Grid Computing: A New High Performance Computing Infrastructure

Abstract

The complexity and size of the current generation of supercomputers leads to the emergence of cluster computing which is characterized by its scalability, flexibility of configuration and upgrade, high availability and improvement of cost and time. As the demand for computing power continues to grow and as many existing systems are underutilized, the feasibility of using distributed computing resources as an alternative to large clusters is being explored.

So inspired by the electrical power grid's pervasiveness, ease of use, and reliability, computer scientists began exploring the design and development of an analogous infrastructure called Computational power Grid for Wide-Area Parallel and Distributed Computing. Grid Computing is a type of parallel and distributed system that enables sharing, selection and aggregation of a wide variety of geographically distributed computational resources thus allowing them to be used as a single unified resource for solving large-scale compute and data intensive computing applications. Grid Computing provide flexible, secure, coordinated resource sharing among dynamic collections of individuals, institutions, and resources. The sharing that we are concerned with is not primarily file exchange but rather direct access to computers, software, data and other resources.

This thesis concentrates on building ERI (Electronic Research Institute) grid first by building the ERI clusters and test their validity then constructing the ERI grid by connecting two clusters together by using a virtual private network that manage · dynamic resources. Also, it concludes that the cluster and the grid give better utilization of resources and better computational power. The ERI grid is built as a prototype then it is connected with UCONN university in united states of America for mutual research activities.