Cluster Computing – Benchmarking Local Storage

Given a cluster computing rig of twenty-eight processors, each can have either a USB 2.0 or microSD local flash storage. Which type of flash and maker is the fastest? Make the wrong choice and the cluster is painfully slow. Not all microSD cards or USB drives are made the same, and interestingly random read and write speeds vary wildly. Here I test several storage configurations with striking benchmark results.


Experience with Inexpensive MicroSD Cards

For the cluster computing project I’m working on, I need 28 microSD cards. There was an AliExpress sale with good reviews, so I ordered a batch of 30 microSD cards, and at a great price point at the time. As long as the cards are Class 10 and work then we should be good, right? Results: Half are fake or defective. The rest are painfully slow. No refunds.


Automated Web Testing with PHP and Selenium

Things break. Just the other day through a series of seemingly unrelated events, a new Microsoft x509 certificate made its way into a security handshake process which went unnoticed until current single sign-on sessions began to expire. Had we also had automated security testing, we would have caught this one-off. I’ll explain how I set […]