ShaoLin Microsystems, a local company that develops Linux software and solutions, has launched a high-availability (HA) clustering system of its own design.
The ShaoLin HA Cluster can connect large numbers of computers as if they were a single unit. The system is designed for companies that are seeking a user-friendly clustering solution.
ShaoLin chief executive David Chow said that in the past, clustering was so complex that most businesses had a hard time implementing it. ShaoLin had set out to simplify matters, he said.
'The old approach was to use proprietary hardware, such as a mainframe or high-end Unix system. But we decided to use commodity hardware based on Intel processors and standard hardware. Unfortunately, non-specialists have a hard time understanding these complex systems, and small businesses cannot afford them,' Mr Chow said.
Clustering technology was a costly item in the past, but thanks to rocket science, that situation has changed in the past few years.
One of the big names behind Linux clustering technology is Donald Becker of the Goddard Space Flight Centre in the United States. His achievement in Linux clusters (large numbers of Linux computers that share disk drives) is dubbed Beowulf. ShaoLin, however, has created its own version.