Grid and cluster computing are two different server architectures that bring considerable benefits to the enterprise. IT managers looking for a cost-effective infrastructure to gain better performance and scalability should implement cluster computing solutions instead of a grid.

Understanding Clusters and Grids

A cluster is a group of computers operating in parallel to solve a given task. Clusters address High Availability (HA) and High Performance Computing (HPC) issues. For example, a server farm built to provide 24x7x365 Web access is an HA cluster, while HPC clusters, like Beowulf, focus on data analysis and numerical computations. More specifically, a cluster has the following characteristics:

• Tightly coupled computers connected over a single high-speed network.
• All nodes in the cluster use a single system image.
• Job management and system scheduling is centrally controlled.

A grid...