Grid computing is the aggregating of processing power possessed by different servers or workstations into a single resource. A single large job can be split into smaller pieces and run on several, or several thousand, computers simultaneously, producing supercomputer speed from off-the-shelf hardware.
Grid computing is a powerful concept, its chief appeal being the ability to make sure all of a server's computing power is used. Today, computers spend much of their time sitting idle, as a processor waits for data to crunch. In a grid world, the idle time of hundreds or thousands of servers could be harnessed and rented out to anyone who needed a massive infusion of processing power.
For example, the computing capacity of a large HPC Center may be largely unused overnight. If connected to a grid, that dormant power could be tapped by an unrelated company on the other side of the globe for a variety of tasks.
Grid-enabled applications take advantage of distributed HPC systems using middleware that allows the user to sign-on, transfer files, and run jobs without being concerned with underlying details. The middleware provides a uniform API for accessing Grid element and for discovering and managing Grid resources.
The most common middleware within HPC@UNM uses Globus along with software packaged by the National Middleware Initiative.
To use Grid resources, you will need a digital certificate.