VA Cluster Manager software VACM version 2.0 available

``The deployment of large clusters of Linux servers by ASPs, ISPs and other service providers is expected to grow rapidly over the next two to three years, and the problem of managing these servers will continue to grow,'' said Bill Claybrook, research director for Linux and Open Source software, Aberdeen Group. ``User-friendly, Linux distribution-independent cluster management tools, such as VACM software, will play a critical role in solving these problems.''

``Companies building large-scale Internet infrastructures can use VACM to manage their Linux server clusters and keep them running at peak performance,'' said Gregg Zehr, vice president of Engineering, VA Linux Systems. ``Used together with VA SystemImager, another system management tool from VA Linux, customers can also install and update very large numbers of servers in Web server farms and clusters. In addition, we are now providing an SNMP ToolBox that further enhances interoperability of our systems with existing network management environments that use SNMP.''

VACM features advanced monitoring and management capabilities, as well as a modular design that gives administrators added flexibility.

• Monitoring. VACM software is designed to alert system administrators to potential problems before they occur by monitoring the status of each server or ``node.'' VACM collects data on system status (process list and user list), resource status (memory usage and CPU load) and hardware status (temperature, power levels, fans, chassis), and displays the information on the administrator's desktop in an easy-to-view format.
• Management. VACM offers two critical management features: the ability to reset individual servers remotely and the ability to control individual nodes via serial console redirect, which allows re-configuration of a system's BIOS over the network. When a server requires physical on-site attention by a technician, the system administrator can remotely ``flag'' the server by turning on an indicator light that allows quick identification of the node in question. VACM supports OpenSSL encryption libraries for secure operation and offers user database control, which allows multiple administrators to have different privileges to perform specified levels of monitoring and control.
• Modular Design. VACM is based on a sophisticated modular architecture that makes it easy to add new modules with additional feature sets. With VACM 2.0, administrators can choose from command-line or graphical user interfaces. An API interface for writing VACM-aware applications is also available with VACM 2.0. Additional interfaces and VACM-compliant applications are being designed by VA Linux Systems and the Open Source developer community.