get to a solution Type 2 sounds more like what you are describing with Apache/Tomcat. Will you get equivalent performance? This depends on the number of users hitting the system and the way the application is built (e.g. what is it designed to do). If it is a single user/threaded application, most likely, no... If you are getting lots of users hitting the systems or the application can start up multiple threads to deal with a request, maybe. --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss