4 Grid Computing in Research and Education
1.1 Beginning of the grid concept
The term grid, coined in the mid 90s in the academic world, was originally
proposed to denote a distributed computing system that would provide
computing services on demand just like conventional power and water grids do.
During the last few years, as the technology evolved and the grid concept started
being explored on commercial endeavours, some slight but meaningful changes
have been made in its original definition. Nowadays, an accepted definition,
world-wide, states that a “grid” is a system that:
“coordinates resources that are not subject to centralized control...
... using standard, open, general-purpose interfaces and protocols...
... to deliver non-trivial qua ...