tailieunhanh - Grid Computing P14

This chapter examines how databases can be integrated into the Grid [1]. Almost all early Grid applications are file-based, and so, to date, there has been relatively little effort applied to integrating databases into the Grid. However, if the Grid is to support a wider range of applications, both scientific and otherwise, then database integration into the Grid will become important. For example, many applications in the life and earth sciences and many business applications are heavily dependent on databases. The core of this chapter considers how databases can be integrated into the Grid so that applications can access data. | 14 Databases and the grid Paul Watson University of Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne United Kingdom INTRODUCTION This chapter examines how databases can be integrated into the Grid 1 . Almost all early Grid applications are file-based and so to date there has been relatively little effort applied to integrating databases into the Grid. However if the Grid is to support a wider range of applications both scientific and otherwise then database integration into the Grid will become important. For example many applications in the life and earth sciences and many business applications are heavily dependent on databases. The core of this chapter considers how databases can be integrated into the Grid so that applications can access data from them. It is not possible to achieve this just by adopting or adapting the existing Grid components that handle files as databases offer a much richer set of operations for example queries and transactions and there is greater heterogeneity between different database management systems DBMSs than there is between different file systems. Not only are there major differences between database paradigms . object and relational but also within one paradigm different database products . Oracle and DB2 vary in their functionality and interfaces. This diversity makes it more difficult to design a single solution for integrating databases into the Grid but the alternative of requiring every database to be integrated into the Grid in a bespoke Grid Computing - Making the Global Infrastructure a Reality. Edited by F. Berman A. Hey and G. Fox 2003 John Wiley Sons Ltd ISBN 0-470-85319-0 364 PAUL WATSON fashion would result in a much-wasted effort. Managing the tension between the desire to support the full functionality of different database paradigms while also trying to produce common solutions to reduce effort is key to designing ways of integrating databases into the Grid. The diversity of DBMSs also has other important implications. .