New lightweight grid offers complete security
A new lightweight grid is being developed to offer complete security to those who use it.
A computational grid essentially provides a mechanism whereby a collection of computers with processing capability is made available to users with computational tasks to perform.
M-grid, a teaching tool developed by academics at the University of Southampton, provides a system for building a computational grid which allows students to explore the potential of such a vast system without any concerns about security.
According to Dr Stephen Crouch at the Universityââ¬â¢s School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS), M-grid, which was added to the computer science curriculum last year, allows students to grasp the concepts of grid computing before they move on to a real system.
ââ¬ËThis service for sharing computing power and data storage over the Internet can be installed in minutes and allows students to familiarise themselves with grid technology quickly,ââ¬â¢ said Dr Crouch. ââ¬ËBecause it operates in a ââ¬Åsandboxââ¬Â, there are virtually no security risks.ââ¬â¢
Dr Crouch and Dr Robert Walters, from the ECS Dependable Systems and Software Engineering group (DSSE), are working in collaboration with the Schoolââ¬â¢s Learning Technologies Group (LTG) to develop M-grid further so that it is even more versatile and changes with the needs of the curriculum.
ââ¬ËSecurity is a big issue in grid applications,ââ¬â¢ said Dr Crouch, but M-grid will allow us to explore some of these issues further in a safe environment.ââ¬â¢