Microsoft has released the download availability of the the HPC Server 2008 beta. This new high performance computing server operating system and toolset replaces Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003. HPC Server 2008 is based on the Windows Server 2008 operating system and is designed to increase productivity, scalability and manageability. In addition to peformance inprovements, Microsoft wants to demonstrate the ways cluster administrators, end users and developers can increase productivity with a common set of tools that span the desktop and cluster.

In tandem with this release Microsoft also announced the Parallel Computing initiative, which is a program creating common development tools across multicore desktops and clusters.

 This release should be of particular interest to WindowsDevPro technologists exploring the intersection of programming and systems administration.

Microsoft's press release http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/nov07/11-13HPCServerBetaPR.mspx

Download information at http://www.microsoft.com/hpc