Overview of Computing Paradigm

● Distributed Computing: A distributed computing system consists of multiple software

components that are on multiple computers but run as a single system. Computers in distributed
systems can be physically close together by a local network or they can be geographically distant
connected by a wide area network.
● Cluster Computing: A cluster is a type of parallel computing system where a collection of
interconnected stand alone computers works together as a single integrated computing
resource. It improves speed, reliability and cost effectiveness over a single computer.
● Grid Computing: It enables the virtualization of Distributed computing and data resources such
as processing speed, network bandwidth and storage capacity to create a single system image,
granting users and applications seamless access to vast IT capabilities.

Types of Grid Computing:

1) Computational Grid: These grids provide secure access to a huge pool of shared processing power
suitable for high throughput applications and intensive computing.

2) Data Grid: It provides an infrastructure to support large data storage, data discovery, data handling
and data manipulation of large volumes of data stored in various heterogeneous databases and file
systems.

3) Collaboration Grid: With the advent of the internet, there is increased demand for collaboration. This
is done using a collaboration grid. Users can work on different components of a project without
disclosing their proprietary technologies.

4) Network Grid: It provides fault tolerant and high performance communication services. Each grid
node works as a data router between two communication points, providing data caching to speed up
communication between such points.

5) Utility Grid: In Utility grid, apart from data, software or other resources are shared. The major services
provided through utility grids are software and special equipment.

● Utility Computing: It is a model in which the service provider makes computing resource and
infrastructure management available to customers as needed and charges them for specific
usage rather than flat rate. It also facilitates computational resources to be rented, as a result
very low cost is incurred.