Platform Computing and Microsoft Enable Hybrid Compute Environments

TORONTO, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Platform Computing, the leader in cluster, grid and cloud management software, today announced a partnership and joint technology solution with Microsoft for organizations to take advantage of high performance computing (HPC) clusters independent of a cluster's operating system (OS). The combination of Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster and Microsoft Windows HPC Server 2008 provides HPC users an efficient and flexible infrastructure management solution that maximizes resources while lowering costs associated with running cluster environments across both Windows and Linux. Customers benefit from a streamlined, hybrid cluster management solution with improved performance and capacity.

Previously, enterprises had to deploy multiple HPC server clusters--one for each operating system--to allow users to run different applications, resulting in cluster silos and underutilized capacity. Financial constraints further restricted some organizations from building multiple clusters to accommodate different OS environments, thereby limiting existing cluster capacity and impeding optimal resource use. With the new Platform-Microsoft solution, enterprises no longer need to deploy separate HPC clusters to accommodate different operating systems, making it easier and more cost effective to deploy and use hybrid Windows and Linux clusters.

"HPC administrators are facing new challenges as they attempt to run an increasing number of demanding jobs on multiple operating systems while minimizing the dollars spent on new hardware," said Ryan Waite, Group Program Manager for HPC, Microsoft. "Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster combined with Windows HPC Server 2008 addresses these issues by enabling different operating systems to coexist on the same cluster and letting the cluster scheduler automatically decide when each environment should be run. Installing a hybrid OS cluster will ensure that application needs are met today and in the future."

Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster is a new product offering in the Platform ISF family that dynamically changes operating systems and personalities of compute nodes managed by Platform LSF and Platform Symphony, on demand. By running Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster on top of Windows HPC Server 2008 and Linux, organizations reap the following benefits:

• Increased capacity for HPC applications - Windows/Linux hybrid clusters increase effective application performance by allowing applications to access the capacity of the entire cluster.
• Efficient use of HPC resources - HPC resource usage is optimized by eliminating the need to designate specific nodes for each OS. This enables more work to be done faster, while leveraging existing IT investments. These adaptive capabilities reduce administration and associated costs by dynamically allocating resources to adapt to a changing HPC infrastructure.
• Unified interface for Windows and Linux - administrators are provided a unified interface for job submission and job management, which shortens learning curves and increases productivity.
• Improved robustness and reliability - jobs submitted through Platform LSF to a Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster are persisted in case of system failure. Upon restart, the previous status is restored, and the compute nodes continue with the unfinished work. Platform LSF retrieves job status from Windows HPC Server 2008 and continues monitoring those jobs until they are completed.
• Expanded access to infrastructure resources - the sum of all the hardware platforms, operating systems, and interconnects between Platform LSF, Platform ISF Adaptive cluster, and Windows HPC Server 2008 results in an expanded portfolio, allowing organizations to completely leverage existing hardware resources and reduces the need for system upgrades.
• Higher scalability and flexibility - the solution results in greater scalability, computing power and job scheduling flexibility for combined Linux and Windows HPC Server 2008 systems.
  

"Working together with Microsoft, we are empowering more organizations to leverage HPC cluster technologies to advance their own products and service offerings," said Tripp Purvis, Vice President, Business Development, Platform Computing. "Our joint hybrid cluster management solution provides a seamless and agile way for organizations to maximize their compute resources and IT budgets while giving application developers and customers the best operating system for their particular application."

Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster is available immediately and can be purchased directly from Platform or a Platform reseller. For additional information on Platform ISF Adaptive Cluster and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 please visit http://www.platform.com/partners/isf-adaptive-cluster.

About Platform Computing

Platform Computing is the leader in cluster, grid and cloud management software - serving more than 2,000 of the world's most demanding organizations. For 17 years, our workload and resource management solutions have delivered IT responsiveness and lower costs for enterprise and HPC applications. Platform has strategic relationships with Cray, Dell, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Red Hat, and SAS. Visit www.platform.com.