Most
businesses have come to realize the cost-saving potential of using cloud
computing. Large and reliable resources for data storage have become essential,
whether a company specializes in sales, marketing or particle acceleration.
Making use of the cloud typically involves allotting resources over a network,
while grid computing is a similar concept, but involves computing resources
outside of a single network.
Both
of these systems have been widely analyzed for managing data and computing
resources. Companies can outsource their computing needs to a third party, just
as an SEOcompany can be enlisted for online marketing,
website creation and traffic monitoring. Small businesses and big corporations
alike benefit from such services, even a company like the European Organization
for Nuclear Research (CERN). The company recently used its Large Hadron
Collider in the discovery of a once theoretical particle.
Cloud Computing and Particle Physics
With
a 17-mile-long tunnel and repeated experiments, CERN produces a lot of data. As
much as 1 GB per second is recorded in the facility’s datacenter. This adds up
to so much data that even Moore’s Law, the principle that states memory
capacity should double every 18 months, is not enough to keep up. Data are
measured in petabytes, one of which is equal to a million gigabytes. Time
during experiments is measured in nanoseconds; with an estimated 600 million
particle collisions per second during experiments, up to a petabyte of
information can be collected during each run.
Many
businesses use a public cloud, but CERN has created a grid network consisting
of 150 different computer systems spread around the world. Ethernet connections
link most of them, allowing for the use of 300,000 cores to drive computational
operations. When the Higgs
boson particle, theoretically the generator of mass, was found, enormous quantities
of data were created for collision analysis, particle path tracking and
statistical analysis.
Progressive Efforts
European
research organizations and CERN have begun experimenting with a cloud resource
called Helix Nebula – The Science Cloud. The project was implemented in March
2012 and is a partnership between various research groups, IT businesses and
cloud vendors. Simulations from the particle collider have already been run
through this network as part of a two-year study.
Many
scientists consider the particle discovery one of the most important in recent
times, while the cloud has become perhaps the most significant aspect of
computing for businesses. The Higgs boson particle itself may not yet have
applications directly related to IT, but the research surrounding it seems to
be driving a push to advance public computing resources on a wide scale. Data
security is important for businesses no matter what their focus is.
Byline: My best friend Michelle is a Content Specialist and Blogger with a passion for the
Internet, specifically social media and blogging. She loves how social media
connects people across the globe, and appreciates that blogging gives her the
opportunity to voice her thoughts and share advice with an unlimited audience.
