THE GRID
Abstract
A new class of advanced network-based applications is emerging, distinguished from today’s Web browsers and other standard Internet
applications by a coordinated use of not only networks but also endsystem computers, data archives, various sensors, and advanced human
computer interfaces. These applications require services not provided by today’s Internet and Web: they need a "Grid" that both integrates
new types of resource into the network fabric and provides enhanced "middleware" services such as quality of service within the fabric itself.
Various groups within the research community and commercial sector are investigating these advanced applications. Successful large-scale
experiments have been conducted and much has been learned about requirements for "middleware." Indeed, various federal agencies have
started projects to create a Grid infrastructure: e.g., the National Science Foundation’s Partnerships in Advanced Computational Infrastructure,
NASA’s Information Power Grid, and DOE’s Next Generation Internet program.
With these and other efforts emerging, we believe that there is much to be gained from the definition of a broadly based Integrated Grid
Architecture that can serve to guide the research, development, and deployment activities of the emerging Grid community. We argue that the
definition of such an architecture will advance the Grid agenda by enabling the broad deployment and adoption of fundamental basic services
such as security and network quality of service, and sharing of code across different applications with common requirements. |
