"Since it's clear that small to mid-size clusters will soon become the standard for compute environments in corporate computing systems, our goal from the start was to create a surefire system for HPC and non-HPC admins alike to deploy a cluster quickly and easily", stated Michael A. Jackson, president of Cluster Resources. "Since releasing Beta 1 in June at ISC'07, we have added a number of critical features and functions to the product, significantly improving the user interface, which is now cleaner and more intuitive. Our ultimate goal is to produce a cluster deployment solution that is so straightforward literally anyone can do it.

Escalante National Monument in southern Utah covers 1.7 million mostly roadless acres (in other words, essentially uncharted territory) of, according to Mr. Jackson, some of the most ruggedly beautiful land in the state. "Escalante was an inspiring code name", Mr. Jackson stated. "But we felt it was important to give the product a more intuitive final name that made it immediately apparent it is part of the Moab family of products and solutions."

In the final Beta, the cluster deployment process has been streamlined and simplified, and includes automated diagnostics. Administrators now have the ability to add and remove nodes on the fly and can even build a cluster from a MAC address list-a significant timesaving advantage for anyone deploying a cluster with more than a dozen nodes.

Moab Cluster Builder continues Cluster Resources' tradition of producing leading-edge HPC software solutions. The release marks the feature freeze and the stabilization of the current codebase. A number of beta sites are testing the final Beta. A final release candidate is anticipated to be ready for distribution on January 31st.

Added Mr. Jackson: "To prove that absolutely anyone can deploy a cluster with Escalante, I asked my 5th grade daughter to try it. When she finished successfully installing a cluster she turned to me and stated: 'Wow, that was

so easy!' Truthfully, this wizard is highly intuitive."