Sandy, UT — (press release) — Linux NetworX, Inc., a specialist in large-scale clustered computer solutions for Internet, industry and research fields, announced today the release of its cluster management software, ClusterWorX version 1.2. ClusterWorX allows users of Linux NetworX cluster systems to control the cluster as one single system and provides remote monitoring and management capabilities. ClusterWorX software is currently distributed with Linux NetworX cluster systems, and is not yet offered individually as a separate software package.

A computer cluster is a set of independent computers linked together through a high-speed network to form a unified and more powerful system. “This first version of ClusterWorX allows users to easily manage small to extremely large clusters, up to thousands of processors,” said Glen Lowry, president and CEO of Linux NetworX. “ClusterWorX makes the management of a clustered computer extremely user friendly.”

ClusterWorX provides users with an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) featuring both command line and HTML. Other management tools include remote access, disk cloning and serial access to nodes, including remote monitoring and resetting of individual nodes without effecting the uptime of the entire system. Disk cloning is a valuable feature for large cluster systems because it allows software and other updates to be installed on one node and automatically distributed to the entire system. Features are architecture-independent with support for any standard ATX or XATX motherboard.

Lockheed Martin cluster application

Lockheed Martin Corporation uses ClusterWorX to manage a recently purchased Linux NetworX cluster system. The cluster is used to perform complex calculations to assist in the analysis of U.S. Navy aircraft. Using a Linux cluster system with 64 nodes (computers) and 128 processors, Lockheed Martin is assisting the Navy with evaluating the remaining service life of the EP-3E Reconnaissance Airplane.

The high-computation powered cluster helps compute the aerodynamic loads on the EP-3E plane throughout the flight envelope, as part of the Navy's Service Life Assessment Program (SLAP). SLAP is a fatigue damage estimate and operational availability evaluation.

“Temperature is critical for us and ClusterWorX makes monitoring and controlling this issue simple,” said Jeff Layton, senior engineer at Lockheed Martin. “Recently we had a reason to reset the entire system, which the software handled without any problem.”

Related story:
New company will focus on Linux-based clustered computers

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.