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Concurrent, a provider of time-critical Linux operating systems, integrated software and computer solutions for mission-critical applications, reportedly announced the release of RedHawk Linux 5.4, a new version of its real-time operating system. 

RedHawk finds application in time-critical applications in simulation and training, data acquisition, imaging, financial services and process control. RedHawk ensures rapid response of all user-level applications within 15 microseconds on certified platforms, said company sources.

The features included in the version 5.4 of RedHawk are enhanced 2.6.31 Linux kernel, full compatibility with Red Hat (News - Alert) Enterprise Linux 5 update 4. It also features a pre-included CUDA parallel computing SDK support optimized for real-time. It offers support for the latest available Intel and AMD processors and chipsets besides supporting systems with more than 32 cores.

RedHawk Linux 5.4 includes the latest NVIDIA (News - Alert) graphics driver optimized for real-time performance using MSI interrupts. There is a Linux Performance Counter support for hardware and software events and also a new pagemap address viewing utility for NUMA platforms, added RedHawk sources.

“Version 5.4 reinforces RedHawk as the leading Linux distribution for hard real-time applications,” Ken Jackson, vice president, Real-Time for Concurrent, said. “Our on-going support of the most current technologies allows us to offer our customers the most cost-effective, high-performance, real-time solutions in a timely manner.”

Also the support features for the new Intel Nehalem and AMD (News - Alert) Opteron processors and chipsets with generation 2.0 PCIe provides more computing power in a smaller energy efficient package. RedHawk also enhances the determinism of real-time processors in non-uniform memory architecture or NUMA platforms like Intel (News - Alert) QuickPath and AMD HyperTransport. 

RedHawk maintains all pages of a real-time process in local format to a given node and ensures that no other process’ pages use the same node. RedHawk can automatically duplicate libraries and other modules as required and also maintain them in multiple nodes for enhancing performance.

Concurrent has optimized the NVIDIA graphics driver for real-time performance which is also included in RedHawk. This improved driver allows applications to offer maximum determinism during image rendering. Further RedHawk supports CUDA, the parallel computing technology developed by NVIDIA Corporation. RedHawk’s new version enables CUDA applications using NVIDIA graphics and Tesla cards and also to run with real-time determinism.