Requirements and Ports for MATLAB Parallel Server

This section discusses the requirements and port configuration for your network to support parallel computing.

Port Configuration

Before you can use MATLAB^® Parallel Server™, you must configure certain required ports. For details, see Required Ports. If you need more help during configuration, see this information from MathWorks^® Support Team on MATLAB Answers: MATLAB Job Scheduler, or Third-Party Scheduler.

Fully Qualified Domain Names

MATLAB Parallel Server software and Parallel Computing Toolbox™ software support both short host names and fully qualified domain names. The default usage is short host names. Check the following considerations depending on your scheduler type:

Scheduler	Consideration
MATLAB Job Scheduler	If your network requires fully qualified host names, you can use the `mjs_def` file to identify the worker nodes by their full names. See Customize Startup Parameters. To set the host name used for a MATLAB client session, see the `pctconfig` (Parallel Computing Toolbox) reference page.
Third-Party scheduler	To set the host name used for a MATLAB client session, see the `pctconfig` (Parallel Computing Toolbox) reference page.

Security Considerations

Check the following table for security considerations when using MATLAB Parallel Server:

Scheduler Security Consideration

MATLAB Job Scheduler

Scheduler	Security Consideration
MATLAB Job Scheduler	MATLAB workers run as whatever user the administrator starts the node’s mjs service under. By default, the mjs service starts as `root` on UNIX^® operating systems, and as `LocalSystem` on Microsoft^® Windows^® operating systems. Because MATLAB provides system calls, users can submit jobs that execute shell commands. If you want to run tasks as the user that submitted the job, use security level 3. For more information, see Set Security Level. By default, the mjs service does not enforce any access control or authentication. Anyone with local or remote access to the mjs services can start and stop their workers and job managers, and query for their status. For authentication and access control options, see Set MATLAB Job Scheduler Cluster Security. The job manager does not restrict access to the cluster, nor to job and task data. For information on security options, see Set MATLAB Job Scheduler Cluster Security. Using a third-party scheduler instead of the MathWorks job manager could allow you to take advantage of the security measures it provides. The parallel computing processes must all be on the same side of a firewall, or you must take measures to enable them to communicate with each other through the firewall. Workers running tasks of the same communicating job cannot be firewalled off from each other, because their MPI-based communication will not work. If certain ports are restricted, you can specify the ports used for parallel computing. See Modify Script Defaults. If your organization is a member of the Internet Multicast Backbone (MBone), make sure that your parallel computing cluster is isolated from MBone access if you are using multicast for parallel computing. Isolation is generally the default condition. If you have any questions about MBone membership, contact your network administrator.
Third-Party scheduler	The parallel computing processes must all be on the same side of a firewall, or you must take measures to enable them to communicate with each other through the firewall. Workers running tasks of the same communicating job cannot be firewalled off from each other, because their MPI-based communication will not work. If users will schedule communicating jobs on the cluster, each cluster host participating in communicating jobs requires unchallenged SSH. For example, to enable unchallenged SSH the cluster admin can set up host based authentication/host based authorization for approved cluster users.

MATLAB workers run as whatever user the administrator starts the node’s mjs service under. By default, the mjs service starts as root on UNIX^® operating systems, and as LocalSystem on Microsoft^® Windows^® operating systems. Because MATLAB provides system calls, users can submit jobs that execute shell commands. If you want to run tasks as the user that submitted the job, use security level 3. For more information, see Set Security Level.
By default, the mjs service does not enforce any access control or authentication. Anyone with local or remote access to the mjs services can start and stop their workers and job managers, and query for their status. For authentication and access control options, see Set MATLAB Job Scheduler Cluster Security.
The job manager does not restrict access to the cluster, nor to job and task data. For information on security options, see Set MATLAB Job Scheduler Cluster Security. Using a third-party scheduler instead of the MathWorks job manager could allow you to take advantage of the security measures it provides.
The parallel computing processes must all be on the same side of a firewall, or you must take measures to enable them to communicate with each other through the firewall. Workers running tasks of the same communicating job cannot be firewalled off from each other, because their MPI-based communication will not work.
If certain ports are restricted, you can specify the ports used for parallel computing. See Modify Script Defaults.
If your organization is a member of the Internet Multicast Backbone (MBone), make sure that your parallel computing cluster is isolated from MBone access if you are using multicast for parallel computing. Isolation is generally the default condition. If you have any questions about MBone membership, contact your network administrator.

Third-Party scheduler

The parallel computing processes must all be on the same side of a firewall, or you must take measures to enable them to communicate with each other through the firewall. Workers running tasks of the same communicating job cannot be firewalled off from each other, because their MPI-based communication will not work.
If users will schedule communicating jobs on the cluster, each cluster host participating in communicating jobs requires unchallenged SSH. For example, to enable unchallenged SSH the cluster admin can set up host based authentication/host based authorization for approved cluster users.