Wireless Grid - Grid Computing

Grid Computing

Grid computing came into existence as a manner of sharing heavy computational loads among multiple computers to be able to compute highly complex mathematical problems (a good real-world example being the SETI@Home project). However, it developed rapidly into a way of sharing virtually any resource that is available on any machine on the grid. Wired grids are now used to share not only computing power, but also hard disk space, data, and applications. The grid topology is highly flexible and easily scalable, allowing users to join and leave the grid without the hassle of time and resource hungry identification procedures, having to adjust their devices or install additional software on them. The goal of grid computing is described as "to provide flexible, secure and coordinated resource sharing among dynamic collections of individuals, institutions and resources" (McKnight, Howison, 2004).
It is intended to be a dynamic network without geographical, political, or cultural boundaries that offers real-time access to heterogeneous resources and still offer the same characteristics of the traditional distributed networks that are in use everywhere in our houses and offices. These characteristics being stability, scalability, and flexibility as the most important ones. Ian Foster offers a checklist for recognizing a grid.

A grid allows:

• Coordination of resources that are not subject to centralized control
• Use of standard, open, general-purpose protocols and interfaces
• Delivery of nontrivial qualities of service