PVM Sabrina uses the Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM) software to distribute its calculations over several computers. The standard version of Sabrina uses a single computer for all of its calculations.

The PVM version consists of a master executable and slaves that run on different computers. The user interacts with the master program. The master program controls the slave processes running on other computers. The slave processes run in the background. They do not accept user input or display results. The results of their calculations are sent back to the master program for display.

The PVM Sabrina license is for a master executable that may be run on one computer and a slave process that may run on any number of computers of the same type, or architecture. For example, if the PVM Sabrina is purchased for Linux, the master can be run on only 1 Linux computer with slaves running on an ulimited number of Linux computers.

Different types of computers may be used with PVM. For example, a master process running on a Linux computer may have slaves running on Linux, Windows, SGI, etc. computers. For each different type, or architecture, other than that of the master process, a slave for that architecture must be purchased. For example, if one wishes to run the master process on Linux and have slaves running on Linux and Windows computers, one must purchase PVM Sabrina for Linux and an a slave for Windows. The Windows and Linux slave processes can run on an unlimited number of computers.

Although PVM does run under Windows, we have found its functionality under Windows 98 and 95 to be not as robust as under Unix. A user with a Windows 2000 system reports that it runs well on that system. We suggest Windows users considering PVM Sabrina obtain an evaluation copy to test the PVM functionality on their system.

Information about PVM can be found on the PVM web site.
The current implementation in Sabrina is based on PVM version 3.4.2.

Use of PVM on Windows requires a remote shell (rsh) program. We have been using (as of December, 2000) the Ataman shareware package. Another rsh program is available (although the link has not worked lately). We have tried both programs and have had better success with the Ataman program. Other sites may have different results. In our opinion, neither of these packages perform, at present, as well as the Unix rsh.

More about using PVM in Sabrina.