INDUSTRY

ClusterVision, specialist in Linux supercomputer clusters, has entered into a far-reaching partnership with PCC UvA BV to boost its Grid Computing software and services business. PCC UvA (Power Computing & Communications University of Amsterdam) is a technology transfer company of the University of Amsterdam specialising in High Performance Computing (HPC) and Grid Computing. As part of the partnership, PCC UvA has obtained a 15% share in ClusterVision in return for a substantial investment in the form of cash, manpower, software and technology. Grid Computing is a relatively new technology which allows geographically distributed IT resources to be shared in a transparent way. Grid Computing technology allows large amounts of compute power, storage capacity, network bandwidth, but also scientific instruments to be combined to achieve optimal utilisation and manageability of the available resources. ClusterVision's Grid Computing division "GridVision" focusses on three main activities: 1) Grid-Enabled Clusters -- compute and storage clusters for high performance computing which are ready to be deployed in an existing Grid infrastructure; 2) Grid Computing Consultancy -- consultancy for organisations that would like to benefit from Grid technology, but need outside help to select and implement the right technology and software; 3) Virtual Laboratory -- a specific set of research tools based on Grid and Web technology which allow experiments to be designed, controlled and conducted over the internet. Virtual Laboratories are particularly useful for research communities with members in different locations who work on the same data-intensive experiments and share supercomputing or data storage resources, but also scientific instruments such as microscopes, telescopes, MRI scanners, etc. ClusterVision and PCC UvA will work together in developing the Virtual Laboratory software into a full commercial product ready for deployment at industrial customers. Grid Computing experts from PCC UvA will also be involved in ClusterVision's Grid projects where new Grids of clusters are implemented or where clusters are integrated with existing Grids. PCC UvA has a long-standing reputation in the fields of HPC and Grid Computing. PCC UvA's scientific head and professor at the University of Amsterdam, professor Bob Herzberger, is well-known in the Dutch HPC community for his research and software development in these fields, but also for the HPCN conferences which he initiated in the early nineties. "We have been looking for a while for a suitable commercial partner with the right product portfolio, the right people and the right target customers to benefit from our knowledge and technology and work with us to develop our software into a full commercial product", said professor Bob Hertzberger. Dr ir Matthijs van Leeuwen, ClusterVision's sales director, said: "The partnership with PCC UvA gives our Grid Computing business a tremendous technology advantage in this quickly growing market. PCC UvA's Virtual Laboratory technology is a very promising research tool which could be of great benefit to many of our customers. Furthermore, this partnership gives us direct access to some of the most experienced Grid Computing experts in Europe."