www-128.ibm.com — Grid computing allows you to unite pools of servers, storage systems, and networks into a single large system so you can deliver the power of multiple-systems resources to a single user point for a specific purpose. To a user, data file, or an application, the system appears to be a single enormous virtual computing system.
Sep 6, 2006 View in Crawl 4
eekthekatSep 6, 2006
Sounds a lot like Technogenesis by Syne Mitchell. Great read but a little paranoid.
charlietunaSep 6, 2006
I an thinking of writing my masters thesis on the applications of grid based systems. For one thing it doesn't seem to be taking off like wildfire. Another complicating factor is that every company wants to use the word grid in their brochures. For example Oracle's idea of a gird system differs a lot from Ian Foster's "classical" definition:<a class="user" href="http://www.gridtoday.com/02/0722/100136.html">http://www.gridtoday.com/02/0722/100136.html</a>Lastly, Google trends show a slow decline in searches for this term:<a class="user" href="http://www.google.com/trends?q=%22grid+computing%22+&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all">http://www.google.com/trends?q=%22grid+computing%22+&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all</a>
onetruedabeSep 6, 2006
This article from IBM focuses exclusively on THEIR Grid solution(s).Don't be fooled into thinking that their definition of "Grid" is the ONLY definition. (As much as they'd like you to believe so...)There are, of course, all the "@HOME" projects, as well as others, such as Parabon's "<a class="user" href="http://www.ComputeAgainstCancer.org/">http://www.ComputeAgainstCancer.org/</a>" initiative.Do some research and you'll find a ton of projects out there which aim to harness idle computing power for positive purposes (as opposed to all those botnets sending spam...)
jacks0nSep 9, 2006
In essence, we're getting back to a dumb terminal model.We went from a 1 computer connected to a bunch of keyboards, mice, and screens ...to individual computers networked. Now we're going back to a supercomputer (ok, a bunch of computers connected that looks like 1 on the network), that simulates multiple computers.But due to changes in technology, it works well. why buy multiple computers when you can get one?