Microsoft to support Parallel computing!

Posts: 3258

"Microsoft is developing a version of its Windows Server 2003 operating system that's designed to handle applications running across dozens of single- or dual-processor computers working in parallel, the company said Wednesday." - Information week in this article.

This is much Linux's 'Clustering'. Clustering is the process of networking many computers together to process large workloads. You take an extremely large chunk of data and split it up into many smaller chunks which are distributed to the many computers, and then all the results are re-assembled. The same can be done with windows computers, but it requires 3rd party hardware and software (not explicitly built into Windows).

"Microsoft's goal is to have a preview version of the product available in the fourth quarter of this year. Oldroyd declined to say whether it will be turned for 32-bit processing, 64-bit processing, or both.

Microsoft's decision comes, in part, because of the growing popularity of Linux in high-performance computer clusters. "Certainly, there's been a lot of work done on Linux," Oldroyd says. "That has led to demand for Windows." - Same article

The full article can be found here.

Note: Windows logo is the property of Microsoft.

Posts: 1475 · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 12:44 pm Post subject:

isnt parrallel computing used in like, office buildings that have tons of computers so they all each get less workload and not lock up?

EDIT: or am i thinking of something else because ive heard of this used, but forgot where.

Posts: 2723 · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 8:06 pm Post subject:

I'll explain further in very basic terms what distributed computing is is for those that don't understand it completely.

For modeling complicated systems such as the erosion of a rock formation, the weather, rendering computer graphics frames for movies such as Shrek, there are large data files that need to be created or analyzed. The large data file is sent to the group of computers as a single file then broken down into smaller pieces and distributed amongst the computers accordingly. Then each computer processes a piece of the large file, and when they're all done the file is re-assembled and complete. This is essentially the way that super computers operate today.

Posts: 1475 · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 10:05 pm Post subject:

hmm....interesting. so if someone ever thought of making some huge pic or file and had two computers that are networked, they could split the image accordingly so its rendered on two comps then put back together?

Posts: 134 · Sub-Modder Joined: 03 Jun 2004 Posts: 134

think of folding@home.

that's pretty much it, except folding@home uses pretty complex algorithms.

Posts: 764 · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 1:58 pm Post subject:

wow it all makes sense!

Posts: 1736 · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 5:15 pm Post subject:

i have a new outlook on life now that i know about this

Posts: 764 · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 8:27 pm Post subject:

yes it has changed my life, i now do my laundry 5 times quicker!

Posts: 3258 · Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 9:07 am Post subject:

Thats actually a good example of parallel computing. Think of laundry:
You are the main (console) computer, you have a large work load (huge load of laundry), and if you have 4 washers, they are the workhorses. You split the load into the 4 washers (and assuming the time to wash a load depends on hte size of the load) it finishes faster.... Unfortunatly washers go for the same length of time regardless... but anyhow =P

Also, do a search for "Beowulf Cluster"
Should give you some good info about Beowulfs (home clusters)

Posts: 764 · Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 4:36 pm Post subject:

hmm well i dont have a lot of washers but theres 4 people to distribute laundry to so i kind of followed a different example

Posts: 1736 · Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 5:51 pm Post subject:

very nice analogy guys

Posts: 1475 · Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 7:15 pm Post subject:

yeah the analogy made it loads clearer.

gj impact for making the analogy
gj watchman for making the laundry remark Wink