Grid computing is not just a phenomenon; it is, most basically, a method of connecting users, devices, networks, applications, and compute cycles into a single virtual machine. To do this properly requires the development of standards and procedures that anyone can use to attach his or her computer(s) and applications to the grid.

Fortunately, a collection of very intelligent and hard-working people has undertaken to put these standards and procedures together. Here are links to some of their work so far. Examining and studying the documents linked to below should give you a good picture of the real workings of grid computing.

These standards and procedures include the Open Grid Services Infrastructure (OGSI) and the Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA). OGSI exists to implement the OSGA.

The Computer Science Department at the University of Virginia is working on a project to integrate OSGI with Microsoft's .Net web services structure. You can visit their OSGI.net site by clicking here.

The Open Grid Services Architecture Working Group says that "The purpose of the OGSA Working Group is to achieve an integrated approach to future OGSA service development via the documentation of requirements, functionality, priorities, and interrelationships for OGSA services." You can find out more, and even get involved in the process yourself, by clicking here.

Although it's almost a year old, the Open Grid Services Infrastructure (OGSI), Version 1.0 (draft) is a valuable record of the earlier days of OGSI, as well as containing some clear explanations and useful diagrams that will help you understand what's actually going on under the OGSI hood. You can access it by clicking here.