Databases and the Grid
Norman Paton
University of Manchester
(Chair of UK e-Science Programme Database
Taskforce)
Databases and the Grid

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
Why they matter.
What the issues are.
What the e-Science Programme is doing
about it.
The Grid in Context
Data
Complexity
Computational Complexity
Grids


Classical Grids
emphasise sharing
of physical
resources.
Existing Grid
middleware allows
resource discovery,
resource allocation,
data movement, …
NASA Power Grid
(http://www.ipg.nasa.gov/)
Managing Data

Data collections
need to be managed
to provide:



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Scaleability.
Reliability.
Concurrency.
Evolution.
Both size and
complexity matter.
Databases and the Grid



Why they matter.
What the issues are.
What the e-Science Programme is doing
about it.
Data Management Complexity

Many different:


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Models of data.
Domains of control.
Locations.
Patterns of use.
No well defined application boundaries:

Grid applications combine data access and
update with computation.
Middleware Complexity
The Issues


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Identifying the most important services.
Agreeing consistent interfaces.
Integrating with other Grid services.
Implementing services for database:


Access.
Integration.
Databases and the Grid



Why they matter.
What the issues are.
What the e-Science Programme is doing
about it.
Pilot Projects


Several application
based pilot projects
need database
functionalities.
These projects:


Push current
technologies.
Identify generic
requirements.
Database Task Force


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Collating
requirements.
Developing
standards.
Developing
reference
implementations.
Development Project


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Developing database
access and
integration services.
Joint between
industry, and eScience Centres.
Exploiting Open Grid
Services
Architecture: OGSA.
Summary

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Early Grid middleware largely overlooks the
importance of databases.
The UK e-Science programme was quick to
identify this omission.
The UK e-Science programme is working
within GGF to establish standards.
Reference implementations of the standards
will be pioneered within the UK.