HPC Operating System Directions

This IDC update discusses the 27th meeting of the HPC User Forum, which was held in Norfolk, Virginia, from April 14 to 16, 2008, and included a series of component technology panels on HPC interconnects, storage, and operating systems in addition to the overarching applications theme, which was computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Here, IDC presents the question and answer-driven discussion from the operating system panel.

Industry and user experts from IBM, SGI, Sun, eXludus, Sandia, Microsoft, and Imperial College London responded to a number of questions on important market and technical operating system-related issues the HPC community faces today. These questions were presented in advance to the panelist. Some provided short presentations on associated topics, which will be distributed with the next HPC User Forum CD. The panel was moderated by HPC User Forum committee member Vincent Scarafino of Ford and put together by IDC HPC research director Richard Walsh.