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CERN video: How The Grid will revolutionize computing watch!

youtube.com — CERN has taken a big gamble on grid technology, and is pushing the technology forward to solve a huge data storage and analysis challenge when the Large Hadron Collider fires up this summer and thousands of scientists worldwide will be clamoring for the data

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  • tomboy501, on 06/01/2008, -0/+14The GridCafe site has tons of info on this: http://gridcafe.web.cern.ch/gridcafe/whatisgrid/wh ...
    • mrBitch, on 06/02/2008, -1/+2Interesting that OS X has grid capabilites built in :
      http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/technology/xgri ...
      " Apple’s Xgrid technology makes it easy to turn an ad hoc group of Mac systems into a low-cost supercomputer. Xgrid is an ideal distributed computing platform for individual researchers, specialized collaborators, and application developers. "
      Anyone here using Xgrid ?
      • Thorsten, on 06/02/2008, -0/+3yeah thats about the idea, but I am guessing the protocoll and stuff weill be different
  • fudged71, on 06/02/2008, -2/+6Yesterday, I was browsing around and found the nearest Grid node to me. The webpages for them are quite neat

    http://goc.grid.sinica.edu.tw/gstat/ALBERTA-LCG2/
    • dvicklund, on 06/02/2008, -1/+4Neat, but indecipherable to regular people, apparently.

      Why can't scientists ever figure out the formula for good style?
  • backgen, on 06/02/2008, -17/+10I can't imagine how this is going to change my life...

    STREAMING HD PORN!!!
    • ThinkBox, on 06/02/2008, -3/+24Wow, thanks for adding to the Digg community!

      Its contributors like you that make Digg what it is today!

      THANKS!
  • scottswan79, on 06/02/2008, -17/+4yeah, its been around a while, its called bit torrent
    • Stavrosian, on 06/02/2008, -0/+14If people have been using bittorrent clients to harness the power of your computer, may I suggest a firewall?
    • wonderbriefs, on 06/02/2008, -1/+5Wanna tell me how to share my CPU and RAM processes via bittorrent, smart guy?
  • MaxMWood, on 06/02/2008, -0/+14Couple of photos from my trip to CERN:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxwood/sets/72157603 ...
  • crazyjake, on 06/02/2008, -4/+13i'm making my geek pilgrimage to cern in july. can't wait to get away from all of the stupid people around here.
  • Morghin, on 06/02/2008, -1/+19Why did the video look like it was made during the 80's if this is so new? Not that it really is all that new; http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/ has been around for a while...
  • MaxMWood, on 06/02/2008, -1/+10Grid was basically created because no single computer could handle all of the data produced from the LHC, when it's switched on. So they are linking up all the super computers in the world to combine each computers processing power. Its a gamble but at this time there just isnt any other option.
  • Alexbalix, on 06/02/2008, -7/+20Why do I get a SkyNet feel from this....
    • bracketdash, on 06/02/2008, -1/+1I for one welcome our griddy overlords.
    • CaptainCumshot, on 06/02/2008, -0/+1My thoughts, as well...
  • iamvahe, on 06/02/2008, -2/+34What is the difference between this and "Distributed Computing"? Don't Folding@Home or SETI@Home do this already?
    • NinjaNato, on 06/02/2008, -0/+21The Grid uses another high-speed/capacity infrastructure as well as existing technology.

      Tier 1 of the Grid is a global fiber infrastructure that runs in parallel to the Internet. This infrastructure is used to shift large amounts of data quickly (10Gbps) to connected nodes.

      From there, data is passed through existing infrastructure and protocols (the Internet) where it is further distributed.
    • rasmasyean, on 06/02/2008, -3/+0It's really not that complicated. It's just like haveing parrallel processors with a "long distance bus" So maybe they bus is faster now.
    • wonderbriefs, on 06/02/2008, -0/+4SETI@Home is to The Grid as a Legion Baseball is to Sports
      • scairborn, on 06/02/2008, -0/+2AAAAAhhhh. Okay now I get it. Thanks! :)
        I'm not even being that sarcastic bitch digger either. This actually makes sense to me now.
    • punkcat, on 06/02/2008, -0/+2i don't see how this will overcome the affects of traffic and shear time/distance.

