University of Southampton to use Windows Compute Cluster Server

University of Southampton to use Windows Compute Cluster Server

The University of Southampton has revealed that they would be using a Microsoft product over Linux to run a clustered computing project related to the analysis of vehicle aerodynamics.

The university is using Windows Compute Cluster Server for their Spitfire project. Dr Kenji Takeda, one of the project leaders said that they are critical of Linux’s ability to solve complex mathematical problems and carry out large, sophisticated simulations.

He said in a statement on their decision: “Using Windows solves a traditional barrier to entry for new users because it takes the use of the cluster out of the hands of Unix and Linux hacks.” He had been using IBM SP2 Unix system for the university’s research work in the past.

Another reason to choose Microsoft over Linux is that in the longer run the former works out to be cheap, as the university would have no need to hire UNIX or Linux administrators to run them.

However, experts are not convinced. Phillip Fayers, an IT manager working on an IBM-based brain research cluster at Cardiff University claims that benchmarks have proved that Linux or Sun’s Solaris operating system runs significantly better than Windows.