OT - GRID Computing

Kinda OT, its networking.. not entirely linux although linux is the OS of
choice for anyone with any sense so i figured i would post here, hope
someone can help me

I have been asked to write an essay at uni about the basis of grid computing
and the effect it will have on international networks and national networks.

I have heard of GRID computing and most people can probably guess what it is
by the name kind of.

However I just want someone to tell me how it works

Is their a central point that manages the tasks allocated the nodes in a
GRID?

how does a computer doing part of a task on a GRID know when to stop?

My idea of a GRID is that if

HOST A wants to do some processing and theres too much then HOST A will send
out smaller tasks for other HOSTS lets say HOST B and HOST C to do until
they all collectively complete their smaller tasks and then HOST B and C
send the completed parts back to HOST A who has also been doing it's own
little task and once all of the HOSTS involved in the task have sent the
info back to HOST A then HOST A gets whatever it originally wanted

the thing is i would like to know if there is a central point, like a server
where all of the processing must go through, or does it just travel accross
cables to wherever it needs to go?

im really a novice at it and it is the first year of my degreee and i havent
been taught anything about GRID computing we have been told to do all the
research ourselves so here I am.

In a sense it sounds alot like Bit torrent

however i would really like to know how it is rigged up?

does each HOST on a grid have a management software which translates
requests for idle processor cycles etc or is there a server somewhere or a
hub/router keeping track of a table on which HOSTS have free processor
cycles etc etc.

ahhh its gonna be hard this one me thinks hehe

there must be some underlying protocol that allows standard network
communication, such as ethernet TCP/IP or does GRID use its own protocols
accross one connection. I have looked at a website

http://www.teragrid.org/about/sites.html

some of the descriptions say that the speeds get upto 20Gbps which is
immense i mean i have heard of 1000M/bit but not erm let me see

1000 Mb = 1Gb so 20 Gb = 20,000 Mb PER SECOND!

so i cant imagine it using standard old ethernet protocols like TCP/IP etc

although saying that i wouldn't know

can anyone just shed a teeny bit of light or point me to a website that
explains GRID to a novice?

Christo wrote:
> Kinda OT, its networking.. not entirely linux although linux is the
OS of
> choice for anyone with any sense so i figured i would post here, hope

> someone can help me
>
> I have been asked to write an essay at uni about the basis of grid
computing
> and the effect it will have on international networks and national
networks.
>
> I have heard of GRID computing and most people can probably guess
what it is
> by the name kind of.
>
> However I just want someone to tell me how it works
>
> Is their a central point that manages the tasks allocated the nodes
in a
> GRID?
>
> how does a computer doing part of a task on a GRID know when to stop?
>
> My idea of a GRID is that if
>
> HOST A wants to do some processing and theres too much then HOST A
will send
> out smaller tasks for other HOSTS lets say HOST B and HOST C to do
until
> they all collectively complete their smaller tasks and then HOST B
and C
> send the completed parts back to HOST A who has also been doing it's
own
> little task and once all of the HOSTS involved in the task have sent
the
> info back to HOST A then HOST A gets whatever it originally wanted
>
> the thing is i would like to know if there is a central point, like a
server
> where all of the processing must go through, or does it just travel
accross
> cables to wherever it needs to go?
>
> im really a novice at it and it is the first year of my degreee and i
havent
> been taught anything about GRID computing we have been told to do all
the
> research ourselves so here I am.
>
> In a sense it sounds alot like Bit torrent
>
> however i would really like to know how it is rigged up?
>
> does each HOST on a grid have a management software which translates
> requests for idle processor cycles etc or is there a server somewhere
or a
> hub/router keeping track of a table on which HOSTS have free
processor
> cycles etc etc.
>
> ahhh its gonna be hard this one me thinks hehe
>
> there must be some underlying protocol that allows standard network
> communication, such as ethernet TCP/IP or does GRID use its own
protocols
> accross one connection. I have looked at a website
>
> http://www.teragrid.org/about/sites.html
>
> some of the descriptions say that the speeds get upto 20Gbps which is

> immense i mean i have heard of 1000M/bit but not erm let me see
>
> 1000 Mb = 1Gb so 20 Gb = 20,000 Mb PER SECOND!
>
> so i cant imagine it using standard old ethernet protocols like
TCP/IP etc
>
> although saying that i wouldn't know
>
> can anyone just shed a teeny bit of light or point me to a website
that
> explains GRID to a novice?