      • JohnnyXmas, on 06/02/2008, -0/+4The entire GOAL of The Grid is to overcome traffic and distance. Distributed computing has been around for ages, so that's not the point of this. The point is to create an insanely high-speed, undiluted cluster of processing and storage units.
      • APDSD, on 10/07/2008, -0/+0It's been around for a long time, just ironing out the details to make it a more universal system is all that is left to do... http://www.anchorpointdesignsd.com/graphic_design. ...
  • rasmasyean, on 06/02/2008, -12/+0This technology us so old... That's why the video is so old. google Folding@Home and you can contribute your idle CPU to eradicate all diseases.

    There was a SETI project that tried to detect alien signals, but that never got anywhere interesting.

    They finished a "Screensaver Lifesaver" project last year that researches cancer even.

    Though now with Quad cores getting common, this can pose some really fast results.
    • Harelin, on 06/02/2008, -0/+6Folding@Home, SETI and so forth are not examples of what this video speaks of. While distributed computing is a 'branch' of grid computing... we're talking about a different architecture here. Google it.
  • MacroDaemon, on 06/02/2008, -1/+2http://www.eu-egee.org/

    This is seems to be the site of the newest version of this proposal.
  • NinjaNato, on 06/02/2008, -4/+13The Grid = brute force in under a second :)
  • NailToTheX, on 06/02/2008, -2/+6almost infinite computer power? thats a really big number! exactly how many zigaflops is that?
  • gfxl, on 06/02/2008, -3/+6Isn't this how Folding@Home works?
    • bizkitboi, on 06/02/2008, -0/+1i was just about to post that..
    • wonderbriefs, on 06/02/2008, -0/+2Folding@Home operates on a similar principle. But the idea behind the Grid is that all people could use it for their own computations.
      • wiifm69, on 06/02/2008, -0/+8You mean every time when I have a new particle physics experiment to run.... boy that will save me some time
      • Nollykin, on 06/03/2008, -0/+2brute force password breakers, anyone?
    • Scynet, on 06/02/2008, -0/+1To be more precise, folding@home and other @home projects use the BOINC platform.
      • Shimoniskey, on 06/02/2008, -0/+2To be really precise, folding@home does not use the BOINC platform, instead opting for their own, but most @home projects do. Some, like the world community grid, use both their own client, and the BOINC client.
  • hcarlens, on 06/02/2008, -4/+55Sweet, I'll finally be able to play crysis.
    • blast_flame, on 06/02/2008, -1/+6But what if everyone has the same idea you do?
      • bracketdash, on 06/02/2008, -1/+3Then everyone will be playing Crysis!
        • blast_flame, on 06/02/2008, -3/+2But the average computer isn't powerful enough for crysis and the crysis processing will be split equally among them...
        • bracketdash, on 06/02/2008, -3/+1That's like saying the average income is $14,000. The few computers that are more than powerful enough to run the game will make up for it.
    • joeydoo, on 06/02/2008, -0/+5Sorry, not even the grid will be able to run crysis.... such a thing would require an update! Crysis is too system intensive for updates apparently.
  • Aliwalla, on 06/02/2008, -5/+5How is this going to work with net neutrality?
  • Thoku, on 06/02/2008, -2/+3The problem with this is that not all problems can be run in parallel as the next work item depends on the result of the first. Before this issue is overcome grid computing and multi core will never take off.

    Look at all the problems people have been having with the PS3. It without a doubt has more processing power than the 360 but to date there has been little actual improvement in AI or graphics - 2 of the most CPU intensive processes in a modern game. There has been work from what I read to develop compilers that try and parallelise the code for you but from my understanding these are still experimental.
    • SteveMax, on 06/02/2008, -0/+2Data analysis is inherently parallel. On an Alice collision (heavy ions at gigantic energies), you get millions of tracks. Speaking very broadly, you could have each CPU of the grid analyzing one of those tracks individually, so your process will end in hours instead of years.
      In general, if you program for supercomputers, you program in a highly parallelized way. This is the only way to harness the power of a 100-odd CPU box.
    • Apollyon0810, on 06/02/2008, -0/+2Are you saying parallel processing is still experimental?
      • Thoku, on 06/02/2008, -0/+2No, what I was saying is that getting conventionally linear programs to perform in a distributed environment is very difficult and the compilers to do that for you is still experimental.
        • glinsvad, on 06/03/2008, -0/+2While they may be experimental, there are thousands of brilliant applications of parallel computing e.g. in quantum physics simulations, large linear algebraic systems, finite element analysis etc.

