Project Title: Raspberry Pi Cluster v2

Project Overview

Raspberry Pi Cluster v2 is a compact, portable rebuild of v1 with a similar software environment but a much smaller physical footprint. The goal was to keep the familiar SLURM + MPI workflow while making the cluster easier to carry and faster to set up. A live status page tracks node availability and health for quick checks while on the go.

• Cluster Status Monitor: Cluster Status

Objectives

• Portability: Shrink the overall size and power requirements while keeping core capabilities from v1.
• Environment Parity: Maintain a similar SLURM + OpenMPI stack to reuse scripts and workflows.
• Visibility: Provide a lightweight monitoring page for quick status checks and diagnostics.

Hardware Components

• Master Node: 1 x Raspberry Pi (control node for scheduling and monitoring)

• Compute Nodes: Raspberry Pi Zero 2 units for low-power, compact compute

• Cluster Interface: Cluster HAT for rapid deployment and reliable multi-node connections

• Thanks to Cluster HAT: Cluster HAT

Software Configuration

• Operating System: Lightweight Linux distribution optimized for low resource usage
• SLURM: Scheduling and job control across compute nodes
• OpenMPI: Parallel execution for MPI jobs
• Monitoring: A minimal web dashboard for node status and quick health checks

Implementation Details

1. Compact Assembly: Designed a smaller enclosure for easy transport and quick setup.
2. Environment Replication: Matched the v1 software stack for compatibility with existing scripts and workflows.
3. Cluster HAT Integration: Leveraged Cluster HAT to simplify wiring and reduce setup time.
4. Status Monitoring: Built and hosted a lightweight cluster status page for node health tracking.

Challenges and Resolutions

• Tighter Resource Constraints: Raspberry Pi Zero 2 nodes required careful tuning of MPI job sizes and concurrency.
• Memory and CPU Limits: Adjusted scheduling defaults, job limits, and MPI settings to avoid oversubscription.
• Portability vs. Performance: Balanced size reduction with enough compute power for meaningful parallel workloads.

Outcomes

• Portable Cluster: A compact, carry-ready cluster with a familiar v1 workflow.
• Improved Mobility: Faster setup and teardown without losing core capabilities.
• Operational Visibility: Live monitoring for quick validation and troubleshooting.
• Portfolio Deployment: Currently responsible for building and deploying my personal portfolio website every time I update it.

Future Plans

• Power Profiling: Measure and optimize power draw for longer off-grid runs.
• Job Templates: Create MPI job presets for the Zero 2 resource profile.
• Thermal Improvements: Add passive cooling options to maintain stable performance.

This project focuses on portability and practical usability while preserving the distributed computing workflow from v1.