[MPICH] ring between windows and linux

[Jarosław Bułat]

Hello!

I would like to test communication between windows and linux box via
MPICH2. The scenario will be as follow: windows - visualization, linux
(possible many boxes) - computing. 

For testing purpose I've made two simple processes which pings each
other in the loop. These two processes work fine when they are both
started on the same machine - either linux or windows. They work fine
too when they are started on different machines with linux system
(gentoo on one side, and suse novel on the second size and ethernet
between). In that scenario I manually start mpd on both system in such a
way they form a ring. 

I can't, however, find a way to make a ring between two computers with
windows and linux OSs. I cannot even start a ring. Could you tell me is
it possible and how to do that?

I've read all MPICH docs and grep all Internet ;-) and cannot find any
useful information about linking windows and linux via MPICH2.

My setup is as follow: windows and linux computer are the same boxes
which I've used for successful linux-linux communication (same setup,
same network, only different OS on one node). Linux is 64bit type,
Windows XP is 32bit, both have x86 processors. Is is any problem with
communication between 32bit and 64bit OS?

On Windows (MPICH installed from binaries) side I have smpd process
manager, on linux (MPICH compiled from sources - standard gentoo
package) side there is no smpd, only mpd. Is it possible to combine smpd
and mpd or should I recompile MPICH2 in such a way I obtain smpd process
manager under linux (I know from docs, it isn't mpd under windows). 

I've use MPICH2-1.0.6p1 version on both nodes. There is no firewalls or
any other filters/routers in ethernet between nodes (only one switch). 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and help, and please... don't tell
mi it's not possible ;-)


Jarek Bulat.