Super-sized Computer Network

Two computers are better than one.  Thousands of computers, all crunching the same data, are better still.

Whether dealing with climate modeling, molecular biology, or astronomical observations, modern science involves vast volumes of information, too much for any one group of researchers to process at one time.  A powerful new computing technology, called grid computing, will help in handling this data deluge.

The basic principle behind grid computing is simple enough: anything one computer can do, a pool of computers can do faster and better. These machines do not have to be in the same building, country or even continent - they simply have to be linked together.

A geographically dispersed - or 'distributed' - network of computers has the potential to provide users with access to advanced computing services, processing power or memory, enabling the solution of massively complex tasks beyond the capabilities of a single machine or local network.

"We have begun an Earth Science Grid-On-Demand service based on our local Grid," said Luigi Fusco of European Space Research Institute. "From this single site, users gain access to large volumes of Earth Observation data and can easily and quickly perform a variety of data reprocessing, including fine-tuning new algorithms to get optimal results."

Applications so far include satellite image mosaicing to monitor changing global chlorophyll concentrations on a monthly basis and tracking iceberg movement in polar regions.  Use of the grid system has already helped astronomers find of some 30 new black holes, and there are plans to develop a Virtual Observatory using grid technology that will allow astronomers to merge inputs from different instruments.

Developers also Grid computing having useful applications within the fields of finance, health care, localized meteorology, and even media and entertainment.

-- Bjorn Carey

Credit: European Space Agency