Solution developers will increasingly need their infrastructure to take these capabilites to the next level. Traditional clustering configurations come in the form of clusters and parallel computers, which while sporting different architectures based on the closeness of the coupling between the components, often have similar attributes. Computer clustering is typically defined as a group of independent servers that cooperate on specific tasks. The emergence of Web serving and e-business as mainstream application workloads has dramatically increased the value and relevance of clustered computing. While not unique as an inherently parallel business function, the Web application clearly transforms clustered computing from a specialty to the mainstream.
Web applications differ in more ways than degree of parallelism.
This flexibility, along with the shift from developing custom application functions to leveraging standard application services, is enabling the growth of service providers, a new type of business that offloads some of a company's IT function, such as network access, applications, IT management, and Web hosting. The service provider model is attractive due to the accelerating complexity of IT equipment, shortages in skilled IT resources and the increasing technical challenges placed on computing infrastructure by e-business. Service providers will seek to deliver qualities of service that enterprises cannot replicate at the same cost structures. The paradigm places even more importance on clustered computing. It must cope with unpredictable spikes and as well as the need to rapidly initiate a new, unplanned service.