 AFP/File Photo |
Posted on 06/27/2003 1:37:56 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's NTT Data Corp. said it has successfully linked thousands of computers on the Internet to finish a task in 132 days that would take a single computer 611 years.
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It marked Japan's first test of "grid computing" -- where linked computers share small parts of mammoth calculations -- and meant sales of the processing power would go ahead by next March, the company said Thursday.
"The project went just according to plan," said NTT Data spokesman Yoshinori Munekata. "We are already in talks with several customers for the product."
In the test that ended in April, the company linked 12,206 random computer users found through the Internet who were willing to download a program onto their systems that would share the computing burden of two scientific projects.
One sought to identify repeated patterns in the human genome (news - web sites) for use in a study of diseases' relation to genes, while the other analysed the light-transmitting ability of different materials for a future light-based computer.
NTT Data, a subsidiary of telecoms giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., said its grid computing service would be priced at about two million to three million yen (16,950-25,400 dollars) for every 100 computers needed.
The company would install its system by linking clients' computers on a higher-speed Intranet.
Marketing for random user-based Internet grid computing was still about two years away, Munekata said, adding that prospective clients were mostly research institutes and universities.
Cool concept, but the price seems a bit steep... you could almost buy the required equipment for what their asking, if you needed to use the service more than one time.
FYI, there's a group called 'Freepers' on the SETI site. It's listed under the Clubs category. If you're considering doing SETI, you may want to join the group.
You can join the global effort to fight bioterrorism, among other stuff.
I'm a member of Team Anandtech's Folding@Home Team, unfortunately our 400 members (about 100 active per week) aren't anywhere near enough to overtake the dreaded Alliance Francophone!!! We are 22nd in the team rankings, they are 10th.
If you'd like to join us head over to Folding@Home's Home Page, download the program, install it and put 198 in as your team number. Happy folding!
Josh Liechty posts stats daily to the Anandtech DC Forums, and we'll do our best to answer any questions you may have.
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