LIMITATIONS
OF GRID COMPUTING AS ANSWER
COMPUTING
RESOURCES
Abstraction
Grid computing, an
architecture of high-performance computer systems that utilize existing grid
computing technologies (some of which are: Globus Toolkit 4, Condor, PVM, MPI)
as a component builders. With the creation of this computing grid computing infrastructure,
the researchers hoped would need computing resources can be met and, in turn,
can increase the competitive level.
Keywords: grid computing, distributed computing, PVM (Parallel
Virtual Machine)
1.
Introduction
a.
Computing
Resources needs the development of e-Science
Currently, the
researchers are already well aware of the importance of the role of computers
in the development of science and technology. The computer allows the
researchers to create a virtual laboratory in a computer to perform experiments
that would be very expensive if done in a physical laboratory or even
impossible. Some parties even has its own name to describe the activities of
the development of science and technology is a computer-based e-Science as 0.
b.
The high cost of computing resources
To experiment with using a computer
in the context of the development of e-Science in general takes over the
resources of high-performance computing (or also known as high performance
computing). In the past few decades, high-performance computing resources can
only be met by a computer which is categorized as supercomputers (such as the
Cray X-MP computer, CDC, ILLIAC-IV). Supercomputer is able to meet the needs of
e-Science researchers, but because the price is expensive, only a few of
The researchers were able to have it
/ use it. In line with the development of computer technology, both in terms of
hardware and software, the current high-performance computing resources no
longer be met by the computers category supercomputer. Even with computer
technology known as grid computing, a number of computers that are commonly
used in offices can be combined to jointly perform experiments as previously
practiced by computer supe.
c.
Grid
Computing as a Solution
For researchers in countries with
limited economic capabilities, the solutions provided by grid computing
technology is an alternative that should be considered very seriously.
Development of science and technology, including those carried out with the
help of a computer (e-Science), does not have to stop just because of limited
funds. Grid computing technologies enable researchers utilize computing
resources that have been around as much as possible. By using this technology,
the researchers can combine computers that are in places that are
geographically separated into a unified computer system. Combined many
computers as a whole is able to provide computing resources equal or even more
with the computer category supercomputer. Furthermore, these computer systems
can be used simultaneously by researchers who also comes from agencies
different location. On the whole, not just the technology of grid computing
allows researchers to implement e-Science to develop science and technology at
a cost that is relatively "affordable", but also can take advantage
of existing computing resources as efficiently as possible is shared by many
researchers.
2.
Discussion
a.
The
evolution of Grid Computing
Grid computing technology is a
technology that has been developed in a long time. In evolution we see the
development of similar technologies ranging from Condor 0, followed by PVM
(Parallel Virtual Machine) 0 and MPI (Message Passing Interface) 0, up to the
Globus Toolkit 0 Since the beginning, the researchers in the field of high
performance computing has used two approaches 0, (1) supercomputer, built a
computer with high-performance hardware technology, and (2) multicomputer,
build a computer system with an interconnection network technology and
software. The first approach generally produces a high-performance computer,
but worth very expensive so it can only be owned by a handful of parties. The
second approach results in a computer system whose performance varies according
to the number of computers involved and the configuration of the software used.
Although the price of a
high-performance computer systems are built with more affordable multicomputer
approach compared to supercomputers, its use is still limited. The
network-based computer systems are generally applied to the computers connected
in a local network (LAN). One reason is that network security issues have not
been handled properly. In addition, system support software that allows the
computers to work as one unit generally has a complex configuration so that
users must have their own expertise before it can take advantage of the
computer system.
In line with the development of
Internet technology and computer-related technologies such as data
communication protocols, network security technology, distributed pemgrograman
technologies, programming languages and technologies that are independent of
the architecture of the computer-based high-performance computer systems
network becomes easier to implement and use.
b.
Grid
Computing & Solutions Offered
In recent years, a group of
researchers in the field of high performance computing seriously focusing on
the development of network-based computer system as described above by using a
technology known as grid computing technology 0.
Grid computing technology is a way
of merging the resources owned many computers connected in a network to form a
unified computer system with computing resources on a scale approaching the
amount of computing resources from computers that make it up. Further, some or
all of the computing resources can be used by users according their individual
needs. Naming the "grid" to borrow a term used here in the
electricity 0, where power plants are connected to each other to jointly supply
the electricity needs of its users. Each user only uses a portion of the electrical
power generated by all the power plants.
In contrast to its predecessor
technologies such as Condor, PVM, or MPI, grid computing technology is
complemented by components that allow the use of pooled computing resources
more optimally and safely. To see the components of grid computing technology,
will be described briefly here Globus Toolkit system developed by researchers
at Argonne National Laboratory, United States 0 system is one of the Globus
Toolkit grid computing technologies that are popular and widely used by
parties- those who want to integrate their computing resources scattered into a
single unit.
