The third part of my series on building a grid system using WS-RT.

In this third part of the series, we go deeper into the process of using WS-RT as a grid solution by examining how we can use WS-RT to store and collate information for monitoring the grid.

From the intro:

In this tutorial, you learn how to use the WS-RT standard to help manage your individual grid nodes. We’ll look at how to extract individual pieces of information from resource data, how to update and set individual attributes, and how to extend the existing database interface to create and expose trend data through our WS-RT interface.

Read: Building a grid system using WS-Resource Transfer, Part 3: Using WS-RT for grid monitoring

Read past parts of the series: Read: Building a grid system using WS-Resource Transfer Series

The penultimate part of the series on using PHP and Java together to produce a web interface to your Java application is now available.

In this penultimate part of the series, I look at the real-time use of the PHP/Java bridge as the final part and alternative solution to using web services to communicate between the PHP and Java components.

You can also read the past parts of the series:

• Develop with Java and PHP technology on AIX Version 5.3, Part 1: Setting up the Java environment
• Develop with Java and PHP technology on AIX Version 5.3, Part 2: Building the Java business application
• Develop with Java and PHP technology on AIX Version 5.3, Part 3: Integrating the Java business application with DB2 Version 9
• Develop with Java and PHP technology on AIX Version 5.3, Part 4: Exposing the application as a web service

Read: Develop with Java and PHP technology on AIX Version 5.3, Part 5: Installing and integrating the PHP Java Bridge

I was fortunate enough to get a review unit of Sun’s Ultra 20M2 Workstation Back in the early part of 2007.

The Ultra 20M2 is Opteron based, and the M2 designation includes the dual-core Opteron processor. It was a very nice machine that I’m sorry to have given back.

The full review is on Free Software Magazine; read Sun Ultra 20 M2 review

In light of the announcement that IBM are retiring their developerWorks Grid zone (see this post), I’ve tried to grab a copy of all the PDFs for the articles I was involved in.

There are some missing gaps because the PDFs have already disappeared (notably, the Python grid series), but everything else should be listed below:

• Application virtualization, Part 1: Level 1 — Abstracting your grid infrastructure A4 | Letter
• Application virtualization, Part 2: Level 2 — Understanding your virtualized environment A4 | Letter
• Application virtualization, Part 3: Creating your virtualized application for the grid A4 | Letter
• Bandwidth management in grids
• Develop your grid service with the IBM Grid Toolbox
• You’ve got grid — Using an e-mail-based grid service A4 | Letter
• Managing a grid, Part 1: Network and infrastructure
• Building a grid using Web services standards, Part 1: Grid application overview A4 | Letter
• Building a grid using Web services standards, Part 2: The structure and core components A4 | Letter
• Building a grid using Web services standards, Part 3: Defining and exposing resources A4 | Letter
• Building a grid using Web services standards, Part 4: Exchanging data A4 | Letter
• Building a grid using Web services standards, Part 5: Managing components and resources A4 | Letter
• Building a grid using Web services standards, Part 6: Monitoring and Execution A4 | Letter
• Developing a grid application with open source tools
• Build a grid with Perl, Part 1 A4 | Letter
• Build a grid with Perl, Part 2: Exchanging information A4 | Letter
• Build a grid with Perl, Part 3: Metadata A4 | Letter
• Build a grid with Perl, Part 4: Submission and distribution A4 | Letter
• Build a grid with Perl, Part 5: Client development A4 | Letter
• Plug into the grid with Perl and Globus A4 | Letter
• Design a scalable grid, Part 1: Network architecture A4 | Letter
• Design a scalable grid, Part 2: Operating system and application A4 | Letter
• What is the semantic grid?
• Build grid applications based on SOA
• Grid computing — moving to a standardized platform
• Comparing traditional grids with high-performance computing
• Use VMware to test your grid applications A4
• Building a grid system using WS-Resource Transfer, Part 1: Grid services and WS-RT
• Building a grid system using WS-Resource Transfer, Part 2: Information and database solution integration A4 | Letter
• Building a grid system using WS-Resource Transfer, Part 3: Using WS-RT for grid monitoring A4 | Letter
• Building a grid system using WS-Resource Transfer, Part 4: Using WS-RT for security A4 | Letter
• Building a grid system using WS-Resource Transfer, Part 5: Using WS-RT for work distribution
• Understand Web Services Distributed Management (WSDM) A4 | Letter

Let me know if anything is missing and I’ll see what I can do.

Regular readers will know that I’ve been a frequent and prolific contributor to the IBM developerWorks Grid Zone. In fact, in the early years of this zone I was often the only contributor.

Unfortunately, after years of providing us with helpful information on grids, grid software and development and deployment techniques, the Grid computing zone is being retired.

While I can understand why, I must say I’m surprised. Although I’m sure we are all more enlightened about grid technology than before, I still think we have a long way to go, and there’s certainly a few things I would like to have covered and expanded upon. I had, for example, some updates and extensions to the Perl and Python grid programming solutions in the pipeline. Let me know if you would like to see these and I’ll post them up here or on MCslp Coalface once I’ve completed them.

Until then, I’d like to thank IBM and particularly Mary McCommon (Grid zone editor) for giving me the opportunity to write about and play with such interesting technologies.

I’ve been a keen supporter of using open source tools and technology (including Perl, Python and many of the open source libraries and platforms). In fact, many of my most popular articles have been on grid technology and open source solutions.

Because of that, I decided to put together an overview piece of the flexibility and utility of open source solutions in grids. From the into:

Using open source tools for developing grid applications opens up a wealth of possibilities. The first is a very rapid development process, especially if you take advantage of script languages like Perl or Python and deployment environments like Apache. There is also a wealth of examples available that can help you. Examine the advantages and disadvantages of developing a grid solution using open source technology.

Read: Developing a grid application with open source tools