Xgrid
Developer(s) | Apple Inc. |
---|---|
Initial release | January 6, 2004[1] |
Final release | 10.7.5
/ October 4, 2012 |
EULA[2] | |
Website | Homepage at the Wayback Machine (archived January 2, 2006) |
Xgrid is a proprietary
It provides
The program employs its own communication
When the initiating computer sends the complete instructions, or
Apple modeled the design of Xgrid on the Zilla program, distributed with
History
Xgrid's origins can be traced back to
Several organizations have adopted Xgrid in large international computing networks. One example of an Xgrid cluster is MacResearch's OpenMacGrid, where scientists can request access to large amounts of processing power to run tasks related to their research.[9][10] Another was the now defunct Xgrid@Stanford project, which used a range of computers on the Stanford University campus and around the world[11] to perform biochemical research.[12][13][14]
In a report covering the announcement,
Apple discontinued Xgrid with OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion,[18] along with dependent services such as Podcast Producer.[19][20]
Protocol
The Xgrid protocol uses the BEEP network framework to communicate with nodes on the network. The system's infrastructure includes three types of computers which communicate over the protocol:
- The client, which submits calculation jobs to the controller
- The controller, which segregates the jobs into tasks, and assigns these tasks to agents
- The agents, which process their own allocated part of the calculation and return results to the controller, which returns them to the client.[21][8]
A computer can act as one or all three of these components at the same time. The Xgrid protocol provides the basic infrastructure for computers to
Within the Xgrid protocol, three types of
Architecture
The architecture of the Xgrid system is designed around a job based system; the controller sends agents jobs, and the agents return the responses. The actual computation that the controller executes in an Xgrid system is known as a job. The job contains all the files required to complete the task successfully, such as the input
The controller is central to the correct function of an Xgrid, as this node is responsible for the distribution, supervision and coordination of tasks on agents. The program running on the controller can assign and reassign tasks to handle individual agent failures on demand. The number of tasks assigned to an agent depend on two factors: the number of agents on an Xgrid and the number of
Xgrid is layered upon the Blocks Extensible Exchange Protocol (BEEP), an
Xgrid agent software was available for Unix and Linux systems.[26]
Interface
While it is possible to access Xgrid from the command line, the Xgrid graphical user interface, a program bundled with
Despite the lack of a graphical controller interface in the standard (non-server)
See also
- Condor High-Throughput Computing System
Notes
- ^ a b c "Mac OS X Manual Page For xgrid(1)". Apple Inc. June 27, 2007. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2008.
- ^ "Mac OS X 10.5 SLA" (PDF). Apple Inc. March 9, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
- ^ a b Cohen, Peter (March 29, 2004). "Apple posts Xgrid intro". Macworld. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ Norbury-Glaser, Mary (2006). "Build Your Own Supercomputer From Your Macs Laying Around: How to employ Tiger's Xgrid to build clusters and to contribute to grid/cluster projects". MacTech. Vol. 22, no. 1. Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ "Zilla - Computerworld Honours Program Archives". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
- ISBN 978-0-7710-7914-6.
- ^ a b Côté, Daniel (June 21, 2004). "XGrid agent for Unix architectures". Simple. Archived from the original on March 10, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2008.
- ^ doi:10.1145/1151828.1151835 (inactive January 31, 2024).)
{{cite conference}}
: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link - ^ Martellaro, John (February 13, 2007). "OpenMacGrid Computing Grid for Mac Users Announced". The Mac Observer. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
- ^ Saunders, Grover (February 12, 2007). "OpenMacGrid creates distributed computing love-fest". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on August 24, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
- ^ Parnot, Charles (December 3, 2007). "Xgrid@Stanford - Home". Stanford University. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2008.
- ^ Parnot, Charles (December 3, 2007). "Xgrid@Stanford - Projects". Stanford University. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2008.
- ISBN 978-3-540-30510-1.
- ISBN 978-1-118-17748-8.
- ISSN 0741-8647. Retrieved October 16, 2008. (Subscription required)
- ProQuest 194358336. (Subscription required)
- ProQuest 194347451. (Subscription required)
- ISBN 978-1-4493-4367-5.
- ISBN 978-1-118-41781-2. Archivedfrom the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ISBN 978-1-118-17748-8.
- ISBN 978-3-540-30510-1.
- ^ a b Côté, Daniel (January 7, 2004). "XGrid". Simple. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2008.
- ^ Gulker, Chris (January 15, 2004). "Xgrid: Grid computing for the rest of us?". Linux.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- ^ a b "Xgrid Programming Guide: How It Works". Apple Inc. October 31, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
- ^ "Mac OS X Server: Xgrid" (PDF). Technology Brief. Apple Inc. November 1, 2007. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 19, 2009. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
- ISBN 978-0-596-55274-9.
- ^ a b Muir, Dylan (June 23, 2005). "10.4: Run an Xgrid with Tiger client". Mac OS X Hints. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- ^ "VisualHub offers Xgrid support". MacNN. June 7, 2006. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- ^ Chartier, David (June 7, 2006). "VisualHub - The universal video converter". Engadget. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
Further reading
- An Xgrid Primer at the Wayback Machine (archived November 12, 2011)
- Bird's-eye view of the BEEP protocol used by Xgrid at the Wayback Machine (archived February 12, 2003)
- Xgrid FAQ on the Xgrid Wiki at the Wayback Machine (archived June 16, 2010)