SECTION A – Short Answers (2 Marks Each)
(a) Importance of High-Performance Computing
High-Performance Computing (HPC) enables fast processing of large and complex problems such as weather forecasting, scientific simulations, data analytics, and artificial intelligence by using parallel processing.
(b) Problem underlying the Grid concept
The Grid concept addresses the problem of sharing and coordinating distributed computing resources across multiple administrative domains to solve large-scale problems.
(c) Dominating programming language groups for HPC
The two dominating programming language groups are Fortran and C/C++, often combined with parallel libraries like MPI and OpenMP.
(d) High Performance Application Development Environment
It includes programming tools, compilers, debuggers, performance analyzers, libraries, and runtime systems required to develop and optimize parallel applications.
(e) Key services of Single System Image (SSI)
SSI provides process management, memory management, file system integration, resource management, and job scheduling across cluster nodes.
(f) Goals of cluster middleware
Cluster middleware aims to provide transparency, load balancing, fault tolerance, scalability, and efficient resource management.
(g) Issues in parallel and distributed paradigms
Issues include synchronization, communication overhead, load balancing, fault tolerance, scalability, and data consistency.
(h) Multiprogramming
Multiprogramming allows multiple programs to reside in memory and execute concurrently, improving CPU utilization.
(i) Cloud and its models
Cloud computing delivers computing resources over the internet. Models include IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
(j) Services associated with cloud
Cloud services include compute services, storage services, networking, database services, security services, and application services.
SECTION B – Long Answers (10 Marks Each)
(a) Peer-to-Peer Computing vs Internet Computing
Peer-to-Peer computing involves decentralized resource sharing among equal nodes, whereas Internet computing uses centralized servers providing services to clients over the internet.
(b) Architecture of Open Grid Services
Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA) defines standard services for resource discovery, security, job submission, data management, and monitoring using service-oriented architecture principles.
(c) Resource Management and Scheduling in cluster computing
Resource management handles allocation of CPU, memory, and network resources. Scheduling ensures efficient job execution, load balancing, and high throughput using algorithms like FCFS, priority-based, and backfilling.
(d) Application domains of Beowulf Cluster
Beowulf clusters are used in scientific simulations, bioinformatics, weather modeling, image processing, and research computing due to their low cost and high performance.
(e) Short notes
Cyber Infrastructure refers to integrated computing, data, and networking resources supporting advanced research.
SLA defines service performance guarantees between provider and user.
Virtualization enables multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical system.
SIMD executes the same instruction on multiple data elements simultaneously.
SECTION C – Long Answers (10 Marks Each)
(3a) Types of Grids and their components
Types of grids include Computational Grid, Data Grid, Service Grid, and Collaborative Grid. Components include resources, middleware, security mechanisms, and user applications.
(3b) Grid Computing Model and protocols
The Grid model consists of fabric, connectivity, resource, collective, and application layers. Protocols support authentication, data transfer, job submission, and resource management.
(4a) Significance of GLOBUS Toolkit
The GLOBUS toolkit provides core services for Grid computing such as security, data management, and resource management. It is widely used in scientific and enterprise Grid applications.
(4b) Security considerations in OGSA
Security concerns include authentication, authorization, data integrity, confidentiality, trust management, and secure communication among Grid services.
