Share via

Compatibility of Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 with Previous Versions of Windows HPC Server

  • Article

Updated: March 2013

Applies To: Windows HPC Server 2008 R2

This topic provides information about the compatibility of Windows® HPC Server 2008 R2 with Windows HPC Server 2008 and Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003.

Important
For information about the compatibility of features that are introduced in HPC Pack 2008 R2 service packs, see the release notes in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2: Getting Started.

In this topic:

  • General compatibility and upgrade guidelines

  • Interface and client compatibility

  • Job submission compatibility

  • SOA compatibility

  • Cluster administration compatibility

General compatibility and upgrade guidelines

  • You can upgrade a Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster to Windows HPC Server 2008 R2. For detailed upgrade information and step-by-step procedures to upgrade the head node and other cluster nodes, see the Upgrade Guide for Windows HPC Server 2008 R2.

  • You cannot upgrade a Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 head node to a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 head node.

  • You cannot join nodes to a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster from a Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster or a Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 cluster. You must redeploy the nodes in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 or upgrade the nodes manually. For information about the system requirements for nodes in a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster, see Step 1: Prepare for Your Deployment in the Design and Deployment Guide for Windows HPC Server 2008 R2.

Interface and client compatibility

  • Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 provides application programming interface (API)-level compatibility for applications that are integrated with Windows HPC Server 2008 or with Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003. These applications might, however, require changes to run on the operating system installed on the nodes in a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster. If you encounter problems running your application on Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008, you should consult your software vendor.

  • Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 supports all Windows HPC Server 2008 and Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 command-line interface (CLI) commands and Windows HPC Server 2008 PowerShell cmdlets and scripts.

    Note
    To run HPC PowerShell cmdlets and scripts in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2, you must use the HPC PowerShell snap-in that is installed in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2. You cannot use the HPC PowerShell snap-in that is installed in Windows HPC Server 2008.

  • A side-by-side installation of Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 and Windows HPC Server 2008 on the same computer is not supported. This includes the Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 client utilities. However, a side-by-side installation of Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 and Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 is supported.

    Note
    To manage a Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster from a computer on which the Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 client utilities are installed, you can use an application such as Remote Desktop Connection to connect remotely to the Windows HPC Server 2008 head node.

Job submission compatibility

  • You cannot submit jobs to a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster using HPC Cluster Manager in Windows HPC Server 2008 or Compute Cluster Administrator in Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003. However, Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 supports job submission and monitoring from Windows HPC Server 2008 job management clients or Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 clients, including jobs that are submitted through the use of the command-line tools, HPC PowerShell scripts (that are running from the HPC PowerShell snap-in in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2), HPC Job Manager, and COM APIs.

    Note
    The Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 job management clients, including HPC Job Manager, can submit jobs to a Windows HPC Server 2008 head node, but not to a Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 head node.

  • Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 can import job templates, task XML, and job XML files that are exported from Windows HPC Server 2008. Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 can also use job submission and job activation filters that are created for Windows HPC Server 2008.

    Note
    You can export job templates, task XML files, and job XML from Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 and import them into Windows HPC Server 2008, but they cannot reference features that are unique to Windows HPC Server 2008 R2.

  • Client applications that use the HPC Basic Profile Web Service to submit jobs to a Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster can also be used to submit jobs to a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster.

SOA compatibility

  • Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)-based client applications that run SOA jobs on a Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster can also be used to run SOA jobs on a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster.

    Note
    A client computer can run SOA-based client applications that access both a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster and a Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster.

  • SOA services that run on a Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster can also run on a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster.

  • The service configuration files (servicename.config) that are used to register SOA services on a Windows HPC Server 2008 cluster are compatible with a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 cluster.

    Note
    In Windows HPC Server 2008 R2, all of the configuration settings that apply to a SOA service are defined in a single service configuration file (servicename.config). In Windows HPC Server 2008, the settings for each SOA service are defined in three configuration files: servicename.config, HpcWcfBroker.exe.config, and [serviceAssembly].dll.config. You may need to migrate settings from the configuration files in Windows HPC Server 2008, such as settings that define how the broker handles service sessions, to the servicename.config files that are used in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2. For more information, download the white paper on SOA Applications, Infrastructure and Management in Windows HPC  Server 2008 R2 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=193167).

Cluster administration compatibility

  • HPC Cluster Manager in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 can only connect to a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 head node. In addition, you cannot use HPC Cluster Manager in Windows HPC Server 2008 or Compute Cluster Administrator in Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 to connect to a Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 head node.

  • Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 can import node templates and node XML files that are exported from Windows HPC Server 2008.