Oracle-L: RE: Grid

From: Robson, Peter <pgro_at_bgs.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 01:49:27 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.005CD288.20030826014927@fatcity.com>

Although I haven't got into the technical details of 'The Grid' (and thanks for this article - I shall read it), but nevertheless I have a haunting sense of deja vu. Remember all the hype over distributed computing that Oracle generated? Remember the key part client-server was of that? Remember what Ellison said about that? ('The biggest mistake we ever made' - I was there, I heard him say it). So..... I'm just wondering how this particular circle is going to be squared...

peter
edinburgh

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 7:10 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

While I was cleaning up the other day, I noticed a magazine sticking out of the middle (sadly, closer to the top) of my still-to-be-read list. The cover story of Physics Today (Feb. 2002) is "The Power of Grid Computing". It is a pretty good review article on the subject. If anyone is interested, the URL is http://www.aip.org/pt/vol-55/iss-2/p42.html

The major point seems to be that the grid is simply just a way to share distributed resources. However, utilizing these resources needs an infrastructure in place. It "requires uniform mechanisms for such critical tasks as creating and managing services on remote computers, supporting single sign-on to distributed resources, transferring large datasets at high speeds, forming large distributed virtual communities, and maintaining information about the existence, state, and usage policies of community resources...Providing the infrastructure and tools that make large-scale, secure resource sharing possible and straight-forward is the Grid's raison d'etre."

In addition, this means that computing resources can be parcelled out like a utility. If you need extra CPU, buy it and use it from your utility when you need it. You don't need to own the hardware for your peak load. It also becomes easier to share data and applications between colleagues at different locations.

I can see how databases are part of this picture, but I am not sure how Oracle will try and place itself at the center of this trend (unless they mangle the concept of Grid in the process).

Henry

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Author: Henry Poras
INET: hporas_at_etal.uri.edu

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Author: Robson, Peter
INET: pgro_at_bgs.ac.uk

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