[tsc] [msc] Candidate Draft - Landscape White Paper

[David Snelling]

Folks,

TSC met today the the aim of aligning the TSR and the LS papers. We  
did the following.

1) Since the segmentation was the same in both papers, but in a  
different order, we reordered the TSR  to match the current layout in  
the LS. This was easy, and had little impact on TSR. The segmentation  
probably still makes some people unhappy, but at least the two  
documents now agree.

2) With respect the definition of Grid, we followed Joel suggestion  
plus some word smithing. The result is below. We suggest that the LS  
document follow this approach, as it includes what they were   
focusing on and is very consistent with what we had intended in the TSR.

============ New TRS Text ==============

The long-term vision of Grid can be summed up as follows: “Scalable  
distributed computing across multiple heterogeneous platforms,  
locations, and organizations.” The notion of distributed computing as  
used in this definition includes a wealth of highly complex  
technologies, some still the focus of research. This definition  
includes the degenerate case of a homogeneous HPC cluster. It also  
addresses operation across a wide area and possibly multiple domains  
of administrative control. The security, privacy, economic, and  
political aspects of Grids increase by orders of magnitude with the  
introduction of Internet scale operation.

======================================

3) The TSC has been asked to read the LS document and provide feed  
back to Mark and John. Please do so.

To this end, I would like to add my support to Jay's view on  
virtualization. I would like to see this worked into the LS document.  
If you can't make it fit, we might like to put in in the TSR.

For reference, Jay's comments:

This is pretty good but I normally make a distinction here.  
Virtualization is typically thought of in terms of virtualizing IT  
resources like computers, storage or networks. Grid takes the  
virtualization concept to another level and actually virtualizes the  
application and information resources that rely on the IT  
infrastructure. As you said that de-couples the applications and  
information from the IT infrastructure and allows the application and  
information to use whatever infrastructure is there.  At a certain  
level the IT infrastructure is abstracted and made to appear  
homogeneous regardless of wether is dynamic (virtualized) or not. It  
is important to note that many Grids today are built mostly from non- 
virtualizaed IT resources (e.g. computers, storage and networks that  
are NOT virtualized) and yet the virtualization of the application  
and the information still allows the Grid to create an environment  
where resources can be pooled shared and re-purposed easily.  When  
you combine this type of Grid virtualization and the IT resource  
virtualization the effects are multiplied even more. Now the static- 
binding is broken both between application / information and  
infrastructure but also between IT resources and physical hardware/ 
software.

4) Meanwhile, with respect to further work on the TSR, I have the  
pen. I will, but have no idea when, work through the public comments  
and either

	a) Make the recommended change if it seems simple enough to do  
without extended discussion, or

	b) Post a tracker for discussion wrt the next version.

Then we will have a call on April 11 or 25 to agree my changes. If  
anyone else would like the pen for a few days PLEASE let me know and  
you can have it. NB The pen is currently available and the Public  
comments can be found here [https://forge.gridforum.org/sf/discussion/ 
do/listTopics/projects.ggf-editor/ 
discussion.info_technical_strategy_document] if anyone is interested  
this week.

Thanks and talk later.


-- 

Take care:

     Dr. David Snelling < David . Snelling . UK . Fujitsu . com >
     Fujitsu Laboratories of Europe Limited
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