The performance evaluation of a grid using Windows PCs

In recent years, the demand for computational resources has increased in many fields such as computer graphics. In these fields, grid computing can be used to utilise idle resources efficiently. A grid can be implemented using open source middleware such as the Globus Toolkit. However, current grids do not work well on Windows PCs because the middleware does not provide all of the grid functions for Windows. We have investigated how to construct a Windows grid at a reasonable cost. In this paper, we first show how to construct a Windows grid using the Globus Toolkit. We focus on multicore processors and describe how to use them efficiently in the grid. Next, we present the case of constructing a fully functional Linux grid on Windows PCs using a Virtual Machine (VM). Finally, we propose a remote deployment system for a virtual grid that can deploy a Linux grid on a Windows grid.