IBM delivers Linux supercomputing

IBM has claimed an industry first by launching a service that leases Linux supercomputing power to customers over the internet.

The initiative, called 'deep computing on demand', is designed to offer scalable, secure systems that customers can access via a virtual private network connection.

IBM said that this approach could benefit customers by freeing them from the fixed costs and management responsibility of owning a supercomputer.

The deep computing on demand facility is located in a secure section of IBM's Poughkeepsie, New York plant.

Currently, the system is powered by a cluster of IBM eServer xSeries Intel-based Linux systems, but a roll-out of additional pSeries Unix servers is planned.

IBM cited likely customers as including Hollywood studios that use supercomputing power to create animated movies, as well as life sciences companies for genomic and drug discovery research.

Financial services organisations, government agencies and national research laboratories are also likely customers, IBM believes.

The computing giant added that one of the first companies that has signed up for the service is GX Technology Corporation, which produces high-resolution subsurface images from large volumes of seismic data.

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