Grid Networks: Enabling Grids with Advanced Communication Technology

A book that bridges the gap between the communities of network and Grid experts.

Grid Networks describes the convergence of advanced networking technologies and Grid technologies, with special focus on their symbiotic relationship and the resulting new opportunities. Grid technology is applicable to many implementations, Computational Grids, Data Grids, Service Grids, and Instrumentation Grids.

The authors cover a breadth of topics including recent research, featuring both theoretical concepts and empirical results. Beginning with an overview of Grid technologies, an analysis of distinguishing use cases and architectural attributes, and emerging standards. Travostino et al. discuss new directions in multiple networking technologies that are enabling enhanced capabilities for Grids. An appendix also provides an overview of experimental research test-beds and prototype implementations.

These topics will enable network experts to design networks to best match Grid requirements, while Grid experts will learn how to effectively utilize network resources.

Grid Networks: Enabling Grids with Advanced Communication Technology:

• Bridges the gap between the communities of network and Grid experts.
• Covers new network requirements posed by the Grid, and the paradigm shifts prompted by Grid applications.
• Discusses basic architectural concepts and directions related to the integration of Grid and networking technologies, especially those that elevate network resources to first class entities within Grid environments.
• Details new directions in networking technologies for the Grid, including Network Infrastructure & Management, Service Provisioning, High Performance Data Transport, Performance Monitoring, Reliability, and Network-Assisted Service Frameworks.
• Provides an overview of advanced research testbeds and innovative early implementations of emerging architecture and technology.

Many communities will find this book an invaluable resource, including engineers and product managers, research scientists within academia, industry, and government agencies, advanced students and faculty in distributed systems courses, network and systems architects, CIOs, administrators of advanced networks, application developers, and providers of next generation distributed services.

Franco Travostino is Director for Nortel's Advanced Technology, Office of the CTO. He propelled Nortel’s leadership in the networking aspects of the Grid vision, and their implementation in widely-known Research & Education settings (e.g., OMNInet, SURFnet, GLIF exchanges, etc.). Since March 2003, Franco co-chairs the Grid High Performance Networking Research Group at the Global Grid Forum (GGF). Franco has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed technical publications, 25 patent disclosures, and has at least 6 standard-track IETF RFCs in the queue.

Gigi Karmous-Edwards.  Since joining MCNC as a Principal Scientist, Gigi has focused her research on novel optical technologies and their role in Grid Computing, and leads research activities focusing on advance networking technologies for Grid computing. She has published several papers in that area. She organized and chaired the 1^st International workshop for the “Optical Control Plane for the Grid Community”.

Joel J. Mambretti is Director of the International Center for Advanced Internet Research at Northwestern University.  He has served on the advisory boards of major technology corporations, is a frequent speaker at national and international communications technology forums, and has authored multiple articles on advanced communications.