GGF16 “Production Grids: The Path to Global Interoperability”

Global Grid Forum 16
Athens, Greece
February 13-16, 2006

Keynote presentations by Ian Foster and David Snelling lead the program offering at the upcoming GGF16 in Athens, Greece, February 13-16. The event theme is “Production Grids: The Path to Global Interoperability”. With production grids a reality in nearly every part of the world, GGF16 will take on the next challenge – working proactively with the community to enable these Grids to interoperate. During the Athens meeting, experts from many of the world’s most advanced production grids will tackle the issue of supporting applications that use resources across multiple production grids. One aim of the sessions is to leverage current experiences with grids to define a simple set of services for routine interoperation between grid projects resulting in full interoperability in 4 to 6 target areas by the end of 2006.

In a year where GGF’s standards activities will be emphasizing interoperability, the GGF16 theme dovetails perfectly with the over 65 group sessions planned in Athens. While the majority of these sessions will involve “heads-down” specification and best practice work, the program will feature a workshop on the recently published Job Submission Description Language (JSDL) specification. This proposed recommendation, which has already been adopted in multiple software implementations, defines a common language that job management systems can use to interact in a heterogeneous environment. Dave Snelling, GGF’s Vice Chair of Standards will also provide an overview of the GGF standards activities including what to expect from GGF in 2006 during a special keynote.

A parallel highlight of GGF16 will be how enterprises are moving towards interoperable grids within firms and shared grids between intermediate suppliers and final producers (as in autos or aerospace). Services Oriented Architectures and virtualization have given commercial users the technologies needed to link their research, design, and analytical operations in multiple locations into a single, interoperable grid. The GGF16 program will discuss use cases and future plans for commercial grid interoperability.

GGF16 will also include keynotes and grid program updates organized by event hosts GRNet (Greek Research and Technology Network). GRNet’s contribution to the program will provide updates on EGEE, Open Science Grid, HELLASGRID, APGrid, Teragrid, DEISA, Nordugrid, and other regional grid activities.

To register, please go to the GGF web site's registration page. The schedule for the workshops, tutorials and technology updates is available at the schedule page.

Additional information about GGF16 can be found at GGF16 and questions about the event should be directed to office@ggf.org.