How to Mount a Remote GPU Locally on Rocky Linux Easily

To mount a remote GPU on a Rocky Linux system, you can use technologies like NVIDIA’s CUDA Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) or GPU virtualization solutions like NVIDIA’s Virtual GPU (vGPU) or Docker with GPU support. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up a remote GPU access on your Rocky Linux system.

Prerequisites:

1. Rocky Linux System: Ensure your local machine runs Rocky Linux.
2. Remote Server with GPU: A remote server with an NVIDIA GPU and necessary software installed.
3. Network Configuration: Both systems should be on the same network or accessible via the internet.
4. CUDA and NVIDIA Drivers: Properly installed on both the local and remote machines.
5. SSH Access: Ensure you can SSH into the remote server from your Rocky Linux system.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Set Up the Remote Server:

• Install NVIDIA Drivers and CUDA:
  Ensure the NVIDIA drivers and CUDA toolkit are installed on the remote server. sudo dnf install -y nvidia-driver nvidia-dkms cuda Verify the installation: nvidia-smi
• Install NVIDIA Container Toolkit (if you plan to use Docker): sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://nvidia.github.io/libnvidia-container/rocky8/libnvidia-container.repo sudo dnf install -y nvidia-container-toolkit
• Configure Remote GPU Access:
  Depending on your use case, configure the server for RDMA or set up a Docker environment with GPU sharing enabled.

2. Set Up the Local Machine (Rocky Linux):

• Install NVIDIA Drivers and CUDA:
  Install the necessary drivers and CUDA toolkit on the local machine. sudo dnf install -y nvidia-driver nvidia-dkms cuda Verify the installation: nvidia-smi
• Install NVIDIA Container Toolkit (if using Docker): sudo dnf install -y nvidia-container-toolkit
• Install SSHFS (for mounting directories):
  bash sudo dnf install -y sshfs

3. Configure SSH Access:

• Ensure passwordless SSH access to the remote server by copying your SSH key.
  bash ssh-keygen -t rsa ssh-copy-id user@remote_server

4. Mount Remote Directory:

Use SSHFS to mount a directory from the remote server where GPU data or applications reside.

   mkdir -p ~/remote_gpu_mount
   sshfs user@remote_server:/path/to/remote_directory ~/remote_gpu_mount

5. Set Up NVIDIA Virtual GPU (vGPU) or RDMA:

• For NVIDIA vGPU:
  Follow NVIDIA’s vGPU documentation to configure the remote server and local machine for virtual GPU access.
  • Set up vGPU software on the remote server.
  • Configure vGPU on the local machine as per the official guide.
• For CUDA RDMA:
  • Enable RDMA on the remote server.
  • Install Mellanox OFED or compatible software for RDMA.
  • Configure local and remote machines to use RDMA.

6. Test the Remote GPU Access:

• Connect to the remote server using SSH or any configured remote access tool.
• Run a simple CUDA program or use nvidia-smi to verify GPU access. ssh -X user@remote_server nvidia-smi
• For Docker, ensure the remote container can access the GPU.
  bash docker run --gpus all nvidia/cuda:11.0-base nvidia-smi

Notes:

• This guide assumes basic familiarity with Linux and system administration.
• Adjust configurations as needed based on specific network setups or software versions.
• For high-performance needs, consider dedicated software solutions like NVIDIA GPUDirect RDMA or similar.

By following these steps, you should be able to mount and use a remote GPU on your Rocky Linux system effectively.

Conclusion

Mounting a remote GPU locally on Rocky Linux requires configurations such as a remote server, SSH, and GPU drivers. You can utilize technologies like NVIDIA’s Virtual GPU or Docker with GPU support to mount the best GPU dedicated server on the Rocky Linux system. This guide will assist you in setting up these configurations effortlessly. By following the provided steps, you can effectively utilize the power of the remote GPU on Rocky Linux.