Grid Computing (On Demand Series)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 400 pages
• Published by: IBM Press January 9, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0131456601
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0131456600
• Book Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.1 inches
• Weighs: 1.7 pounds

Reader Reviews
Grid computing is extensively described here as a means of providing high powered utility computing on demand. Currently, its potential is mostly unrealised. Many companies and universities have different grid implementations, as described by the authors. The universities' main motivation is to dragoon enough computing resources for hard research problems. While in the commercial sector, computer companies like IBM want to sell on demand access as a means of entering a hopefully vast new market. The grid approaches in the book collectively can be contrasted with p2p computing. Grid systems tend to use more diverse and powerful hardware and relatively small number of users. Think of this as the high end, while p2p is low end (e.g. the SETI desktop application). The book describes the vast amount of effort that has gone into devising grid standards and the various toolkits, most notably Globus. A potential problem which may occur to the reader of this book is the sheer complexity of the grid approach. Its proponents argue that this is necessary complexity. But perhaps a p2p methodology might be easier to understand and use. An analogy is with the X.400 and X.500 email and directory standards. While these are used by some companies, many have not done so. Due to the complexity and slowness. Too heavyweight. The danger for grid computing is meeting a similar fate. It may end up occupying a small high value niche, but no more. Comment | | (Report this)