Two new compute cluster options emerge

Linux Networx and Penguin Computing, two specialists selling compute clusters that link numerous Linux-based servers into a single number-crunching system, announced new products this week. Linux Networx on Monday fleshed out its plan to provide systems tuned for specific applications--in this case the LS-P machine for computational fluid dynamics tasks such as simulating aircraft aerodynamics or fuel combustion in engines. The system comes with Metacomp Technologies' CFD++ software.

Penguin Computing on Tuesday announced its Altus 600 server, a 1.75-inch-tall machine that uses dual AMD 2000-series Opteron processors and is equipped with an x16 PCI Express slot for high-speed network cards. The system has a starting cost of $1,499.