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Supercomputers to run Windows

Tags:
Supercomputer,
Windows,
Developer,
Microsoft

Stephen Shankland and Ina Fried CNET News.com

Published: 25 May 2004 10:55 BST

Microsoft has launched an effort to produce a version of Windows for high-performance computing, a move seen as a direct attack on a Linux stronghold.

High-performance computing once required massive, expensive, exotic machines from companies such as Cray, but the field is being remade by the arrival of clusters of low-end machines. While the trend could be considered an opportunity for Microsoft, which has long been the leading operating-system company, Linux has actually become the favoured software used on these clusters.

Now Microsoft has begun its response, forming its High Performance Computing team and planning a new OS version called Windows Server HPC Edition. Kyril Faenov is director of the effort, and Microsoft is hiring new managers, programmers, testers and others.

The software colossus has its work cut out in the market -- and knows it.

"Winning in this important space against entrenched Linux/open-source software competition requires creativity, innovation, speed of execution, and deep engagements with hardware, software and academic partners," reads a job posting for a programme manager responsible for setting up the team's academic partnerships.

In a recent interview, Bob Muglia, a Microsoft senior vice president who leads the development of Windows Server, said the company is interested in two particular areas: building high-performance computing clusters and harvesting the unused processing power of PCs.

Although Microsoft is a comparative newcomer to the market, the company could bring several advantages:

Machines running Windows HPC Edition could seamlessly connect to desktop computers, providing instant power for someone such as a financial analyst performing calculations on an Excel spreadsheet, said David Lifka, chief technology officer for the Cornell Theory Centre, Microsoft's premier high-performance computing partner.

Microsoft could create a specialised version of its widely praised programming tools, said Phil Papadopoulos, director of the grids and clusters program at the San Diego Supercomputing Centre. "Windows could make that much easier with their integrated development environment. They have the manpower to do that piece of the puzzle."

Microsoft could also adapt its popular SQL Server database software to run on high-performance systems. The company has already said the next major version of SQL Server, code-named Yukon and due next year, will include better support for very large databases and for running on clustered systems.

And Microsoft could build software into its desktop version of Windows to harness the power of PCs, letting companies get more value from their computers. It's a technology that's applicable to tasks such as drug discovery and microchip design.

The business imperative
The high-performance effort doesn't mark the first time Microsoft has tried to head off Linux's progress. With Windows Server 2003, Microsoft released a lower-priced Web server edition, as Linux was growing popular for use on the machines that host Web sites.

"The Windows Server group is really focused on countering Linux," said Rob Helm, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft. "They've identified specific areas where Linux has the most traction."

The HPC Edition is also an example of a Microsoft strategy to increase revenue by creating versions of Windows tailored for specific market segments -- for example, Windows for tablet PCs, digital TV recorders and storage servers.