Node Identification

Bright Cluster Manager® is able to use the capabilities of managed Ethernet switches to detect which regular node is connected to which switch port. It uses SNMPSimple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is used in network management systems to monitor network-attached devices for conditions that warrant administrative attention. to query the Ethernet switch in order to match MACMedia Access Control address (MAC address) is a unique identifier assigned to most network adapters or network interface cards (NICs) by the manufacturer for identification, and used in the Media Access Control protocol sublayer. addresses to port numbers.

This approach has several advantages:

1. When you install a cluster, all you need to do is decide which switch port each node will be connected to. Once you have provided this information to the head node, you can switch on all other nodes in arbitrary order and the head node will ensure that every node gets the correct hostname and software image. This is a huge time saver, especially when installing many and/or large clusters.
2. There is no need to inform the head node of MAC addresses because these can be automatically retrieved from the other nodes and matched to node names. Collecting MAC addresses can be cumbersome and error-prone, especially when done manually.
3. When a regular node needs to be replaced (for example when it is faulty) Bright Cluster Manager automatically detects that a new MAC address is used on the Ethernet switch port that was associated with that node name. The management interface will then ask the administrator what to do with the new node, such as stress-test or install it.