NEWS BRIEFS
Annapolis, MD. — Scyld Computing Corporation released the Scyld Beowulf Scalable Computing software. The Scyld Beowulf software provides simplified cluster integration and setup, minimal administration, and seamless scalability.
Beowulf-style cluster systems are computers running open-source operating systems that are networked together to form a parallel processing supercomputer. The Scyld Beowulf distribution is the next generation Beowulf operating system. It includes an enhanced Linux kernel, libraries, and utilities specifically designed for clustering. The Scyld Beowulf system provides a stable, standard, supported platform for the deployment of advanced clustering applications.
Scyld Beowulf enhances the Linux kernel with features that allow users to start, observe, and control processes on cluster nodes from the cluster’s front-end computer while supporting standard Linux interfaces and tools. The result is that the cluster appears to be more like a single multiprocessor computer to a user or developer. This reduces the cost of cluster application development, testing, training, and administration.
The Scyld Beowulf software controls cluster nodes from the cluster’s front-end computer. Cluster installation is as easy as loading an operating system onto a single PC.
The software is scalable supporting clusters from 2 to over 500 computers. Scyld Beowulf can be configured with redundant front-end computers to ensure uninterrupted operation.
Donald Becker, CTO and founder of Scyld conceived and demonstrated Beowulf in 1994 while working as a scientist at NASA. Since then, Beowulf style clustering has gained world-wide acceptance and popularity.
Bob Young, Red Hat founder and chairman commended Becker’s continued development of Beowulf to its next generation. “Scyld has advanced this technology to where it is recognized as the best way to solve computationally intensive applications.”
Interest in clustering technology has been steadily increasing as the market demands systems with more computational power and the ability to process large volumes of data quickly. Typical applications are web application and calculation servers, data mining, image processing systems, and complex modeling and simulation systems.
“Our mission at Scyld is to create software that will bring high-performance computing to the marketplace”, said Becker. “This release significantly advances Beowulf-style clustering and will stimulate deployment of turn-key commercial applications”.
Scyld Computing Scyld Computing Corporation develops and supports software for high-performance computing. Donald Becker, CTO, and Scyld developers are well known in the Linux community for their extensive contributions to the Linux kernel. Scyld is based in Annapolis, Maryland. Further information may be obtained at http://www.scyld.com .
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