The globus2 device* supports the execution of MPI programs on ``computational grids'' that may include parallel computers and workstations, and that may span multiple sites. In such grid environments, different sites may support different security mechanisms and different process creation mechanisms. The globus2 device hides these low-level details from you, allowing you to start programs with mpirun as on MPPs and workstation clusters. The globus2 device also provides other convenient features, such as remote access to files and executable staging. These features are provided by using services supplied by the Globus toolkit: see http://www.globus.org for details.
The globus2 device requires that special servers be running on the computers where processes are to be created. In our discussion of how to use the globus2 device, we assume that we are using the globus2 device on a collection of machines on which various Globus servers are installed and running. Such a collection is often referred to as a computational grid, for example, NASA's Information Power Grid (IPG). If possible, we recommend that you use the globus2 device in this environment. If you wish to use the globus2 device in other situations, please send email to [email protected]. Details of how to run MPI programs using the globus2 device on Globus-enabled computational grids are in Appendix mpirun and Globus .