          The real problem is achieving the same speed-up in grid computing as that of computer clusters or MPPs.
  • halfdirt, on 06/02/2008, -0/+5This video looks cheesy -today-. Imagine how cheesy it will look if/when 'The Grid' really takes off, and seems as prevalent as the Internet. There are tons of "This is the Internet" videos that look silly in a similar way today.
    • Nollykin, on 06/03/2008, -0/+1Why is it that all scientific "explanation videos" have that same cheesy 80's feel, with overly-simplified soothing voices, and totally irellevant / misleading 3D "representations"? It's really quite exhausting.
  • fandyboy, on 06/02/2008, -2/+7Doesn't the BOINC platform (seti@home etc..) do this already?
    • Thorsten, on 06/02/2008, -2/+1Kind of it seems to me that the Grid is more than Boinc is, the Grid will be kind of an Internet 2.0 on which you will be able to download an HD-Movie in a couple of seconds.
      This will be acomplished by replacing the normal telephone lines with fibre optic cables
  • Micktion, on 06/02/2008, -4/+1Cool! But first they'll need to rename the "blue screen of death" to something more impressive and geonicidal like... any ideas?
    • glinsvad, on 06/03/2008, -2/+1What is this blue screen of death you speak of?
      /linux-user
      • bjornski, on 08/23/2008, -0/+1Dunno, haven't seen one in years.

        /Windows user.
  • ZombyBrainz, on 06/02/2008, -5/+1If ever GRID computing goes out, people are going to realize that they don't ever need to upgrade their computer. Essentially, they can keep the same ***** computer forever, effectively killing the hardware industry.
    • blast_flame, on 06/02/2008, -0/+3Not quite. Processing done through the grid would be laggier than stuff done in house due to the distances the data needs to travel so it would still pay to have a powerful computer.
      • Princeamor, on 06/03/2008, -0/+1Wow everybody has a good point ;>)
      • LivingMachine, on 06/03/2008, -0/+0not necessary, it will depend on on what you're doing? ex. Rendering an animation will take 8 hours on my computer. But if I just feed the project files to a grid - it'll finish in minutes and simply deliver me a 100 MB file which will be downloaded in 10 minutes.
    • tnoy, on 06/03/2008, -0/+2Until Apple comes out with a new iMac with a new brushed aluminum case that is even brushier than the previous.
  • biggerapple3am, on 06/02/2008, -2/+6"Currently The Grid is being developed by Cyberdyne Systems. Scientists are also looking into world defensive uses for The Grid."
  • diggenerate, on 06/02/2008, -0/+2Isn't this exactly what the S.E.T.I. project did? You might think that they could have come up with this sooner.
  • liquidmetalband, on 06/02/2008, -5/+2"After first passing security checks..."

    Yeah, I have a bad feeling this may link into the proposed ID cards/chips.

    And it will also breach into your data being stored on other computers, so you don't really own it. Or, alternatively, your data will be quickly retrievable, compromising your security.

    I don't see why the scientists can't have their "grid" (hate that word) and we stick to the current web. The web is perfectly fine atm.

    And won't this put ISPs out of business?
    • SteveMax, on 06/02/2008, -1/+2No, it's not. It's way too slow for the LHC. We're talking hundreds of gigabytes per second here. A dedicated link is the only way to move this amount of data without clogging all the tubes.
      Also, WTF? Only data needed to run the programs is shared, so only data you don't own already (it's owned by the collaboration) is shared. Besides, what do ISPs have to do with high performance computing?
  • eastlondoner, on 06/02/2008, -7/+1THE GRID. What a load of *****.
  • montana111, on 06/02/2008, -0/+1the link in the video description takes you to a webpage that hasnt been updated since 2006. surprise.
  • Supermodified, on 06/02/2008, -0/+1"So there you have it - the Grid!"

    *applause*

    "Yes, you."

    "New York Times. So, uh, what kind of computer can act as a 'resource broker' and manage the amazingly large amount of data being transferred across the Grid?"

