Recognizing the demand for more widespread adoption of highperformance computing (HPC), PlatformComputing released an upgrade to its Platform HPC management tool designedto make it easier for technical users to harness the power and scalability ofHPC clusters.

The upgrade, based on Platform's leading workload schedulerproduct, Platform LSF, has been redesigned with a new Web interface thatsimplifies the provisioning, workload management, reporting and monitoringassociated with managing and deploying HPC clusters. Platform HPC'snew interface also makes the application integration process easier, allowingusers to focus on their workloads and tasks as opposed to the technical work ofmanaging their cluster environment.

With the adoption of grid computing and cloud computing onthe rise, there will be increasing demand for HPC management software to helpcompanies efficiently exploit the new computing capacity, according to EarlJoseph, program vice president for HPC at InternationalData Corp. Joseph said the market for HPC application software andmiddleware exceeded $2.3 billion in 2009 and he expects it to approach $3billion in 2013.

According to Ken Hertzler, Platform Computing's vicepresident of product management, the new release solves two big problemssurrounding HPC use-expanding the use of HPC technology to small and mid-sizecompanies and streamlining the process of submitting application workloads tothe cluster. "Users in small and medium-sized companies and departments tend tobe experts in their applications, not in setting up a cluster," Hertzlerexplains. "This is all about how we can make it easier for them to get clustersset up ... along with application integration, which is a big focus in thisrelease."

More than just a software stack, Platform HPCis a fully integrated, certified and supported platform sold through Channelpartners and aimed at vertical industries such asmanufacturing, oil and gas, energy, government, life sciences and research. Inaddition to the newly-enhanced Web-based user interface, the upgrade offersfeatures for improved application support, including job submission templatesfor commonly-used commercial applications such as CAE tools along withscripting guidelines for simplified job submission. There is also new supportfor GPU job scheduling and expanded GPU monitoring. Platform HPC is also theonly HPC management product with a single installer, ensuring simplifiedcluster configuration and application integration, Hertzler says.

"This release unifies the interface acrosscomponents-this is no longer a bundle of products," he adds. "This is allpre-integrated and certified as a single product, delivering an end-to-endmanagement framework for running and managing HPC clusters."