Grid computing: What are the key components?

Grid computing is gaining a lot of attention within the IT industry. Although it has been used within the academic and scientific community for some time, standards, enabling technologies, toolkits, and products are becoming available that allow businesses to use and reap the advantages of Grid computing. As with many emerging technologies, you will find almost as many definitions of Grid computing as people you ask. However, one of the most used toolkits for creating and managing a grid environment is the Globus Toolkit. This article provides an overview of the key components that make up a Grid environment, and most of the information and concepts within the context of the Globus Toolkit.