So many questions ...

First 20Gbps=10Gbps x 2, ie., 2 10Gbps nics aggregated.

TCP/IP is _not_ a link layer protocol like ethernet. In fact, it is
meant to be independent of the link layer.

About grid computing, try these:
http://www-130.ibm.com/developerworks/grid
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerwork...wto/index.html
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerwork...e_by=Tutorials

And these googles will provide even more:
http://www.google.com/search?q=Global+Grid+Forum
http://www.google.com/search?q=Open%...20Architecture

hth,
prg

"prg" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
>
> Christo wrote:
>> Kinda OT, its networking.. not entirely linux although linux is the
> OS of
>> choice for anyone with any sense so i figured i would post here, hope
>
>> someone can help me
>>
>> I have been asked to write an essay at uni about the basis of grid
> computing
>> and the effect it will have on international networks and national
> networks.
>>
>> I have heard of GRID computing and most people can probably guess
> what it is
>> by the name kind of.
>>
>> However I just want someone to tell me how it works
>>
>> Is their a central point that manages the tasks allocated the nodes
> in a
>> GRID?
>>
>> how does a computer doing part of a task on a GRID know when to stop?
>>
>> My idea of a GRID is that if
>>
>> HOST A wants to do some processing and theres too much then HOST A
> will send
>> out smaller tasks for other HOSTS lets say HOST B and HOST C to do
> until
>> they all collectively complete their smaller tasks and then HOST B
> and C
>> send the completed parts back to HOST A who has also been doing it's
> own
>> little task and once all of the HOSTS involved in the task have sent
> the
>> info back to HOST A then HOST A gets whatever it originally wanted
>>
>> the thing is i would like to know if there is a central point, like a
> server
>> where all of the processing must go through, or does it just travel
> accross
>> cables to wherever it needs to go?
>>
>> im really a novice at it and it is the first year of my degreee and i
> havent
>> been taught anything about GRID computing we have been told to do all
> the
>> research ourselves so here I am.
>>
>> In a sense it sounds alot like Bit torrent
>>
>> however i would really like to know how it is rigged up?
>>
>> does each HOST on a grid have a management software which translates
>> requests for idle processor cycles etc or is there a server somewhere
> or a
>> hub/router keeping track of a table on which HOSTS have free
> processor
>> cycles etc etc.
>>
>> ahhh its gonna be hard this one me thinks hehe
>>
>> there must be some underlying protocol that allows standard network
>> communication, such as ethernet TCP/IP or does GRID use its own
> protocols
>> accross one connection. I have looked at a website
>>
>> http://www.teragrid.org/about/sites.html
>>
>> some of the descriptions say that the speeds get upto 20Gbps which is
>
>> immense i mean i have heard of 1000M/bit but not erm let me see
>>
>> 1000 Mb = 1Gb so 20 Gb = 20,000 Mb PER SECOND!
>>
>> so i cant imagine it using standard old ethernet protocols like
> TCP/IP etc
>>
>> although saying that i wouldn't know
>>
>> can anyone just shed a teeny bit of light or point me to a website
> that
>> explains GRID to a novice?
>
> So many questions ...
>
> First 20Gbps=10Gbps x 2, ie., 2 10Gbps nics aggregated.
>
> TCP/IP is _not_ a link layer protocol like ethernet. In fact, it is
> meant to be independent of the link layer.
>
> About grid computing, try these:
> http://www-130.ibm.com/developerworks/grid
> http://www-106.ibm.com/developerwork...wto/index.html
> http://www-106.ibm.com/developerwork...e_by=Tutorials
>
> And these googles will provide even more:
> http://www.google.com/search?q=Global+Grid+Forum
> http://www.google.com/search?q=Open%...20Architecture
>
> hth,
> prg
>

