An immens computer network unites five universities in the so-called grid-project. Using IBM infrastructure and new software from Surfnet, the participating institutes are united.
The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Universiteit van Amsterdam, Delft University, Leiden University and Utrecht University together spend two million on the project. Only the specially purchased new equipment is the only thing linking the five universities. The mega-network is expected to be up and running in five weeks time.
The participating institutes are very happy with the super network. 'The power of the combined machines is unimaginable', says Professor Henry Bal of the Vrije Universiteit. 'By linking computers the computing capacity of the machines is used optimally. The time a computer needs to solve a formula, is shortened significantly.'
At four of the five locations the network consists of 32 computers. The Vrije Universiteit is even more lavish. There serve consists of 72 computers.
It seems obvious that the grid-project will be expanded shortly. Such networks are also being created abroad. It is not inconceivable that the capacity of Dutch computers will be used by a university on the other side of the world in the near future.
The technology of 'grid computing' is already being applied elsewhere. Hundreds of thousands of internet users make the computing power of their pcs available to analyse radiosignals from space. The university of Berkeley in California hopes to find clues to the existence of extraterrestrial intelligent life. Comparable research programmes are looking for medicines to fight cancer or aids, or analyse the development of the stock market.
