Grid computing is a form of
distributed computing whereby a "super and virtual computer" is composed of a
cluster of networked,
loosely-coupled computers, acting in concert to perform very large tasks. This technology has been applied to computationally-intensive scientific, mathematical, and academic problems through
volunteer computing, and it is used in commercial enterprises for such diverse applications as
drug discovery,
economic forecasting,
seismic analysis, and
back-office data processing in support of
e-commerce and
web services.
What distinguishes grid computing from typical
cluster computing systems is that grids tend to be more loosely
coupled, heterogeneous, and geographically dispersed. Also, while a computing grid may be dedicated to a specialized application, it is often constructed with the aid of general purpose grid
software libraries and
middleware