One of the most exciting promises of Computational
Grids are their ability to execute “virtual applications”,
ones that involve more than one applications spanning multiple
organisations. This increases computing power for complex analysis
whilst appearing to be a single application. The Distributed Atmospheric
Science (DAS) project, which is funded by GrangeNet and commenced
in January 2005, plans to explore issues associated with these
virtual applications.
In order to allow virtual applications to be built:
- The network performance between the organisations must
be comparable to performance within an organisation;
- Middleware must mask the heterogeneity of the underlying
platform technologies, such as differences in operating
systems, security policies, resource configuration, etc
and
- Software tools and development environments must be
created to allow rapid specification and creation of virtual
applications, particularly where legacy codes are involved.
Leveraging off the DSTC funded Nimrod/G and the ARC funded
GriddLeS projects, the DAS project team is exploring current
challenges in building a virtual atmospheric sciences application.
The team will deploy three existing atmospheric science models
across GrangeNet which, when combined, can provide detailed
air pollution control strategies to be performed under a variety
of different climatic and weather conditions
GrangeNet is a Government funded high performance research
network that provides the enabling technology for the development
of grid and advanced communications services.
More information at:
www.csse.monash.edu.au/~davida/griddles
www.grangenet.net
