IBM Sponsors Humanitarian Grid Computing Project

BrianWCarver writes "Reuters reports that IBM and top scientific research organizations are joining forces in a humanitarian effort to tap the unused power of millions of computers and help solve complex social problems. Following the example of SETI@home, the project, dubbed The World Community Grid, will seek to tap the vast underutilized power of computers belonging to individuals and businesses worldwide and channel it into selected medical and environmental research programs. The first project to benefit will be Human Proteome Folding, an effort to identify the genetic structure of proteins that can cause diseases. The client is currently available for Windows XP, 2000, ME, and 98."

The only way...

[Kjuib]

The only way to get all the UnderUtilized computers to do something is to push it unto their computers. There is a reason my the computers are underutilized, the user does not know how to use the computer. If they know how to download and install software then their computer would be full of programs that run all the time. Maybe the software could come as a standard for new PCs. Then anyone who knew about computers could delete it, but if you knew no better then they could use the power.

Other Clients ?

[richg74]

The client is currently available for Windows XP, 2000, ME, and 98.

I've been doing SETI@home for a while now, and was pleased to see the announcement of this in the press. I was less pleased when I went to the web site [worldcommunitygrid.org], and found out that (as it says above) the only client was for Windows. Since I use only Linux these days, I guess that leaves me out.

I hope that with IBM's involvement, and stated committment to Linux, this will change soon. I sent them a note, using the "Contact Us" form on the web site, and would encourage others to do the same.

(Incidentally, I've been running SETI@home initially on Windows, now on Linux, using the command-line client in both cases. I find I get ~50% more work units/time with Linux, and less impact on interactive use of the machine.)

IP rights?

[Anonymous Coward]

What are they doing with the data they process? I don't see anything on the site that says. I can't say I'm very impressed if this project isn't using OSS and releasing their processed data into the public domain, especially since they're relying on volunteers for their processing.

Cheap Computers

[stinkyfingers]

How about IBM put this (in a permanent manor) on their PC's and offer a discount for purchasers? Or on the machines they give away for free to charities/schools?

Seems like a transparent way to get their goals accomplished.

Re:Forgive my ignorance...

[jd]

Maybe they're folding them in different directions. :)

Seriously, I don't think there is a difference in goal. The only difference there might be is in method. Differences in how to share data and process it should be negligable, but Folding@Home is hardly speedy. But, then, it's not a simple task.

It would be good if IBM and Stanford worked out a way to link their databases, so they could split the problem-space up. They could then customize their clients to focus on that specific subset of folding problems, which may improve performance.

In all liklihood, they'll just fight over the data (as all such groups tend to do) and everyone'll lose out.

Boinc?

[beeglebug]

Whats wrong with Boinc? I thought it did exactly the same thing, only with more OS's supported, and the familiar SETI name behind it can't hurt either... Why try and compete?

Lets make a list first

[owlstead]

Any distributed software needs to have the following requirements for me to install it on my system:
- open source
- free (as in beer)
- portable code, or multicode
- protected against buffer overflows etc. (managed code)
- signed updates of grid software, grid client software and working packages
- nice interface (including a good web server)
- only for use for non-profit organizations
- and I wan't to choose my projects

Sun (or any one else), hurry up please. I'm NOT going to run any trap that's now on the market - especially not folding at fucking home, who cannot even maintain a normal web site for all those users.

With the current incarnations of CPU's, there is power usage as well. Maybe there is a client where you can set power safe features as well? It isn't a must, but it would be a nice to have.

Uneconomic, foolish

[C32]

What most people (especially americans with their cheap power) don't realize is that those "spare" cycles aren't free at all.
They cost watts, meaning money out of your pocket and increased pollution in the long term because the extra power drain will cause more coal/oil to be burned.
If you absolutely must pursure what amounts to a modern-day indulgence, do it with a cpu that delives good flops/watt performance, like a crusoe...

Hate to be a nay sayer..

[StikyPad]

But this is run by United Devices, the same people who brought us the Cancer cure [grid.org]. Or did they? If you glance at the forums, you might notice one of the biggest gripes is that UD provides a minimal amount of feedback and status updates. They do little to nothing to promote the projects they have running, although they let you think there are some sort of prizes to be had by amassing the most points.

The truth is, I don't care whether they're in it for a profit or for posterity, but if someone's using my resources, I'd at least like to know how they're being used, and what effect, if any, it has had. The SETI project might be futile, but at least someone lets us know what's going on occasionally, which is far more than I can say for the UD projects thus far. For all I know, the cancer distributed computing project has been abandoned in favor of more promising avenues of research. Personally I'll stick with SETI.