FIT3010 - Grid computing
6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate Faculty of Information Technology
Leader(s): Carlo Kopp
Offered
Not offered in 2009
Synopsis
Contemporary computers grids provide means to implement on-demand computing. These grids can also provide a seamless (web-like) access to a variety of networked resources, e.g. large data stores and information repositories, expensive instruments, high-speed links, sensors networks, and multimedia services for a wide range of applications. Topics covered include: Computational and service-oriented grids. LVS and Beowulf Clusters. Gridservices, Webservices, WSDL, HPC Portals, Home Grids, and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks. Grid applications, and performance in relation to processor and network performance constraints.
Objectives
Upon completion of the unit, students should be able to:
- Discuss some of the enabling technologies e.g. high-speed links and storage area networks for building computer grids.
- Explain the use of some of the grid computing and clustering middleware used to implement virtual super computers, including security mechanisms.
- Explain programming toolkits such as Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM) and Message Passing Interface (MPI) for writing parallel computer applications.
- Explain HPC Portals, peer-to-peer (P2P) networking and semantic grids.
- Elaborate some of the significant grid computing areas of application e.g. Bio-Technology, eHealth and eMedicine, Finance, and Computer Networks.
- Install and configure a small computer grid using Globus toolkit or a similar middleware.
- Gain familiarity with commonly used grid application tools and middleware interfaces.
- Extend the grid and test these applications.
- Gain familiarity with MPI as employed in clusters and grids.
- Understand basic performance concepts in grids and identify frequent causes of performance problems in grid applications.
- Understand basic software and hardware reliability concepts in grids and identify frequent causes of reliability problems in grid applications.
Assessment
Assignments: 30%, Labwork: 10%, Final examination: 60%
Contact hours
Lecture: 2hrs/week, tutorial: 2hrs/week
Prerequisites
FIT1001 and (FIT1002 or CSE1202 or CSE1301) and (FIT1005 or FIT2008).
Some experience with a C like programming language or Java.