    *mumblemumble*

    "Uh... the Grid 2.0?"
    • Culyt, on 06/02/2008, -0/+2A resource brokers doesn't need to be anything special. It takes a lot to transfer 10000TeraBytes of data, but it takes almost noting to reference it. Plus I would assume the resource brokers are distributed like DNS servers are now days.
  • daeus, on 06/02/2008, -0/+3The foundation of Machine City?
  • sirmadog, on 06/02/2008, -3/+2BOINC already does this... there are multiple projects you can choose from. I have been doing Rosetta which is for medical research since it about started.

    http://boinc.berkeley.edu/trac/wiki/ManagerAdvance ...
  • matroosje, on 06/02/2008, -1/+19I hope the grid will have better background music in the future
    • daeus, on 06/03/2008, -0/+1Maybe some trance music or some minimal funky house electro?
  • MMaster23, on 06/02/2008, -3/+1i can has distributed.net ?
  • brodieface, on 06/02/2008, -1/+4The Powerpoint-esque flying text characters at the start signalled to me that this had to be around a decade old.
  • cjh24, on 06/02/2008, -0/+1weird - "virtual organisation"
    i thought that organisations were mentalisms to begin with...
    http://www.ukiroc.eu/content/view/111/227/
  • saadshamim, on 06/02/2008, -0/+3it's funny how they make something so nerdy, look so cool.
  • marklar69, on 06/02/2008, -2/+1Umm isn't this basically like the folding or seti projects?
  • smellinator, on 06/02/2008, -1/+6At 3 minutes and 43 seconds into the video, you can watch what one physicist is typing into the grid:
    "a-/-s-/-l? w-h-a-t- - a-r-e- -y-o-u- -w-e-a-r-i-n-g-?"
    • jack0lant3rn, on 06/02/2008, -0/+2BS he doesn't hit - at all
    • bjornski, on 08/23/2008, -0/+2Maf54: You in your boxers, too?
      Teen: Nope, just got home. I had a college interview that went late.
      Maf54: Well, strip down and get relaxed.

      Another message:

      Maf54: What ya wearing?
      Teen: tshirt and shorts
      Maf54: Love to slip them off of you.

      And this one:

      Maf54: Do I make you a little horny?
      Teen: A little.
      Maf54: Cool.

      http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/09/exclus ...
  • theguesser10, on 06/02/2008, -1/+2Ok they definitely already have stuff like this. Ever hear of SETI @ Home? Lets you join SETI with your computer and pile through data looking for signals. The Grid is just a more standardized application of networking. It's nothing we can't or haven't already done. There are supercomputers just made up of many computers in one room, and there are giant botnets controlled by criminal groups.
  • Emilia82, on 06/02/2008, -1/+1Ha, very cool!
  • SPARTACVS, on 06/02/2008, -0/+4The tactical hub for 01. The machines have already won.
  • coolcole93, on 06/02/2008, -0/+4In 25 years time we'll look back at that vid and LOL at the crappy technology
  • Oboeshoes, on 06/02/2008, -2/+1But can it play Crysis?
    • logicalriot, on 06/02/2008, -0/+1i was totally going to say that :)
  • match311, on 06/02/2008, -1/+0I know it would be used for good, but this kinda sounds like an opt-in bot net.
  • McShr3dd3r, on 06/02/2008, -0/+5Can it divide by zero?
  • MrViklund, on 06/02/2008, -2/+1I thought it already had.
  • SqueekyClean, on 06/02/2008, -2/+3isnt this just folding@home?
  • Takuro, on 06/02/2008, -0/+4... and on the 7th day Bonzi Buddy was transferred throughout the supercomputer network, spelling doom upon humankind.
  • jinsundo, on 06/02/2008, -0/+1Computer systems move one step closer to sentient awareness
  • alexkim804, on 06/03/2008, -1/+2why doesn't CERN have better video producers? seriously... they invented the ***** web
    • bjornski, on 08/23/2008, -0/+1Maybe they're spending their money on things other than making videos.

      And why would someone involved in networking technologies be good at making videos?

      Two TOTALLY different things.
  • kjhfuifh, on 06/03/2008, -2/+0hi guys would you like to enjoy more fun
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UQRY-T6h84
  •  

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