Computers & Processors:

Boehringer Ingelheim Using Linux NetworX Cluster

Linux NetworX announced that Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc is advancing its human healthcare research and development processes with a 120-processor Linux NetworX Evolocity cluster supercomputer.

The Ridgefield, Conn. laboratory of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals is using the cluster supercomputer to help predict the suitability of certain molecules in potential drugs. This process is ideal for a Linux cluster supercomputer because the same compute process is completed for hundreds of thousands of molecules. Computational chemists and biologists at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals are also using the cluster to run applications to find the best combinations of molecules and protein binding sites for drug development.

"With a 120-processor cluster, managing every aspect of the system can be quite overwhelming," said Dave Craska, lead systems engineer for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. "The ClusterWorX software from Linux NetworX helps alleviate the complexities of cluster management, especially when upgrading and propagating new releases of software."

Before switching to a Linux NetworX cluster, scientists at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals were running the same applications on a variety of systems, but results were slowed because of the limited number of available CPUs. After deploying the Linux NetworX cluster, information was processed quickly and efficiently, saving Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals time and money.

The massive amount of data computation inherent in drug design typically requires the power of a supercomputer class system. Cluster technology is a method of linking multiple computers, or compute nodes, together to form a powerful, unified system. Linux NetworX clusters can match the performance of traditional supercomputers for a fraction of the cost.

"The bioinformatics industry is experiencing an enormous demand for cost-effective, reliable supercomputing solutions and many pharmaceutical companies are turning to Linux clusters to meet that need," said Clark Roundy, vice president of marketing at Linux NetworX. "Companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals demand quick, accurate results and Linux NetworX provides the management tools to ensure our customers focus on their core competencies instead of system management."

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals' Evolocity system includes 120 Pentium III 866 MHz processors, 50 GB of memory, an Intel 10/100 NIC connection and ClusterWorX cluster management software. To ensure optimum cluster operation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals also signed a service and support contract with Linux NetworX.

For more information visit www.linuxnetworx.com.