What are the potential advantages and risks while using Grid computing?

Grid Computing is the collection of computer resources from multiple locations to reach a common goal.

Advantages:

1.      Grid Computing enables cost saving in the IT departments of companies due to reduced total cost of ownership instead of investing in new resources.

2.       Grid computing enables greater scalability of infrastructure by removing limitation inherent in the artificial IT boundaries existing between separate groups or departments

3.      Grid Computing results in improved efficiency of computing, data and storage resources due to parallel CPU capacity, load balancing and access of additional resources.

Overall, Grid computing has the potential to improve price for performance of IT and companies.

 Risks

1.       Grid computing is a new computing paradigm that requires considerable change in processes.

2.       The transformation of the existing scattered IT infrastructure into a Grid alone is not sufficient.

3.       Lack of standards for Grid Computing makes investments decisions for Grid technology difficult and risky

4.       Grid computing is a complex technology affecting the complete IT infrastructure of a company.