Wolfpack not ready to run

Customers looking to take advantage of clustering solutions from Microsoft (MSFT) will have to wait a little longer.

General release of the Microsoft Wolfpack clustering software, currently in beta, has been pushed back 60 days to this summer from a previous deadline of June, according to company officials.

The Wolfpack add-on to Windows NT 4.0 will allow applications on a server to fail over to a second live server within seconds if there is a mechanical problem.

Delays in the Wolfpack software have arisen due to development complications related to making existing applications, not originally written for clustering software, recognize the fail-over server. Also, a rare snow storm in the Seattle area early this winter contributed to the delay, according to officials.

When the Wolfpack clustering software is released, six vendors--Compaq Computer, Tandem Computers, NCR, Digital Equipment, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM--will offer two configurations for their servers based on the Wolfpack software. Other vendors will soon join the first group as Microsoft certifies them, according to Mark Wood, product manager for Wolfpack at Microsoft.