UNIT I Notes Modified
UNIT I Notes Modified
UNIT I Notes Modified
COMPUTING PARADIGMS
Parallel computing
Distributed computing
Cluster computing
● A cluster computing system consists of a set of the same or similar type of processor
machines connected using a dedicated network infrastructure.
● All processor machines share resources such as a common home directory and have software
such as a message passing interface (MPI) implementation installed to allow programs to be
run across all nodes simultaneously.
● This is also a kind of HPC category.
● The individual computers in a cluster can be referred to as nodes.
● The reason to realize a cluster as HPC is due to the fact that the individual nodes can work
together to solve a problem larger than any computer can easily solve.
● And, the nodes need to communicate with one another in order to work cooperatively and
meaningfully together to solve the problem in hand.
● If we have processor machines of heterogeneous types in a cluster, this kind of clusters
become a subtype and still mostly are in the experimental or research stage.
Grid computing
The computing resources in most of the organizations are underutilized but are necessary for certain
operations.
● The idea of grid computing is to make use of such non utilized computing power by the needy
organizations, and thereby the return on investment (ROI) on computing investments can be
increased.
● Thus, grid computing is a network of computing or processor machines managed with a kind of
software such as middleware, in order to access and use the resources remotely.
● The managing activity of grid resources through the middleware is called grid services.
● Grid services provide access control, security, access to data including digital libraries and
databases, and access to large-scale interactive and long-term storage facilities.
● Grid computing is more popular due to the following reasons:
● Its ability to make use of unused computing power, and thus, it is a cost-effective
solution (reducing investments, only recurring costs)
● As a way to solve problems in line with any HPC-based application
● Enables heterogeneous resources of computers to work cooperatively and collaboratively to
solve a scientific problem Researchers associate the term grid to the way electricity is
distributed in municipal areas for the common man.
Cloud computing
The computing trend moved toward the cloud from the concept of grid computing, particularly when
large computing resources are required to solve a single problem, using the ideas of computing power
as a utility and other allied concepts.
● However, the potential difference between grid and cloud is that grid computing supports
leveraging several computers in parallel to solve a particular application, while cloud computing
supports leveraging multiple resources, including computing resources, to deliver a unified
service to the end user.
● In cloud computing, the IT and business resources, such as servers, storage, network,
applications, and processes, can be dynamically provisioned to the user needs and workload.
● In addition, while a cloud can provision and support a grid, a cloud can also support non grid
environments, such as a three-tier web architecture running on traditional or Web
2.0 applications.
Bio computing
● Biocomputing systems use the concepts of biologically derived or simulated molecules (or models)
that perform computational processes in order to solve a problem.
● The biologically derived models aid in structuring the computer programs that become part of
the application.
● Biocomputing provides the theoretical background and practical tools for scientists to
explore proteins and DNA.
● DNA and proteins are nature’s building blocks, but these building blocks are not exactly used
as bricks;
● The function of the final molecule rather strongly depends on the order of these blocks.
● Thus, the biocomputing scientist works on inventing the order suitable for various
applications mimicking biology.
● Biocomputing shall, therefore, lead to a better understanding of life and the molecular
causes of certain diseases.
Mobile computing
● In mobile computing, the processing (or computing) elements are small (i.e., handheld
devices) and the communication between various resources is taking place using wireless
media.
● Mobile communication for voice applications (e.g., cellular phone) is widely established
throughout the world and witnesses a very rapid growth in all its dimensions including the
increase in the number of subscribers of various cellular networks.
● An extension of this technology is the ability to send and receive data across various cellular
networks using small devices such as smartphones.
● There can be numerous applications based on this technology; for example, video call or
conferencing is one of the important applications that people prefer to use in place of existing
voice (only) communications on mobile phones.
● Mobile computing–based applications are becoming very important and rapidly evolving with
various technological advancements as it allows users to transmit data from remote locations to
other remote or fixed locations.
Quantum computing
● Manufacturers of computing systems say that there is a limit for cramming more and more transistors
into smaller and smaller spaces of integrated circuits (ICs) and thereby doubling the processing power
about every 18 months.
● This problem will have to be overcome by a new quantum computing–based solution, wherein the
dependence is on quantum information, the rules that govern the subatomic world.
● Quantum computers are millions of times faster than even our most powerful
supercomputers today.
Optical computing
● Optical computing systems use the photons in visible light or infrared beams, rather than electric
current, to perform digital computations.
● An electric current flows at only about 10% of the speed of light.
● This limits the rate at which data can be exchanged over long distances and is one of the
factors that led to the evolution of optical fiber.
● By applying some of the advantages of visible and/or IR networks at the device and
component scale, a computer can be developed that can perform operations 10 or more times
faster than a conventional electronic computer.
Nano computing
Advantages:
High computing Performance.
Low Power consumption.
Faster Processing.
Easily Portable.
Lighter and small computer devices.
Noise Immunity.
Risks in Nano computing:
● Scientists need to develop new circuits to cope with nano circuits working with carbon nano
tubes.
● The transistors will be 100 times smaller than the thickness of human hair.
● The ultra capacitors produces high heat till today there is no remedy to cool it.
Cloud Computing is more flexible than Grid Grid Computing is less flexible.
Computing.
Users pay for using the cloud computing Grid computing needs to be set up first.
resources. They need not to set up anything. Users need not pay anything once the set-
They use the platform as a service. up is done.
When compared to grid computing, it is Grid computing, on the other hand, is not
extremely scalable. as scalable as cloud computing.