Requirements for opening a matlabpool

Do I need to install extra matlab software when I use 'matlabpool open' in the version of matlab2009b?

Thanks.

Answer 1

[Sean de Wolski]

You have to have the parallel computing toolbox (PCT).

[Dawn]

Is PCT free? I just simply download and install it in my computer.

[Sean de Wolski]

No. It's not free, but depending on your license you may have it.

If you type

>>ver

at the command line, does it show up?

Answer 2

[Arnaud Miege]

It depends: if you are using a local scheduler on your own multicore machine, then no. If you are using a grid of computers, then the MATLAB Distributed Computing Server needs to be installed on the workers.

HTH,

Arnaud

[Arnaud Miege]

Obviously, you need the parallel computing toolbox to use matlabpool.

[Dawn]

Thank you.

My working computer is networked. Is that you mean a grid of computers? Also, can MATLAB Distributed Computing Server be simply downloaded from Matlab web site?

[Arnaud Miege]

No, a grid of computers is a set of machines dedicated for high performance computing, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-performance_computing. Neither the Parallel Computing Toolbox or the MATLAB Distributed Computing Server are free. You should get in touch with MathWorks:

http://www.mathworks.co.uk/company/aboutus/contact_us/contact_sales.html

[Dawn]

My local machine is a multicore machine. Do I need to use 'matlabpool open' before I I run parallel computing?

Please introduce how to handle parallel computing in a local multicore machine. Thanks.

[Sean de Wolski]

Dawn, you probably should've started a new question for this. But anyway, tell it to open local (if that's not the default):

>> matlabpool open local 2

[Dawn]

Hi,

Thank you for your quick response.

I used 'matlabpool open local 2' and replaced 2 by several different digits. Matlab always gave error messages as:

Undefined function or method 'matlabpool' for input arguments of type 'char'.

I do not have 'Parallet Computing Toolbox' installed in my local machine.

Thanks.

[Walter Roberson]

You cannot use matlabpool without Parallel Computing Toolbox.

Answer 3

[Harsha Vardhan Rao Avunoori]

You just need to get the Parallel Computing ToolBox if you want to explore the parallel programming features of MATLAB.