Skip to main content
Log in

Vega: A Computer Systems Approach to Grid Computing

  • Published:
Journal of Grid Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, we contrast four approaches for Grid computing, and discuss a computer systems approach in detail. This approach views a Grid as a distributed computer system, and its main concerns are systems abstractions and constructs, such as the Grid equivalents of computer architecture, address space, process, device, file system, user/developer’s interface. Following this methodology, we identified several essential issues, developed a Vega Grid systems architecture, and proposed several systems techniques such as Grid routers, Grid address spaces, Grid process (grip), Grid community (agora), and a Grid Service Markup Language (GSML) software suite. We evaluated the computer systems approach and the associated techniques by discussing an OSGA-compliant Grid system software implementation and a travel agency example.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. M. Atkinson, “UK e-Science and the National e-Science Centre”, Presentation to the China National Grid delegation, UK National e-Science Center, Edinburgh, October 2003.

  2. Avaki, http://www.avaki.com, October 2004.

  3. G. Bu, Z. Xu, “Access Control in Semantic Grid”, Future Generation Computer Systems, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 113–122, January 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  4. K. Czajkowski, D.F. Ferguson, I. Foster and J. Frey, The WS-Resource Framework, http://www.globus.org/wsrf/, 2004.

  5. R.C. Daley and J.B. Dennis, “Virtual Memory, Processes, and Sharing in Multics”, in Proceedings of the 1st ACM Symposium on Operating System Principles, January 1967, pp. 12.1–12.8.

  6. D. Esposito, “A First Look at Writing and Deploying Apps in the Next Generation of Windows”, Microsoft MSDN Magazine, Vol. 19, No. 1, January 2004.

  7. I. Foster, C. Kesselman, J. Nick and S. Tuecke, “Grid Services for Distributed Systems Integration”, IEEE Computer, Vol. 35, No. 6, pp. 37–46, June 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  8. I. Foster and D. Gannon (eds), Open Grid Services Architecture Platform, http://www.ggf.org/ogsa-wg, 2003.

  9. I. Foster, J. Voeckler, M. Wilde and Y. Zhou, “Chimera: A virtual data system for representing, querying, and automating data derivation”, in Proceedings of the 14th Conference on Scientific and Statistical Database Management, July 2002, pp. 37–46.

  10. Globus Alliance, http://www.globus.org/

  11. J. Gray, “What next: A Dozen Information-Technology Research Goals”, Journal of the ACM, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 41–57, January 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  12. A.S. Grimshaw, W. Wulf, “The Legion Vision of a Worldwide Virtual Computer”, Communication of the ACM, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 39–45, January 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  13. J.L. Hennessy, D.A. Patterson and D. Goldberg, Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach, 3rd edn. Morgan Kaufmann, 2002.

  14. K. Hwang, Z. Xu, Scalable Parallel Computers: Technology, Architecture, Programming. McGraw-Hill: New York, 1998.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. IBM, “Websphere Platform”, http://www.ibm.com/websphere

  16. The IBM San Francisco Project, IBM Systems Journal, Vol. 37, No. 2, 1998, Special Issue.

  17. G. von Laszewski, I. Foster, J. Gawor, W. Smith and S. Tuecke, “CoG Kits: A Bridge between Commodity Distributed Computing and High-Performance Grids”, in Proceedings of the ACM 2000 Conference on Java Grande, June 2000, pp. 97–106.

  18. B. Li, W. Li and Z. Xu, “Implementation issues of a Grid Service Markup Language”, in Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Computing, Applications and Technologies, August 2003, pp. 620–624.

  19. W. Li, Z. Xu, F. Dong and J. Zhang, “Grid Resource Discovery Based on a Routing-Transferring Model”, in Proceedings of the 3rd International Workshop on Grid Computing, November 2002, pp. 145–156.

  20. J.C.R. Licklider, “Man–Computer Symbiosis”, IRE Transactions on Human Factors in Electronics, HFE-1, pp. 4–11, 1960.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. T. Liu, X. Li, W. Li, N. Sun and Z. Xu, “Notes on a Run-Time Construct for Grid”, Journal of Computer Research and Development, Vol. 40, No. 12, pp. 1811–1815, December 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Message Passing Interface Forum, MPI: A Message-Passing Interface Standard, 1994.

  23. Microsoft, .NET Framework, http://www.microsoft.com/net/

  24. Microsoft Longhorn Developer Center Home, Understanding Longhorn, MSDN website, http://msdn.microsoft.com/Longhorn/understanding/, October 2004.

  25. J.H. Saltzer, D.P. Reed and D.D. Clark, “End-to-End Arguments in System Design”, ACM Transactions in Computer Systems, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 277–288, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  26. A. Silberschatz, P. Galvin and G. Gagne, Operating System Concepts, 6th edn. Wiley, 2001.

  27. Sun Microsystems, Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition, http://java.sun.com/j2ee

  28. S. Tuecke, K. Czajkowski, I. Foster, J. Frey et al., Open Grid Services Infrastructure (OGSI) Version 1.0, Global Grid Forum Draft Recommendation, 2003.

  29. S. Vinoski, “CORBA: Integrating Diverse Applications within Distributed Heterogeneous Environments”, IEEE Communications Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 46–55, February 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  30. H. Wang, Z. Xu, Y. Gong and W. Li, “Agora: Grid Community in Vega Grid”, in Grid and Cooperative Computing: 2nd International Workshop, December 2003, pp. 685–691.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhiwei Xu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Xu, Z., Li, W., Zha, L. et al. Vega: A Computer Systems Approach to Grid Computing. J Grid Computing 2, 109–120 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10723-004-6744-7

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10723-004-6744-7

Keywords

Navigation