March 3, 2005 12:41 PM PST
Windows for supercomputers likely out by fall
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Microsoft confirms supercomputing plans
June 23, 2004 -
Microsoft creating Windows for supercomputers
May 24, 2004
Software Architect Marvin Theimer said on Thursday that the company hopes to have a beta, or test version, by this summer, with the final version of Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition ready by the
The company has not announced final pricing for the operating system, but Theimer said the additional computers, or nodes, of a cluster will be priced at a discount.
"When you buy a cluster, the price per node in the cluster is going to be reduced" compared to regular Windows, Theimer said in a presentation at the
However, Theimer said the cluster version will include some restrictions on how the version can be used to prevent companies from performing standard Web hosting or other functions.
CNET News.com
The first version will reproduce many basic features of Linux clusters, Theimer said.
For example, it will include support for the
Theimer also outlined Microsoft's goals for two follow-up versions. The next version of the Compute Cluster edition will extend to Microsoft's .Net programming infrastructure, letting developers write software using the C# programming language, he said. Although such code runs more slowly than C programs running directly on Windows, writing programs in C# that run atop .Net is easier and more secure.
Often, Theimer said, it's more important to have a program as soon as possible than to have it running at peak performance, he said.
"Anything that improves my development time is worth the trouble," he said.
That version also will be able to manage "cycle harvesting" jobs that put otherwise-idle PCs to productive use, he said. Cycle harvesting--best exemplified by the
A third version will include developer improvements to ease programming on clusters. It also will include high-level management tools and will help customers integrate their high-performance computing equipment with the rest of their infrastructure, he said.
Theimer said this market became interesting to Microsoft as the use of clusters moved beyond government and academic settings into businesses. Car companies and drug companies are among the early users of such clusters, he said, noting that Microsoft has a cluster internally that its treasury uses to evaluate the company's vast investment portfolio.
The other factor that makes the market compelling is the availability of off-the-shelf software for various industries to do such computing work. In the past, companies had to write their own custom applications.
Even Microsoft's Excel can benefit, he said, noting that some businesses have worksheets that can take hours to calculate. Today, such work requires third-party add-ons such as
See more CNET content tagged:
cluster,
supercomputer,
supercomputing,
C# language,
high-performance
There are so many undocumented, yet known bugs in 2003, it is
inconceivable to consider the idea of creating a super-cluster
with the OS. Must be some sort of experiment.
As for practicality, i can only laugh.
There will be a standard version....A version aimed at .Net development....and a thrid version that plays nicely with the other computers?
Wouldn't it be better just to develop a version of Windows 2003 for clusters. Develop tools for integrating it into the existing infrastructure. Create libraries and api's for visual studio that are specific to programs running in a cluster environment?
It sounds like they're rushing another half completed product out the door just so they can have something to sell. Which isn't surprising considering this comment...
<---quote
Often, Theimer said, it's more important to have a program as soon as possible than to have it running at peak performance, he said.
end quote ---->
That pretty much sums up Microsofts attitude doesn't it?
Everyone who wants their bank or brokerage firm to handle your money running programs like that raise you hand. How about your auto mechanic, anyone out there okay with taking your car in for service and getting it back so it runs...doesn't run the way it should but it runs?
No?
Okay...okay...okay...::waves his hands:: Your home's oil heater is burning oil. So you call the heater repair man. He fixes your heater but tells you okay your heater is now burning less oil. Do you ...
A. Pay his fee and thank him for a partial job well done.
B. Schedual other appointments in the hopes that eventually your heater will work the way it's supposed to.
C. Pitch a fit and expect the job to be done right.
So now if an infected PC with a quite good harware can churn out 10000 infected emails in let's say an hour what do you suppose an 1024 processor cluster could churn out.
And additionally I'm sure many hackers wanted to hack supercomputers, here is their chance.
So now instead of building your own OS based on *NIX to maximise your superserver's performance you doll out some serious cash to Bill to get an unoptimized wreck of an OS that probably needs some good 'ol slowing via antiviruses and such. Two thumbs up. Keep at it Bill.
.. For a real bomb, the computer needs to run Windows
.. At the thermonuclear level, use Windows on a cluster.
I wonder how fast the Blue Screen of Death comes up on a supercomputer.
I wonder if Disney is casting Bill Gates in the coming remake of Tron.
They could have Norton play Tron, Steve Jobs could play Flynn....
NWLB
****
http://www.nwlbnet.blogspot.com
Windows XP "Cluster F***" Edition (to borrow a term from the military)
Why do I say this? Cause it makes my OS X safer since everyone targets Windows. If they stop, then hackers will start to prey on other OSes.
So I say... Keep going MS!!!
what, and works fine on clusters. Xgrid already speeds up
cluster programming. On top of that the Xserve G5 offers one
the best cost/performance ratios out there...why wait to get
some crappy windows beta that'll give you a clustered virus???
build one.
- how `bout cluster for xp?
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by
March 31, 2005 1:26 PM PST
- they should build one! i plan on building clusters for suse linux, mac, xp pro-accessing them via pvn using mosix cluster on the suse.
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- ahh.. this is the right one!
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by
March 31, 2005 1:56 PM PST
- i haven't been in a forum in a while(especially where there's not an edit button next to each reply)!
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