The Global Computing Grid

In the 1980s "internetworking protocols" allowed us to link any two computers, and a vast network of networks called the Internet exploded around the globe. In the 1990s the "hypertext transfer protocol" allowed us to link any two documents, and a vast, online library-cum-shopping mall called the World Wide Web exploded across the Internet. Now, fast emerging "grid protocols" such as Globus might allow us to link almost anything else: databases, simulation and visualization tools, even the number-crunching power of the computers themselves. And we might soon find ourselves in the midst of the biggest explosion yet.

Grid computing promises to bring seamless and ubiquitous access to unfathomable computer power. Home and office machines will have the ability to reach into cyberspace, find resources wherever they may be, and assemble them on the fly into whatever applications are needed. Construction is already underway on dozens of distributed grid computers around the world, and industry heavyweights such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, and Microsoft are embracing— and investing in— important aspects of the Grid vision.

But the technology is still young. This SD Forum event will bring together Grid proponents and researchers to explain what's going on behind the scenes, both technologically and politically, to make Grid protocols the leading infrastructure for distributed high-performance computing and— perhaps— a new generation of profitable Web-based business services. They'll also survey Grid computing projects around the world, and examine the Grid's impact on science, engineering, and the industrial design process.

For information on registration and cost click here .