HP has unveiled what it claims to be its fastest blade server offering to date.

Designed for high-performance computing (HPC), the HP BladeSystem c-Class enclosure features a mid-plane that supports 4X DDR InfiniBand and boasts aggregate throughput of five terabits per second.

The HPC BladeSystem c-Class also offers increased processor and node support, more efficient energy usage and increased cooling capabilities, the company said.

The c-Class offerings, to be introduced on 14 June, are supported in the HP Unified Cluster Portfolio, a modular package of hardware, software and services for HPC.

The portfolio's HP Cluster Platform 3000BL and 4000BL will integrate the HP BladeSystem c-Class into HPC-optimised configurations, with a choice of factory-installed cluster software.

HP's XC Cluster Software will be available for the HP BladeSystem c-Class server blades, as will a choice of cluster management products.

XC is a Linux-based production environment for HPC clusters that manages complex and critical high-performance computing workloads.

"Blade server adoption will continue to accelerate over the next several years, fuelled by higher performance and greater flexibility at lower costs," said Winston Prather, vice president and general manager at HP's High Performance Computing Division.

The HP BladeSystem c-Class is expected to be available in the HP Cluster Platform 3000BL configuration in August.

Support for the 4X DDR InfiniBand option is expected to be available in the HP Cluster Platform 3000BL and 4000BL configurations in the autumn.

The HP BladeSystem c-Class portfolio supports dual-core processor technologies from Intel and AMD.

The BladeSystem offers a choice of two- to four-processor server blades and forthcoming integrated storage blades, as well as support for Linux and Windows.

Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 is expected to be available on HP Cluster Platforms in the second half of the year.