By: Sheriann King

Bus50.8/Fall '09

What is Grid Computing?

Grid Computing is applying the resources of many computers in a network to a single entity at the same time;

Usually to a scientific or technical entity that requires a great number of computer processing cycles or access to large amounts of data.

Mastermind behind the Grid

Originated in the early 1990's Ian Foster, Carl Kesselman, and Steve Tuecke

“Fathers of the grid”

Their focus was to create a supercomputer that would be easy to access as an electric power grid.

Resulted in a blueprint for a new computing infrastructure.

Moore’s Law

In 1965 one of the founders of Intel, George Moore came up with a law called Moore's Law. In this law he believed that the number of transistors that could be squeezed on to a silicon chip was doubling every year, and overtime this has been revised to doubling every 18 months. It is said that Moore's law is a misused concept in computing.

Before the Grid FAFNER

'Factoring Via Network Enabled Recursion‘

(this was aimed to factorize very large numbers a challenge very relevant to digital security)

I-WAY

'Information Wide Area Year‘

(aimed to link supercomputers using existing networks)

I-WAY Computing

Grid in Action SETI @home

'Search for the Extraterrestrial Intelligence'

Many users share the unused processor cycles of their PC's in a vast search for signs of rational signals from outer space.

5 Components of Grid Computing

3. Resource Use:resources of computers

should be efficient and balanced

4. Death of distance:distance should make no

difference, you should be able to access to computer resources wherever you are

Contd... 5 Components of Grid Computing

Contd... 5 Components of Grid Computing

5.Open Standard: everyone can contribute constructively to grid development

Controlling Grid Data

Managing data is huge and complex

The data is either too large or too small to fit memory space

Building your own Grid

They are many approaches to building a grid, however one must first develop it's architecture, then the hardware and finally the middleware

Architecture is the overall design of the project, it holds the fundamental components of a grid's purpose and function

Hardware is the central key component that the grid depends on, without computers and networks you can't have a grid

Middleware is what makes a grid possible, it is the middleman that holds, keeps or puts everything together

Grid Today

Today the grid is used to collect resources of many computers to perform large scales of operation. It has derived from a tool used only for scientific research and educational purposes into a powerful way to deliver business to commercial and government organizations.

Future of the Grid The future of the grid seems to be a promising trend for

three reasons.

The first reason is it's ability to make more cost-effective use of a given amount of computer resources.

The second is a way to solve problems that can't be approached without an enormous amount of computing power.

The third is that the resources of many computers can be collaborated toward a common objectives.