Thursday Red Hat released the source code for its Global File System (GFS) software. This software costs $2,200 annually per server. According to News.com "The GFS software lets files be stored in a single file system shared by numerous servers." This software release comes as Red Hat is expanding into different markets.
Linux company Red Hat has begun selling new software for creating a communal storage system that spans many devices in a network--part of its effort to expand beyond its core operating system business.
The software, called Red Hat Global File System (GFS), costs $2,200 annually per server in addition to the price customers already pay for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the company said Thursday. The product came via Sistina Software, which Red Hat acquired earlier this year. Also Thursday, Red Hat fulfilled a pledge to release the source code of the GFS software, selecting the General Public License. GFS had been open-source software for much of its history, but Sistina made it proprietary in 2001 as part of an attempt to boost its financial fortunes, after selling support and service for GFS didn"t pan out.
The GFS software lets files be stored in a single file system shared by numerous servers. The information can reside on servers themselves or on a storage area network. The software is used to speed data access and replicate information so it"s still available even if individual machines fail. It"s useful for the two conventional types of clusters: groups of machines linked so one can take over for another in case of a problem, and groups linked as part of a sprawling supercomputer.