Distributed computing has been around for years , initially used primarily on clusters of machines running the Linux operating system at NASA and universities. It migrated to the Net in the late 90s for such math problems as finding the longest prime number and cracking encryption. Now, researchers are using similar techniques to design storage vessels for nuclear waste and study evolution. Medical researchers can test millions of drug combinations to fight AIDS or cancer, and learn how anomalies in protein formation cause diseases. The concept has been adapted by companies like Porivo Technologies Inc. and Envive Corp. to monitor network connections.
Web sites can tap their networks of Internet users to test Web performance.
One day, companies may find a way to tap the extra storage space on computers' hard drives. Still, some significant obstacles exist. By distributing the work, researchers can lose control over their data. The SETI project has had to contend with a handful of attempts to falsify data. And sometimes, nonprofit organizations have to enlist for-profit companies to set up their systems.