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DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION
FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY /
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Special Features:
ONE MAN'S VIEWS ON THE Gt'04
EXPERIENCE
By J.S. Hurley, Editor-at-Large
We were very fortunate in the "City of Brotherly Love" to have had weather
(HOT!) to match the great exchanges and dialogue between attendees and
participants that shared in the Gt'04 experience. Some of the world's leading
Grid experts and practitioners were present at the event and provided
invaluable insight into Grid computing's strengths and challenges.
The event was attended by a very diverse audience ranging from the seasoned
early adopter to the wide-eyed novice. Many came to find out merely what all
the commotion was about, while others were more focused on what, specifically,
to avoid and pursue.
The conference was marked, according to the feedback that we have received,
with some of the most honest dialogue about challenges and issues that they
have witnessed in this area. Some shared war stories with accompanying battle
scars. Many were very pleased to hear of the proposed road maps and strategies
of major players in Grid computing, which enabled them to sharply reconsider
and possibly revise their own future directions.
Indeed, there were challenges, as well, with the event (as with any
first-time
effort) that were graciously shared by attendees that will help us better
serve the needs and demands of this special community. Additional inquiries,
in the form of surveys, will be forthcoming to get more suggestions and
recommendations on how to make the event more attractive and valuable to the
community.
One great thing about the conference is that even though the usual suspects
in
the Grid field were present, the conference was also attended by a good number
of executives and practitioners who are not normally seen at industry events.
It certainly was not business as usual.
We would like to establish a forum that would enable the excellent
exchanges
that took place at the event to continue, while enabling new participants to
persist in getting information on a number of the key Grid concepts. As a
result, we would like to establish a "GT Soapbox," wherein we provide a
platform for the community to expand on many of the fundamental concepts and
principles of Grid Computing from a personal perspective.
To pull off an event of this magnitude requires an incredible amount of
cooperation and coordination, none of which would have been possible without
the confidence provided by our sponsors (Sun, Butterfly.net, HP, IDC, Intel,
DataSynapse and IBM). We extend our deepest appreciation to them for endorsing
and supporting our beliefs in the need for this type of event.
In the planning and culmination of this effort, I have had the pleasure of
working with some of the most dedicated and knowledgeable professionals
anywhere on the executive and organizing committees. Finally, last, but
certainly not least, appreciation to our visionary, Tom Tabor.
"To Grid or Not to Grid," we hope is no longer so much the question, as the
direction. Happy Gridding!
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