When there is complex processing requirement and at the same time with a requirement of high response throughput, Grid computing could be a solution on your plate. Grid computing offers powerful computers interconnected and share processing of a request. The request is parsed into chunks and distributed to the processors. The result from the processors are aggregated and form the response. Grid computing requires a facility to host these computers in a restricted environment to manage and configure. It is a costly affair and is generally used where information processing is critical and involves complex computations.

But internet has made grid computing easy in certain ways. For example Seti@home is a project that collects information from satellites and analyzes them to search for extraterrestrial intelligence. It uses the idle processor time of the personal PC’s spread across the world connected to the internet. Once the user agress to the terms and conditions, an agent is downloaded and installed on the personal computer. This agent typically runs as a screen saver and it uses the computer’s processor when it is idle time (rememer the coffee breaks and lunch time?). Once a unit of work is complete it sends it back to the server for aggregation with other completed units and receives another unit of work for processing. This type of computing is called scavenging grid. The advantage is that it is the cheapest form of grid computing but the scope where it can be applied is limited and is also dependent on the internet user’s acceptance to run it. And another disadvantage is the time it takes to process a complete request. World Community Grid is yet another example of scavenging grid. It aims at processing complex scientific research to determine cure for diseases like aids.

Yet another common grid computing type is the data grid computing. Data grid computing is used when volumnious data needs to be processed. The data grid computing is supported by high end database systems that can store volumnous data and distribute the data to different processors for processing. For much detailed explanations on grid computing refer the wikipedia.

Compassites launched the first COACH program last week. COACH stands for Compassites On A Cause for Help and is a program aimed at stretching our hands to help the deprived in the society. Last weekend the navigators at Compassites visited an orphanage named Karuna mother’s home. The orphanage is run by Mrs. Roopini Chandra who takes care of 45 abandoned children. I became very emotional when I heard that some of these children had been dropped off by their own parents just after few days of their birth.

The daffodils were bright and beautiful and welcomed us as their own brothers and sisters. I had the pleasure of teaching them how to make a paper cap. I was happy that my Origami hobby came into use finally. The amount of happiness and smile that brought these children when they completed the paper cap along with me was a feeling of immense satisfaction that no money or fame can bring. We spent the day with them, having lunch together and projecting “Tom & Jerry - The Movie” and “Hanuman” movie. Emotionally we bid farewell and wished them for a bright and prosperous future.