The second part of the two part series on designing a scalable grid system is now available at developerWorks. This tutorial looks at the hardware of the individual nodes and then at operating system and application considerations.

For example, I take a close look at the optimization of CPU and RAM in your grid node selections, and how to identify and resolve issues with RAM limitations. You can also use CPU selections to help drive and optimize your grid.

For the operating system, I look at the different benefits and advantages of operating system choice, including how some operating systems provide a richer security solution out of the box, while others may be better suited for the large memory or storage requirements associated with a grid manage or distribution node.

In terms of the application, I cover the use of a component, rather than a single application model, and how the methods of distribution of information can change the way you design and expand your grid and may ultimately affect the scalability.

Read: Design a scalable grid, Part 2: Operating system and application