Breaking up a large computing problem into small chunks and distributing it to a large number of processors/machines. Sometimes these machines are in geographically diverse locations. Sometimes the machines have other "primary roles", and compute the problem in the background.
Examples: http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu http://www.distributed.net Some people theorize that given enough participants, CPU time will eventually be globally bought or sold as a commodity. For example, if NASA wants to calculate some huge "galaxy scale" problem, they might buy 1mil "CPU hours" from an organization who manages a huge network of grid computers which have the ability to crunch the problem in record time. These orgs exist today, but not on the scales needed to make it a real globally tradable commodity. One of the problems with programs that use desktop resources like Seti@Home and Distributed.net is that you are trusting unknown people's computers to solve problems, and NASA might not want that. Right now there are private grid networks being set up, and already set up with trusted resources to solve these types of problems. http://www-1.ibm.com/grid -Cameron ----------------- Cameron Childress Sumo Consulting Inc. --- cell: 678-637-5072 aim: cameroncf email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -----Original Message----- > From: Candace Cottrell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 10:14 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Grid computing > > > What is it? > > It's supposedly the "wave of the future" for those of us in IT > according to sys-con's developer's poll. > > From what I have gathered from google, it's a way of setting up > machines to talk to one another and share resources. > > Anyone know anything about it? It's got me curious.. > > Candace K. Cottrell, Web Developer > The Children's Medical Center > One Children's Plaza > Dayton, OH 45404 > 937-641-4293 > http://www.childrensdayton.org > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting. Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
