Before starting, you will need the following:
- A MATLAB® Parallel Server™ license. For more information on how to configure your license for cloud use, see Configure MATLAB Parallel Server Licensing for Cloud Platforms. You can use either of:
- A MATLAB Parallel Server license configured to use online licensing for MATLAB.
- A network license manager for MATLAB hosting sufficient MATLAB Parallel Server licenses for your cluster. MathWorks® provides a reference architecture to deploy a suitable Network License Manager for MATLAB on Azure or you can use an existing license manager.
- MATLAB® and Parallel Computing Toolbox™ on your desktop.
- An Azure® account.
You are responsible for the cost of the Azure services used when you create cloud resources using this guide. Resource settings, such as instance type, will affect the cost of deployment. For cost estimates, see the pricing pages for each Azure service you will be using. Prices are subject to change.
The following guide will help you automate the process of launching a Parallel Server for MATLAB, running on Windows virtual machines, using your Azure account. The cloud resources are created using Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates. For information about the architecture of this solution, see Learn About Cluster Architecture.
The MATLAB Parallel Server Reference Architecture is released in lockstep with the bi-annual MATLAB releases. Each reference architecture release has its own instructions as we continue to evolve it. Select a release to continue:
| Windows | Linux |
|---|---|
| R2022a | R2022a |
| R2021b | |
| R2021a | |
| R2020b | |
| R2020a | |
| R2019b | |
| R2019a_and_older |
Parallel Computing Toolbox and MATLAB Parallel Server software let you solve computationally and data-intensive programs using MATLAB and Simulink on computer clusters, clouds, and grids. Parallel processing constructs such as parallel-for loops and code blocks, distributed arrays, parallel numerical algorithms, and message-passing functions let you implement task-parallel and data-parallel algorithms at a high level in MATLAB. To learn more see the documentation: Parallel Computing Toolbox and MATLAB Parallel Server.
The MATLAB Job Scheduler is a built-in scheduler that ships with MATLAB Parallel Server. The scheduler coordinates the execution of jobs, and distributes the tasks for evaluation to the server’s individual MATLAB sessions called workers.
Microsoft Azure is a set of cloud services which allow you to build, deploy, and manage applications hosted in Microsoft’s global network of data centres. This document will help you launch a compute cluster using compute, storage, and network services hosted by Azure. For more information about the range of services offered by Microsoft Azure, see Azure Services. Services launched in Azure can be created, managed, and deleted using the Azure Portal UI. For more information about the Azure Portal, see Azure Portal.
The MATLAB Job Scheduler and the resources required by it are created using Azure Resource Manager templates. The architecture of the cluster resources created by the template is illustrated in Figure 2. For more information about each resource, see the Azure template reference.
Figure 2: Cluster Architecture
The following resources are created.
- Virtual Network (Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks) The Virtual Network includes the following components:
- Subnet (Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks/subnets)
- Network Security Group (Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups)
- Each instance deployed to the Virtual Network will create the following:
- Network interface (Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces)
- Public IP Address (Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses)
- Headnode instance (Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines): A Compute instance for the cluster headnode. The MATLAB install is part of the VM image and the job database is stored either locally on the root volume, or optionally, a separate data disk can be used. Communication between clients and the headnode is secured using SSL.
- Database Volume (optional) (Microsoft.Compute/disks): A separate data disk to store the MJS job database. This is optional, and if not chosen the root volume will be used for the job database.
- Custom Script Extension (Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/extensions): An extension which configures this instance at deployment time as the headnode of the cluster.
- Worker Scaling Set (Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachineScaleSets): A scale set for worker instances to be launched into. The scaling features are not currently used. The scale set is configured to attach an extension to each instance which configures the instance at deployment time as a worker node of the cluster. Communication between clients and workers is secured using SSL.
- Storage Account (Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts): A standard geographically redundant storage (GRS) Storage Account which hosts the File Share used to distribute files amongst cluster instances.
- File Share created inside Storage Account. Created by the headnode and mounted by all instances to K: drive.
- Used to distribute the Shared Secret created by headnode to all worker VMs. The Shared Secret is required for worker instances to register and establish a secure connection with the job scheduler.
- Used to distribute the Cluster Profile to clients. The Cluster Profile is required to authenticate that a user has permission to connect to the cluster.
- Files uploaded to this File Share will be available to all workers using the K: drive.
If you require assistance or have a request for additional features or capabilities, please contact MathWorks Technical Support.