Topic Number: 12
Student Name: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Topic:
12- There are currently many computational problems that require large amounts of computer power to solve. Many groups working on these projects have no way to provide the power needed to solve these massive problems with their own computational resources. Many of these groups have turned to Grid Computing to help solve this problem. What is Grid Computing and how does it work?
Research Report
Essentially grid computing is the use of several different computers working together to solve one issue. This issue or problem is generally of such size and complexity that a typical computer has no hope of solving it. In order for grid computing to work first a company or group of researchers will put out notice that that are looking for help. They have a problem that needs solving and they lack the computer processing muscle necessary to do all the work. Users will then gradually hear of their plight and occasionally decide to help out. After that it is usually a simple matter of downloading a software packet and Presto! Your computer is now one piece of a large distributed networked supercomputer.(Information gotten from http://folding.stanford.edu/) This network shares each computer’s resources across the entire network. From memory to processing power, even quite possibly the person sitting on the other end. At the University of Washington online gamers helped to solve an issue scientists were unable to on their own (http://www.washington.edu/news/2011/09/19/gamers-succeed-where-scientists-fail/ )
Groups typically involved in Grid Computing can range wildly. For example from a quick Google search several different results were returned ranging from mathematics and science to rendering of 3D animation. Any group with a problem capable of being solved by a computer but lacking the power necessary could find Grid Computing attractive. It should be used because it greatly improves the