Specifically, the system Globus
Toolkit that will be discussed here is the Globus Toolkit system version 4
(GT4) 0, which is the latest version of the Globus Toolkit system. GT4 systems
built using Web Services technologies 0 which has evolved into a standard in
distributed software development. Web Services technology allows GT4 adopts the
concept of service-oriented (service-oriented) who use the service, not the
hardware, as the basic component of the building. On top of Web Services is the
GT4 build major components of the system following grid computing.
c.
Infrastruktur
Grid Computing
With the increasing need for
researchers to computing resources to perform the e-Science as already
mentioned upfront and development of grid computing technology then several
countries have taken the initiative to implement a grid computing
infrastructure at the national level. Some examples of these include: India 0, 0
of Singapore, and Japan 0.
A grid computing infrastructure will
be able to reduce the investment cost than if each institution must hold its
own computing devices. Furthermore, the grid computing system requires the use
of computing resources together to foster the spirit of collaboration among the
researchers. One thing that is very positive.
See the benefits that can be
provided by the existence of a grid computing infrastructure at the national
level in this paper proposed a draft RI-GRID, that grid computing
infrastructure at the level of the Republic of Indonesia, which aims to utilize
computing resources that are research institutions both now and in the future
so that it can be used by researchers in these countries to develop science and
technology.
d.
Arsitektur
GRID COMPUTING
Figure 1 below shows the
architectural design of the grid computing infrastructure. As shown in the
picture, GRID COMPUTING constructed by combining the grid computing systems
that are in research institutions (GRID-2, 3, 4) into a single unit. The
configuration of hardware and software systems at each institutional level can
be different, but with grid computing technologies operate as GT4 on the
connecting nodes of each system, the whole system to form a unity grid
computing infrastructure. With this configuration, if needed, the user in an
institution can utilize computing resources that are outside the institution.
Configuration shown in Figure 1
above does not require each system at the institutional level to change the
configuration of each system significantly. If an institution has implemented a
grid computing technology such as SUN Grid Engine (SGE) or network-based
computing technologies such as PVM, MPI, Condor GT4 then the system can be
configured to coordinate with each of these technologies.
One of the prerequisites of the formation of
GRID COMPUTING is the availability of a large-capacity backbone network to
connect nodes liaison at each institution (must have a bandwidth ranging 2 Mbps
to 155 Mbps).
1.
GRAM:
Grid Resource Allocation and Management
This component is responsible for
managing all the computing resources available in a grid computing system. This
management includes the execution of the program on all computers belonging to
the grid computing system, ranging from the initiation, monitoring, until
scheduling (scheduling) and inter-process coordination.
An interesting
thing with GT4 system is its ability to work with the systems management of
computing resources that have been there before, such as Condor, PVM, or MPI.
With this mechanism, the programs that have been built previously not need to
be rebuilt or if they should be modified, the minimum modification, if it will
run in the GT4-based grid computing environment.
2.
RFT
/ GridFTP: Reliable File Transfer / Grid File Transfer Protocol
This
component allows users to access data from the large computing nodes belonging
to the grid computing system in an efficient and reliable. This is important
because the performance of computing not only depend on how fast computers are
incorporated in the grid computing system executing the program, but also how
quickly the data required in the computing accessible. Keep in mind that, the
data required by a process not always be on the computer that executes the
process.
3.
MDS:
Monitoring & Discovery Service
This component
allows the user to monitor system GT4 computational ongoing process so that
problems can arise immediately known. Meanwhile, the discovery aspect of this
component allows the user identi-fication of the existence of the following
characteristics of computing resources.
4.
GSI:
Grid Security Infrastructure
This component is responsible for
the security of the grid computing system as a whole. This component also,
which is one distinguishing feature of GT4 technology with its predecessor
technologies such as PVM or MPI. With the implementation of security mechanisms
integrated with the components of other grid computing, grid computing
technology based systems such as GT4 accessible to the public (WAN) without
lowering the level of safety.
GT4 security system built on
standard components of a security that have been tested, which includes data
protection, authentication, delegation, and authorization. The basic
configuration GT4 assuming both users and services using security standards
using standard X.509 public key.
3.
Clossing
High-performance computing systems
based on grid computing technology is not synonymous with high-priced computer
system. Furthermore, the grid computing infrastructure can be constructed by
combining the resources of existing computing into a single unit which can then
contribute to the development of science and technology. In fact,
prinsipkolaborasi underlying grid computing technology can be a valuable lesson
for us to apply it in the context of the lives of others.
