New University Grid for Distributed Computing Research

New Monash node in cluster for Enterprise Grid Research 29 August 2007

Professor David Abramson is leading the Enterprise Grid Cluster project at Monash. A new level of research capability in the area of distributed computing has been unleashed by a consortium of Australian universities.

Monash University has a key role via its own node of the facility known as "Enterprise Grid Cluster", which will facilitate computer science research into distributed computing.

It brings together Monash University's Grid middleware, Deakin University's work in distributed operating systems, RMIT's distributed web-computing and Queensland University of Technology's programming languages and operating systems.

The Monash node will be managed by the Message Lab group led by Professor David Abramson within the IT Faculty.

The group has strong links to medical and scientific research at Monash University, and Professor Abramson is a key member of the Monash e-Research Centre (MERCS).

Apart from computer science research, the cluster will provide computational and storage services for researchers in the areas of biology, engineering, natural resource management and medicine.

The new system, comprising five clusters, is based on state-of-the-art Intel Quad Core Processors with over 700 CPU cores and over 50 TB of storage capacity.

Nodes are connected by high-speed Infiniband network, interconnected via the Australian Academic Research Network (AARNET).

"Unlike other production systems, computer scientists at the four institutions will be able to book dedicated time and software on the entire Grid," Professor Abramson said.

"Thus, it will be possible to reload the operating systems, explore different hardware configurations, and trial experimental middleware."

Professor Goscinski of Deakin University, which is the lead university in the project, said it would allow study of a variety of research areas including service development and management, service oriented architecture (SOA), clusters and grid operating systems, resource protection, security, and optimization of the execution of sophisticated applications."

The Enterprise Grid is supported by $320,000 from the Australian Research Council's LIEF grants program and $280,000 in funding from the partner