14 DAY TRIAL // Canonical is building the most used Linux distribution for the desktop, but it’s also making one of the most successful operating systems for servers. The fact is that Ubuntu Server, Ubuntu Openstack, and Ubuntu’s orchestration tool, Juju, are now running on the most powerful supercomputer in the world.
Right now, the most powerful supercomputer in the world is called Tienhe2 and it’s in the Guangdong province in China. According to its makers, the servers use Intel Xeon processors, Intel Xeon Phi co-processors, and a 160Gb per second interconnect for super-fast data transfer between nodes. It has been holding the record since 2013.
“Ubuntu OpenStack is running on 256 high performance nodes and this will grow to over 6400 nodes in the coming months. The nodes will be available to Government departments in Guangdong province as well as other NUDT partners for analysis, census, and eGovernment applications.”
“Both OpenStack and Ubuntu’s orchestration tool, Juju, will run on Tianhe-2 to enable NUDT partners and affiliate to rapidly deploy and manage very high performance cloud environments,” reads the official announcement.
Canonical is making a push onto the Chinese market, and the company is already trying to cover the desktop ecosystem with Ubuntu Kylin, which has arrived at a very opportune moment, at the same time with Microsoft’s announcement regarding the end of life for Windows XP.