MATLAB: Easily perform large batch jobs on multiple machines (without MATLAB Distributed Computing Server)
The Problem: Too Many Test Runs, Too Little Time
I’ve often run into a problem where I need to test many different parameter settings in an experiment. Typically, I need to test some sets of possible parameters, and I need to run many random repetitions for each parameter set in order to calculate statistical goodness. (You are using statistical significance in all of your experiments, right?)
In my lab, we have access to a decent amount of computing resources. We have 14 dedicated machines with 80 cores spread amongst them. However we do not have a batch job dispatcher, nor do we have a copy of MATLAB’s Distributed Computing Server. So, I have to SSH into each machine, start multiple copies of MATLAB, set up the parameters, run the test, and collate the results.
Until now…
Coordinating MATLAB Workers Across Machines
Here’s how to pull this off. You’ll need a pool of machines with access to a common file system.
The MATLAB Batch Job
The MATLAB batch command allows one to queue a job for execution by a MATLAB parallel worker. It is very useful for running copies of a script in parallel (locally), but it requires a bit of finagling in order to use this to coordinate workers between machines. An important detail about the batch command is that it uses the local scheduler; the local scheduler (by default) stores job information in the .matlab directory in your home directory. If you have a home shared across machines, then this behavior is not what we want. It will cause conflicts among
2 Comments to “MATLAB: Easily perform large batch jobs on multiple machines (without MATLAB Distributed Computing Server)”
Post comment
Like us on facebook!
Recent Posts
- Fujitsu Artificial Market Segmentation (or, how to make a Mac ScanSnap FI-5110EOXM work in Windows 8.1)
- MATLAB: Easily perform large batch jobs on multiple machines (without MATLAB Distributed Computing Server)
- Using PS to output human readable memory usage for each process using AWK
- Building SOAP services on Google App Engine in Java: Part 1 – The Servlet
- Eclipse RCP: Setting P2 repositories (update sites) programmatically (for when p2.inf fails).
Thanks for kind useful information.
I do hope you never quit! This really is the most efcifteve blogs Ive possibly read. You have some insane skill here, man. I simply wish that you simply never lose your style since you might be one on the best blog writers out there. Please continue the good work simply because the web needs you getting the news out.