Thank you, ill be looking at those links

Christo wrote:
> "prg" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> >
> > Christo wrote:
> >> Kinda OT, its networking.. not entirely linux although linux is
the
> > OS of
> >> choice for anyone with any sense so i figured i would post here,
hope
> >
> >> someone can help me
> >>
> >> I have been asked to write an essay at uni about the basis of grid
> > computing
> >> and the effect it will have on international networks and national
> > networks.
> >>
> >> I have heard of GRID computing and most people can probably guess
> > what it is
> >> by the name kind of.
> >>
> >> However I just want someone to tell me how it works
> >>
> >> Is their a central point that manages the tasks allocated the
nodes
> > in a
> >> GRID?
> >>
> >> how does a computer doing part of a task on a GRID know when to
stop?
> >>
> >> My idea of a GRID is that if
> >>
> >> HOST A wants to do some processing and theres too much then HOST A
> > will send
> >> out smaller tasks for other HOSTS lets say HOST B and HOST C to do
> > until
> >> they all collectively complete their smaller tasks and then HOST B
> > and C
> >> send the completed parts back to HOST A who has also been doing
it's
> > own
> >> little task and once all of the HOSTS involved in the task have
sent
> > the
> >> info back to HOST A then HOST A gets whatever it originally wanted
> >>
> >> the thing is i would like to know if there is a central point,
like a
> > server
> >> where all of the processing must go through, or does it just
travel
> > accross
> >> cables to wherever it needs to go?
> >>
> >> im really a novice at it and it is the first year of my degreee
and i
> > havent
> >> been taught anything about GRID computing we have been told to do
all
> > the
> >> research ourselves so here I am.
> >>
> >> In a sense it sounds alot like Bit torrent
> >>
> >> however i would really like to know how it is rigged up?
> >>
> >> does each HOST on a grid have a management software which
translates
> >> requests for idle processor cycles etc or is there a server
somewhere
> > or a
> >> hub/router keeping track of a table on which HOSTS have free
> > processor
> >> cycles etc etc.
> >>
> >> ahhh its gonna be hard this one me thinks hehe
> >>
> >> there must be some underlying protocol that allows standard
network
> >> communication, such as ethernet TCP/IP or does GRID use its own
> > protocols
> >> accross one connection. I have looked at a website
> >>
> >> http://www.teragrid.org/about/sites.html
> >>
> >> some of the descriptions say that the speeds get upto 20Gbps which
is
> >
> >> immense i mean i have heard of 1000M/bit but not erm let me see
> >>
> >> 1000 Mb = 1Gb so 20 Gb = 20,000 Mb PER SECOND!
> >>
> >> so i cant imagine it using standard old ethernet protocols like
> > TCP/IP etc
> >>
> >> although saying that i wouldn't know
> >>
> >> can anyone just shed a teeny bit of light or point me to a website
> > that
> >> explains GRID to a novice?
> >
> > So many questions ...
> >
> > First 20Gbps=10Gbps x 2, ie., 2 10Gbps nics aggregated.
> >
> > TCP/IP is _not_ a link layer protocol like ethernet. In fact, it
is
> > meant to be independent of the link layer.
> >
> > About grid computing, try these:
> > http://www-130.ibm.com/developerworks/grid
> > http://www-106.ibm.com/developerwork...wto/index.html
> >
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerwork...e_by=Tutorials
> >
> > And these googles will provide even more:
> > http://www.google.com/search?q=Global+Grid+Forum
> >
http://www.google.com/search?q=Open%...20Architecture
> >
> > hth,
> > prg
> >
>
> Thank you, ill be looking at those links

You're welcome

BTW, forgot to include a shortcut to your question re: grid vs. p2p.
Here is a pretty good comparison (included in a link above, IIRC):

http://people.cs.uchicago.edu/~anda/...rid_vs_p2p.pdf

have fun
prg