The grid s scale makes this a particularly hard and important problem. Unfortunately, the text s coverage of fault tolerance is limited, and current grid systems provide limited support for it. Last, I present case studies of real grid applications to show how the technology can be applied and the current state of the art. The Grid presents some nice examples, primarily in Chapter 3. I also present additional material on applications implemented using Globus and Legion, which is available from their Web sites.
Course projects A major component of the grid class is system projects.
Absorbing all the course s conceptual material is impossible without hands-on exposure to some aspect of grid systems. The learning curve for Globus and Legion is particularly steep, so students should work with these systems early in the semester, preferably in groups. One exciting development is the emergence of portals that provide easy access to grid resources for example, Datorr and Punch. When such tools become available, they will be useful for ramping up student projects. Students typically implement their projects on local-area resources at the university.