Grid computing
Whait is Grid Computing?
Grid computing helps groups of networked computers to be gathered and provide on demand the new needs of business today. Grid Computing gives multiple options to share information, giving flexibility, better prices,power efficiency, performance, and availability,all at once.
Grid computing is putting to work the resources of many computers in a network to a single situation at the same time - usually to complex situations that require a lot of computer processing cycles or access to large amounts of data.
Grid computing needs the use of software that can divide and form out pieces of a program to as many as several thousand computers. Grid Computing can be thought of as distributed and large-scale cluster computing and as a form of network-distributed parallel processing. Many computers can work together and perhaps harnessed and managed as to work toward a common objective. In some Grid Computing Systems, the computers may collaborate rather than being directed by one managing computer.
Cloud computing
Cloud computing is a computing system in which tasks are assigned through a combination of connections, service and software over a network. This collective of connections is known as the cloud that allows users to sort through large amounts of data. One of the best things about Cloud Computing, is that both small and medium sized businesses can instantly get the benefits of the great infrastructure without having to implement and administer it directly. This also permits accessibility to multiple data centers anywhere on the globe. It also means that as the need for resources increases, companies can add additional service as and when needed from the cloud computing vendor without having to pay for additional hardware.
Cloud computing is more environmentally friendly. Reducing the number of hardware components and replacing them with Cloud Computing systems reduces energy costs for running hardware and cooling as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions and conserving energy. Moving applications to the cloud can potentially reduce energy costs for running and cooling hardware.
Theory the process is very simple. Cloud computing could allow you to have only a small computer, inexpensive computer, processor and monitor in front of you. You would have no need for a hard drive or a CD/DVD drive. Instead you would need only an Internet connection, of which will connect you to a central supercomputer that would host all your programs and files.
G Flores 8/13/09.