INDUSTRY

Event Scheduled for April 29-May 2; Sessions to Cover All Aspects of High-Performance Computing for Linux and Windows, InfiniBand and Ethernet: The OpenFabrics Alliance (OFA) announced today that it will host the Third Annual International Sonoma Workshop from April 29-May 2. This year’s workshop will feature a broad range of content in approximately 50 sessions, with an agenda that includes topics of interest to the Linux and Windows developer communities as well as manufacturers and users of InfiniBand and Ethernet network equipment. “This year’s event will be the most content-rich workshop we’ve ever hosted,” said Jim Ryan, chair, OpenFabrics Alliance. “We’ll have dozens of highly respected professionals sharing their expertise on topics ranging from software development to hardware design, industry-specific use cases to broadly applicable advice for deploying high-performance networks. The expanded agenda reflects the momentum that is building around the Alliance’s work. It’s going to be a great event and we’re expecting a big turnout. Attendance is open to all. Membership in the OpenFabrics Alliance is not required.” Highlights of the event are expected to include case studies of real-world deployments of the OpenFabrics Enterprise Distribution (OFED) software stack and a preview of the next-generation OFED stack, which will include support for iWARP (i.e., high-speed data transport over Ethernet). This year’s event will also cover a wide range of topics related to high-performance computing, such as storage systems, power consumption, server architecture, enterprise software applications and databases, and interoperability. In addition, the agenda will include sessions of interest to professionals in vertical industries that rely on high-performance computing, such as financial services, energy and bioinformatics. Workshop attendees will receive updates on the development, quality assurance and feature set of the upcoming OFED 1.2 software stack; the OFA’s interoperability certification and logo program; collaborative efforts underway with the InfiniBand Trade Association and the Ethernet Alliance; and advances in standards that can help accelerate the adoption of high-performance technologies in data centers and enable higher-speed and longer-distance data transport. Registration Information The workshop is being held at The Lodge at Sonoma, a resort and spa in California’s wine country. Individuals who wish to register for the workshop should visit its Web site. Registration for the event costs $495. This fee does not include hotel accommodations.