Office politics and other social issues are a bigger problem than
technology when it comes to the adoption of the "grid" philosophy of
pooling computing resources, according to a study released Wednesday.
In grid computing, servers and storage systems are grouped together so the
power of the individual machines can be combined. Specific software governs
issues such as different priorities and privileges for the various programs
running on the collection. The concept began in academic supercomputing
centers but now is being rebuilt for business users with help from
companies such as IBM and Sun Microsystems.
But it will be difficult for central authorities to wrestle away control
over individual or departmental computers so the machines can be put into a
larger collective, according to a survey conducted by Collignon Research
and funded by Platform Computing, which sells software that can be used to
build and run grids.
"Eighty-nine percent of respondents believe that there are nontechnical
barriers to successful implementation of grid technology, such as
'server-hugging,' loss of control and problems related to sharing
information technology budgets," said a study based on the survey data.
Computer users fear they'll lose control over, or access, to their
computers; will have their budgets cut; will be faced with weaker data
security barriers between different grid users; and will see their projects
demoted to lower priorities, the study said.
The survey polled employees at 40 organizations that use grid computing,
including chip designers such as Advanced Micro Devices and Qualcomm,
financial services companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase and biotechnology
companies such as Incyte Genomics and Novartis.
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