CLOUD

Microsoft announced Monday that it would create a new Windows version aimed at supercomputing, an area that rival Linux has dominated lately. Dubbed Windows Server HPC (High Performance Computing), the new Windows version will be designed by a new High Performance Computing Team at Microsoft headed by Kyril Faenov, and may be accompanied by an HPC version of SQL Server. "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 program manager responsible for setting up the team's academic partnerships. Microsoft is not new to supercomputing, 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 Center, Microsoft's premier high-performance computing partner. • Microsoft could create a specialized version of its widely praised programming tools, said Phil Papadopoulos, director of the grids and clusters program at the San Diego Supercomputing Center. "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 Cornell Theory Center's Lifka believes that an early software development kit for the HPC Edition could arrive as soon as this fall. The center is helping Microsoft develop and test the new software.