A Prototype Grid System Using Java and RMI

Grids aim to combine different kinds of computational resources connected by the Internet and make them easily available to a wide user community. While initial research focused on creating the enabling infra-structure, the challenge of programming the Grid has recently become increasingly important. The difficulties for application programmers lie in the highly heterogeneous and dynamic nature of Grid environments. We address this problem by employing reusable algorithmic patterns, called skeletons. Skeletons are used, in addition to the usual library functions, as generic algorithmic building blocks, customizable for particular applications. We describe an experimental Grid programming system, focusing on improving the Java RMI mechanism and the predictability of Java performance in a Grid environment.