Distributed Computing For Businesses? 28
Meostro asks: "I've run several distributed computing clients in the past, and it felt nice to contribute to these projects that are saving the world. I recently became the admin of my company's branch datacenter, so my access to computing power has gone from 4 assorted boxes up to 20 servers and around 400 desktops. My ambition has grown by equal bounds, so I want to do some distributed processing on at least a few of these. We do food warehousing and distribution, so there's no protein folding, DSP or weather modelling work that would significantly contribute to our business. I've done some simple work with optimizing routes for our trucks, but our business doesn't seem to present many other problems that require lots of processing. What are some good business-specific tasks you have used distributed or grid computing to work through?"
Date modeling. (Score:1, Funny)
Use your freaking head.... (Score:3, Interesting)
Patience, grasshopper... (Score:3, Insightful)
On the other hand, there may be something that fits your bill. But if you don't see it yet, just wait, get to know the business better, and keep your eye on all requirements documents, purchase requests, and so forth. Listen in on gripe and bluesky sessions. If it's coming, and you're plugged in and paying attention, you'll recognize the opportunity when it arrives.
Re:Hmm (Score:2)
For a desktop box though, how much processing time do you use in a day? I don't know the equivalent for Linux (maybe uptime?), but check task manager if you run Windows.
For my desktop PC, even when I was doing a LOT of Access database wor
Re:Well... (Score:2)
I asked about charitable computing and that was shot down. "They" did say that a project that would contribute directly to the business (read: contribute MONEY) would be allowed, as long as some minor points were addressed.
Re:Well... (Score:2)
Don't go overboard (Score:3, Interesting)
Business specific task (Score:2, Funny)
I put our servers to work to find out what the most optimized route would be for me to take to sneak out of work early.
The only problem was there seemed to be some "quirk" in the software that kept suggesting to walk by the bosses door.
Once I get that fixed, I'll be on easy street.
Rendering cluster (Score:2)
Not free (Score:3, Insightful)
Compute the power costs of what you are proposing.
Knowingly wasting that sort of money is often a firing offense; at the scales you quote, we're easily talking hundreds a month and it may well exceed your personal salary. Not a great way to ensure you have a job tomorrow.
Looking for a job is a good use of all that power. (Score:2, Flamebait)
Enjoy it while it lasts.
Re:Looking for a job is a good use of all that pow (Score:2)
distcc? (Score:3, Informative)
The only time I've used distributed computing for legitimate purposes was using distcc [samba.org] for compiling across multiple machines.
This only works if you're a software shop though ..
Let the user drive the requirements (Score:2)
Sometimes the user doesn't ask to have something solved because they think that it can't be solved, or don't realize it is even possible. Find out by having the IT department ask everyone for their wishlist. Sometimes it is something simple (I want to be able to fax from my desktop apps), and sometimes it is earth shattering (CERN users wanting to share physics experiment data).
Actual suggestions (Score:5, Interesting)
She's said that her first job was trying to optimize the amount of stock in the warehouse at any given point, given that stock (in this case, frozen potatoes, hash browns, etc.) goes bad if stored too long. Yet, if they don't have supply, they miss out on tremoundous money making opportunities.
The problems would seem to be (at least with her work, and you can comment about how applicable this is to your situation):
1. Warehouse supply chain - prediction of needs;
2. Given several warehouses, where to move stock given disparate and sporadic ordering;
3. As you mentioned, routing trucks and how much they carry;
4. tracking unethical short-shipments (where the invoice says they shipped 12 cartons but they only really shipped 11);
5. tracking ethical short-shipments (where you order 12 and only get 11 and are properly invoiced for 11);
6. tracking suppliers on-time percentages, trucker's reliabilities, speeds, and costs;
7. doing predictive modeling of demand cycles given inputs of time of year, price of raw product, going rate (sales price) (and thus profit margin), availability of trucking and rail, etc.
This kind of stuff is why Walmart is huge (no flames on them being evil here, this is just a comment on their technial prowess in supply chain management). If you want to be successful, keep track of everything and run some queries to see what you could do to improve.
Re:Actual suggestions (Score:2)
1. Our Buyers have to track stock versus demand to keep products on the shelf but only at the minimum level possible, otherwise we're storing more than we need and that extra storage costs us extra money.
2. Buyers have to do this also, in relation to #1 and supply-versus-demand across multiple markets.
3. Routing people do this, but they do it manually AFAIK. For this, as for some others on this list, reality becomes a problem.
Logistically, it makes t
More politely (Score:1)
If there isn't a task that depends on massive amounts of computational horsepower, then doing distributed computing is not a goal you should be seeking for your boss.
(I can't count the number of times I have had to stop my manager from bringing in some new product (or vendor of a product) to buy without having a problem that needs this solution).
However, that being said: Don't close your mind to possibilities. Understand your companies business better
Re:More politely (Score:1)
'distributed computing is not a goal you should be seeking for your boss.'
Terminate that thought at 'seeking'
Try These (Score:3, Informative)
2) Optimization of shipping times. If this is done right then you will get either the slowest trucks or the trucks with the greatest loads out the door first.
3) Work out the most efficient use of your loading bay(s). If movement space is limited in your loading yard then this could be a problem.
4) Examine stock levels with reference to as many external factors as you can. If it's always cold in May in your part of the world then you don't want to be stocking up on popsicles. Also, examine stock levels with reference to annual local or international events and festivals.
5) Report generation (the bean-counters always love their reports). If a report takes thirty minutes to generate on your existing system then consider re-optimizing the code for running on a cluster and see if you can get the time down.
Ed Almos
Budapest, Hungary
Re:Try These (Score:2)
2. Not sure if this makes a difference, most locations are load overnight, drop overday, repeat ad infinitum. A faster or slo
You are looking at things the wrong way... (Score:2)
Try looking for your current problems, and then find some solutions to solve those problems.
make a business case for it (Score:2)
You need to make this a business case and get buy in from senior people in the company.
For example, the consequences of the work could get you or the company in big trouble. Constant use of CPU time will perhaps degrade performance of networks and desktop, or reduce the lifetime of computing components (e.g. extra swapping may reduce the life of hard drives on machines you're using), and not only that, cost time (e.g. support problems) and money (e.g. not only power requirements: but offices often don't ha
a new twist on an old saw... (Score:2)