Linux Networx will sell, tune and support IBM's GPFS solution at customer data centers around the world as a tightly integrated element within its LS Series of Linux Supersystems.

GPFS is an advanced file system for high performance computing clusters that provides high-speed file access to applications executing on multiple nodes of a Linux or AIX cluster. GPFS' scalability and performance are designed to help meet the needs of data-intensive applications such as engineering design, digital media, data mining, financial analysis, seismic data processing and scientific research.

"As the popularity of Linux-based computing clustering grows, so does the need for simplified and highly performing file management software that is able to function across many hardware platforms", stated David Turek, vice president of Deep Computing at IBM. "Customers will welcome the ability to use this leading file system across their data centres, in ways more flexible than ever before."

Scientists at the forefront of supercomputing have used GPFS to create a scalable parallel file system that is capable of supporting hundreds of terabytes of storage within a single highly reliable file system.

"GPFS provides excellent functionality and very scalable performance for the data-intensive, analytical applications of today's high performance computing environments - helping us to change the very way that science and engineering are conducted", stated Bill Kramer, NERSC general manager and head of High Performance Computing at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "Now that GPFS is available on multiple vendors’ systems, NERSC was able to implement a global file system across mixed architectures, enabling our users to be much more productive."

IBM continues its GPFS development efforts to maintain and extend its leadership in terms of feature/function, scaling, performance, and reliability to serve growing customer needs for robust cluster/parallel file systems.