IBM Expands HPC Clusters

ARMONK, N.Y. -- IBM (NYSE:IBM - News) announced today the availability of Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 for the IBM System Cluster 1350, to help enable more mid-market and enterprise clients -- including those in life sciences, computer-aided engineering (CAE) and financial services -- to take advantage of high-performance cluster computing. IBM also announced today expanded server, storage and networking options for the cluster solution, to help provide unprecedented levels of speed, choice and flexibility for high performance computing environments.

"IBM has successfully enabled clients to leverage clusters for high-end supercomputing work for over six years," said Wendy McGee, director, IBM Cluster Solutions. "Today by combining leading IBM systems and storage along with the familiar computing interface from Microsoft and new networking offerings from Cisco, IBM has extended high performance computing capabilities to a broader client base."

Microsoft Research is using the IBM System Cluster 1350 to aid in HIV vaccine research. To run simulations of how the HIV virus mutates in response to attacks by the immune system, Microsoft researchers required a system that could manage massive amounts of computation with a technology interface that was easy to use. Using Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 (CCS) on the IBM cluster has enabled researchers to achieve at least 100 CPU years of results in less than two years, and run simulations 50 percent faster than before.

"Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 running on the IBM System Cluster 1350 has allowed us to dramatically increase the speed at which we process calculations critical to HIV vaccine research," said David Heckerman, lead researcher of Microsoft Research's Machine Learning and Applied Statistics Group. "We have been able to provide relevant solutions for our client base and leverage the same leading technology solutions for our own efforts to advance AIDS Research."

IBM Corp.