Grid grows … because it is becoming possible!
Grid Computing, Utility Computing, Distributed Computing … they are all buzz words evolving through the last decade or more. Why is everyone talking about them so much?

One of the core reasons is because it is becoming possible to build and manage in a simple way. At SCO we have been looking at Grid and Utility computing, and have some ideas on how this will evolve and emerge. Some of the foundation technologies have been coming together, and I believe we are going to see this accelerate.

First is the computing power and bandwidth. Computers and the Internet have evolved to the point where the overhead of distributed computing is something that is completely manageable and acceptable.

Second is the networking protocols and standards – like SOAP – that have emerged as the standard way to have application components communicate across the network. These standards provide the “least common denominator” langauge for interoperability between components written in different langauges on different operating system platforms. Software can call functions in other software … even if it exists on an entirely different machine.

Third is the virtualization that I talked about in my last post. As more software components are written in languages that can be executed on a diverse set of hardware/software platforms, it provides more places for these components to “live” … hence distributed computing.

I agree completely with these forecasts, and believe that we are going to watch the continuing acceleration of distributed applications … and I’m going to continue to work in this area.

Survey: Interest in grid computing grows. Corporate IT decision-makers are showing more interest in grid computing at their companies, with 20% saying they could adopt it within two years. [Computerworld News]