ACADEMIA

Cluster Resources announced that Alexa Internet, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, has implemented the Moab Utility/Hosting Suite for its Alexa Web Search Platform. This platform opens a new chapter in the next generation of the Internet where complete utility computing services can be offered and delivered over the Web. In Alexa’s case, the result is a service that allows users to create their own search engines for a fraction of the price of alternatives, using hosted resources that are now more readily available thanks to their underlying use of Moab www.clusterresources.com/utilitycomputing technology. The same technology has a far reaching effect for utility computing, as it lets customers lease out unused hardware, automate creation of virtual clusters, loan access to testing systems and build grids that grow and shrink based on capacity needs. Accessing Alexa's Web Search Treasure Trove When users access the Alexa Web Search Platform, they are essentially receiving a customized, dynamically-generated 'mini-supercomputer' that taps into Alexa's extensive data store. This includes the data, analysis tools, storage facilities, high speed network and powerful compute resources required. Alexa's solution provides a full end-to-end environment that empowers the user to immediately and fully process the available data to provide their own Web services. This new on-demand solution handles logistics, scheduling, and the automation of management, simplifying the process for customers and Alexa administrators alike. It makes the customized mini-supercomputer possible because it allows users to describe their data needs with the click of a button. then directs the gathering of the appropriate data set, creates a personalized environment for each customer (including unique security and configuration settings) and launches the search development software using the specified data set’s. This breakthrough technology makes providing hosted resources to the average consumer easier than ever. When a customer reserves Alexa’s resources, automatically creates the HPC environment the user requested for the period of their reservation by provisioning the requested resources and applying the needed auto configuration, security and application/interface access. The set up process can take seconds to minutes and multiple environments can be created at once. This same process of creating a unique environment could take administrators many hours to days to do manually. The instantaneous set up of resources makes it easy for anyone to create their own Web search quickly and efficiently. It relieves pains of utility computing, including security issues and billing logistics. It also protects Alexa’s HPC resources by creating a virtual private cluster that initiates through event-driven triggers, the necessary security and configuration settings for each user. Users can only obtain information from the section of the cluster they are using. The rest of Alexa’s HPC resources are kept available and private for other users. also tracks HPC utilization and storage metrics and aggregates this information for billing purposes. Enabling Utility Computing The implications of the new technology Alexa is using reach far beyond the search engine industry. gives HPC organizations the ability to rent out their resources, or applications and services running on the resources, with little or no change to current user environments or service levels. With advanced ease-of-use, organizations can set up utility computing with very little maintenance work. For example, is currently used by academic organizations to meet university needs and to rent their resources to a local weather station on weekends. Hardware vendors are also using to let partners test their software on specific hardware architectures for compatibility testing and benchmarking purposes, etc. Organizations can use to create a business or operational model of leasing out unused HPC resources, providing access to applications or services on those resources for profit, or simply offsetting or sharing the cost of hardware maintenance and administration. As Moab Utility/Hosting Suite becomes more widely used, utility computing will be more commonly accessible to end users. In the way Alexa reduces the cost of starting a new search engine, other HPC organizations can lower the cost of using HPC resources for scientific research, business and other areas. “Moab Utility/Hosting Suite provides organizations with security, usability and a dynamic utility computing environment,” said David Jackson, Chief Technology Officer of Cluster Resources. “This software will open the door to utility computing for any HPC organization that wants to share resources efficiently.”