Two meters tall. 150 kilograms. More than two years of work. Several headaches. An enormous amount of cables. This is the formula that gave rise to the second version of The Beast, a cluster based on 144 Raspberry Pi 3 that serves as a demonstration unit. The work is finished, but its creators have already started designing The Beast v3, which will have several optimizations and greater modularity.
The idea of creating a cluster with several Raspberry Pi boards is not exactly new. Last August we shared information to get started in that territory with seven or eight units, and if we go further back, we will find the first examples of supercomputers made from this affordable hardware. Cost is one of the main factors behind the enormous popularity of the mini computer, but versatility follows closely. Once Linux enthusiasts got their claws in, they began doing things that the original designers probably never imagined. That's how we come across projects of the caliber of The Beast, a fabulous cluster equipped with 144 Raspberry Pi 3.
The cluster is almost two meters tall, weighs 150 kilograms, and is already in the hands of the client who financed its construction (delivery was made last August). The plan is for it to serve as a testing and general demonstration platform, and although it is truly impressive, its creators were not entirely satisfied. This second version of The Beast (the first used 120 Raspberry Pi in 2014) ended up being very difficult to disassemble, transport, and rebuild, but they also speak of a “lack of elegance” in relation to the first model.
The next edition of The Beast will seek to improve density, reduce the distance between main components, and optimize its modular profile for simpler transport and maintenance. That may complicate the network configuration, however, it is a compromise they are willing to accept. And anyone who wonders “why a Raspberry Pi cluster,” the answer is always the same: “Because we can.”
