Grid Computing Project is Live
Dated December 18, 2007
techtree.com
An indigenous grid computing project christened “GARUDA“, after the winged mount of the Hindu god, Lord Vishnu, is now up and running with 500 processors connected to it.
Launched by the Union Department of Information Technology in 2004, “GARUDA” saw an initial investment of a whopping Rs 25 crores. The project seeks to patch-up computers and servers across 17 cities in India to form a networked grid capable of handling complex computing problems.
“GARUDA” is spear-headed by Pune-based Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
As of now, the grid, having 500 processors connected to it, boasts speeds of 100 megabits per second, and storage to the tune of 300 terabits.
Ramakrishnan, director general of C-DAC, said new processors are being added to the grid almost every week, and that the plan is to have 1,500 processors in all, running at speeds up to 10 gigabits per second.
“GARUDA” is nearing its proof-of-concept stage in March next year according to Ramakrishnan. So far, it has attracted attention from companies the likes of Microsoft and IBM, he said.
There’s a possibility that Tata group’s Computational Research Laboratories, or CRL, with its Eka supercomputer, might join “GARUDA”.
Just last month, Eka was adjudged the fastest supercomputer in Asia, and the fourth fastest worldwide at a conference in Nevada, USA.
Grids such as “GARUDA” are believed to have several applications, including earthquake prediction, drought monitoring, atmosphere-ocean coupling, customized weather prediction, and so on.
The 11th Five year Plan has approved in principle of a national grid, the details of which are being formulated.
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