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.
Many student projects could easily benefit from a wide-area implementation. This would also give students a more realistic exposure to grid issues. Numerous research testbeds exist for example, Access, Globus, and Legion but nothing comparable exists for education purposes. A virtual education grid consisting of institutions that each offer grid resources is the most logical way to begin constructing such a testbed. One piece of good news is that the Microgrid project is developing a set of grid simulation tools.