Future of Internet-The Grid

That is the dream. But the reality is that today, the Grid is a "work in progress", with the underlying technology still in a prototype phase, and being developed by hundreds of researchers and software engineers around the world.

The Grid is attracting a lot of interest because its future, even if still uncertain,is potentially revolutionary.

So the interest comes not only from experts in computer science, but from scientists, businessmen, journalists and, presumably, you, the browser of this website!

Which brings us to the long answer, which is, in fact, the rest of this website!

A good place to start a virtual tour of the Grid is by trying to understand why scientists want the Grid, and what they dream it could be.


WILL "THE GRID" EVER BECOME A REALITY?

Referring to Grid computing as "The Grid" is a convenient shorthand, but it also can lead to a lot of confusion.

The reality, now and for a while to come, is that there is not one single "Grid" (as there is one single "Internet" and one single "Web"). Indeed, there are some experts who believe that there may never be one single Grid. Instead, there are many Grids evolving, some private, some public, some within one region or country, some of truly global dimensions. Some dedicated to one particular scientific problem, some all-purpose.

Compared to the Dreamers' Grid, these Grids all have very restricted capabilities for the moment. But they are gradually growing and becoming more sophisticated. And thanks to the Dreamers, there is still a lot of enthusiasm for the same long-term vision: a scenario where the computer power and storage capacity of millions of systems across a worldwide network function as a pool that could be used by pretty much anyone who needs it.

To achieve this, complex systems of software and services must be developed. That's why many IT experts all over the world, from science and from industry, have started Grid development efforts.