Microsoft's High Performance Computing Server 2008 Beta 2 Debuts

This weekend Microsoft announced the release of High Performance Computing Server 2008 (HPC Server 2008) Beta 2, the next-generation version of Compute Cluster Server 2003.

HPC Server 2008 is built on the 64-bit version of Windows Server 2008 but is designed to better support large cluster installations.

Microsoft's Group Program Manager for HPC, Ryan Waite, announced the beta release on the Windows Server team blog entry posted Saturday.

"Whew! Friday at 2:18PM we signed off on Beta 2 of Windows HPC Server 2008," he wrote in part. "It's been a hard push since November when we shipped our last beta. Since then we've done test runs on a cluster with over 1000 nodes, fixed over 1000 bugs, coded a bunch of new features, and made a bunch of design changes based on customer feedback."

According to White, some of the new features in beta 2 include:

  • New Network Direct RDMA interface.
  • New Message Passing Interface.
  • An improved Clusrun that now lets administrators "run administrative scripts in parallel across the cluster."
  • Improved SOA support in the form of less latency, better scalability and support for Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) broker communication, according to White.

The beta is only available to those registered for it through Microsoft Connect.

White did not say when the final version would go live. When the company announced the first beta of HPC Server 2008 in November, Microsoft said it expected to launch the final version in the "second half of 2008."

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is online news editor, Enterprise Group, at 1105 Media Inc.

Featured

  • open laptop in a college classroom with holographic AI icons like a brain and data charts rising from the screen

    4 Ways Universities Are Using Google AI Tools for Learning and Administration

    In a recent blog post, Google shared an array of education customer stories, showcasing ways institutions are using AI tools like Gemini and NotebookLM to transform both learning and administrative tasks.

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Launches Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has introduced a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.

  • three main icons—a cloud, a user profile, and a padlock—connected by circuit lines on a blue abstract background

    Report: Identity Has Become a Critical Security Perimeter for Cloud Services

    A new threat landscape report points to new cloud vulnerabilities. According to the 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report from Fortinet, while misconfigured cloud storage buckets were once a prime vector for cybersecurity exploits, other cloud missteps are gaining focus.

  • Stylized illustration showing cybersecurity elements like shields, padlocks, and secure cloud icons on a neutral, minimalist digital background

    Microsoft Announces Security Advancements

    Microsoft has announced major security advancements across its product portfolio and practices. The work is part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI), a multiyear cybersecurity transformation the company calls the largest engineering project in company history.