12-12-2012, 06:19 PM
Grid Computing in Research and Education
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Introduction to grid concepts
In this chapter we discuss the following topics:
Research and education on the grid concept
The applicability of the grid in research and education environments
Some thoughts about what the future of grid computing concepts might bring
to research and education institutions and to society as a whole
Beginning of the grid concept
The term grid, coined in the mid 90s in the academic world, was originally
proposed to denote a distributed computing system that would provide
computing services on demand just like conventional power and water grids do.
During the last few years, as the technology evolved and the grid concept started
being explored on commercial endeavours, some slight but meaningful changes
have been made in its original definition. Nowadays, an accepted definition,
world-wide, states that a “grid” is a system that:
“coordinates resources that are not subject to centralized control...
... using standard, open, general-purpose interfaces and protocols...
... to deliver non-trivial qualities of service”
For more information, refer to “What is the Grid? A Three Point Checklist” by I.
Foster in GRID Today, July 20, 2002.
Nowadays, most of the interest driven toward the grid concept derives from the
fact that, stated as it is, a grid can be regarded as a technology with no
boundaries. In fact, if one can integrate all its computing resources, no matter
what they are, in a single virtual computing environment, such a system would
make possible:
The effective use of computing resources that otherwise would remain idle for
most of the time...
To perform complex and computing-demanding tasks that would normally
require large-scale computing resources.
Research and education on grid context
A knowledge-oriented activity is what exists behind research and education.
Therefore, we can say that this redbook discusses how knowledge-oriented
activities might be leveraged by the use of (potentially) massive computing
resources made available through high-scale distributed systems that adhere to
the grid formal definition.
Why use grids in research and education?
In 1.1, “Beginning of the grid concept” on page 4, we have presented what a grid
is, but haven’t gone into details on what it can do. Actually, it is not difficult to
figure out how useful a high-performance computing infrastructure can be, but
this is not all of the truth. The fact is that such an infrastructure can be built up
from computing resources that are already available, which is the reason why
grids are so appealing.