MandrakeSoft introduces "MandrakeClustering"

International Supercomputer Conference ISC2003; Heidelberg, Germany; June
24th, 2003 -- Continuing a long tradition of simplifying the use of Linux for
an extensive range of tasks, MandrakeSoft today introduces a new product in
the field of supercomputing: "MandrakeClustering". Designed to meet the
high-demands of clustering solutions inside research laboratories and other
compute-intensive industries, MandrakeClustering is an achievement of the
CLIC research project (including partners such as Bull) which offers both
high calculation performance plus unequaled comfort of use. Some typical uses
of MandrakeClustering include crash simulations, acoustics, seismic modeling,
risk analysis, etc.

MandrakeClustering is provided as a complete solution, which includes the
software product plus various support options. The list price begins at 2,960
USD/Euros. Supported architectures currently include AMD® Opteron®, Intel®
Pentium® and compatible processors (IA-64 support to come later in September).

* A fast and powerful Clustering product *

Low latency and high-bandwidth are made possible by the use of
high-performance SCI connections between nodes. The Pentium version greatly
benefits from CPU optimizations made with the Intel® compiler  (for Pentium
IV Xeon).

* Installation made easy *

Thanks to PXE technology, MandrakeClustering can be quickly installed.
Complete deployment is possible in only a few minutes with the help of
Clusterautosetup and Kadeploy utilities. URPMI -- the Mandrake package
management system and dependency solver -- has been parallelized to allow
automated software updating of all nodes simultaneously.

* Dramatically simple methods to administer and use the Cluster *

To guarantee an optimal user experience, MandrakeClustering provides a
graphical environment plus numerous administration tools which allow the
Cluster administrator to add and remove nodes from a simple clic; create
virtual partitions; assign users to partitions; plus graphically configure
the entire system. Graphical monitoring of the system is performed via a
dedicated tool named "Ganglia".

In addition, MandrakeClustering offers the ability to use two separate
network interfaces, thereby allowing the ability to differentiate the
administration network from the computing network.

* Excellent hardware support *

Based on the popular Mandrake Linux distribution, MandrakeClustering benefits
from a superior range of hardware support. Each node automatically adapts
itself depending on the hardware used (SCI, network, filesystem, etc.), thus
allowing superior support for heterogeneous environments. Additionally,
MandrakeClustering supports up to 4 GB of RAM for each node (16 GB for
Opteron).

"MandrakeClustering is not only a impressive example of innovative Linux
technology, but it's also a complete "all-in-one" solution that includes
support & assistance for "real-world" clustering deployments and critical
research lab activities. We are extremely confident that this product will
answer the needs of numerous technology research centers where time of
deployment and ease of administration are highly valued", said François
Bancilhon, MandrakeSoft CEO.

MandrakeClustering ships as a turn-key clustering environment. Based on the
high-performance Mandrake Linux operating system, this product offers SCI
drivers, several clustering messaging transit layers (MP Mpich, Mpich, Lam,
PVM), graphical monitoring tools, parallelized tools (URPMI, Ka-tools, Gexec)
plus numerous mathematical libraries.

The price of MandrakeClustering solutions - including product and assistance
- is dependant on the number of deployed nodes and elected support options.
For support and prices, please consult:
http://www.mandrakesoft.com/products/clustering

The 'Base' version of the MandrakeClustering product will soon become
available at MandrakeStore.com. In the meantime, please send all sales
requests to clustersales@mandrakesoft.com

Press contact: press@mandrakesoft.com

About MandrakeSoft

MandrakeSoft is the publisher of the popular Mandrake Linux operating system,
one of the most full-featured and easy to use Linux systems available. The
company offers its enterprise, government and educational customers a
complete range of GNU/Linux and Open Source software and related services.
MandrakeSoft products are available in more than 120 countries through
dedicated channels and also from MandrakeStore, the company's online store.

Number 1 in several countries, MandrakeSoft has been awarded many times for
quality and the technical innovation of its products. "Born on the Internet"
in late 1998, MandrakeSoft has established headquarters in the U.S.A. and in
France. MandrakeSoft is traded on Paris Euronext Marche Libre (Euroclear
code: 4477.PA; Reuters code: MAKE.PA) and the US OTC market (stock symbol
MDKFF).

Please visit the website: http://www.mandrakesoft.com for more information.