mGrid: A load-balanced distributed computing environment for the remote execution of the user-defined Matlab code

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Matlab, a powerful and productive language that allows for rapid prototyping, modeling and simulation, is widely used in computational biology. Modeling and simulation of large biological systems often require more computational reso...

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Main Authors: Almeida Jonas S, Karpievitch Yuliya V
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2006-03-01
Series:BMC Bioinformatics
Online Access:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2105/7/139
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author Almeida Jonas S
Karpievitch Yuliya V
author_facet Almeida Jonas S
Karpievitch Yuliya V
author_sort Almeida Jonas S
collection DOAJ
description <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Matlab, a powerful and productive language that allows for rapid prototyping, modeling and simulation, is widely used in computational biology. Modeling and simulation of large biological systems often require more computational resources then are available on a single computer. Existing distributed computing environments like the Distributed Computing Toolbox, MatlabMPI, Matlab*G and others allow for the remote (and possibly parallel) execution of Matlab commands with varying support for features like an easy-to-use application programming interface, load-balanced utilization of resources, extensibility over the wide area network, and minimal system administration skill requirements. However, all of these environments require some level of access to participating machines to manually distribute the user-defined libraries that the remote call may invoke.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>mGrid augments the usual process distribution seen in other similar distributed systems by adding facilities for user code distribution. mGrid's client-side interface is an easy-to-use native Matlab toolbox that transparently executes user-defined code on remote machines (i.e. the user is unaware that the code is executing somewhere else). Run-time variables are automatically packed and distributed with the user-defined code and automated load-balancing of remote resources enables smooth concurrent execution. mGrid is an open source environment. Apart from the programming language itself, all other components are also open source, freely available tools: light-weight PHP scripts and the Apache web server.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Transparent, load-balanced distribution of user-defined Matlab toolboxes and rapid prototyping of many simple parallel applications can now be done with a single easy-to-use Matlab command. Because mGrid utilizes only Matlab, light-weight PHP scripts and the Apache web server, installation and configuration are very simple. Moreover, the web-based infrastructure of mGrid allows for it to be easily extensible over the Internet.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-24de9edce6a249918e143ff5eaf52cf12022-12-22T03:20:20ZengBMCBMC Bioinformatics1471-21052006-03-017113910.1186/1471-2105-7-139mGrid: A load-balanced distributed computing environment for the remote execution of the user-defined Matlab codeAlmeida Jonas SKarpievitch Yuliya V<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Matlab, a powerful and productive language that allows for rapid prototyping, modeling and simulation, is widely used in computational biology. Modeling and simulation of large biological systems often require more computational resources then are available on a single computer. Existing distributed computing environments like the Distributed Computing Toolbox, MatlabMPI, Matlab*G and others allow for the remote (and possibly parallel) execution of Matlab commands with varying support for features like an easy-to-use application programming interface, load-balanced utilization of resources, extensibility over the wide area network, and minimal system administration skill requirements. However, all of these environments require some level of access to participating machines to manually distribute the user-defined libraries that the remote call may invoke.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>mGrid augments the usual process distribution seen in other similar distributed systems by adding facilities for user code distribution. mGrid's client-side interface is an easy-to-use native Matlab toolbox that transparently executes user-defined code on remote machines (i.e. the user is unaware that the code is executing somewhere else). Run-time variables are automatically packed and distributed with the user-defined code and automated load-balancing of remote resources enables smooth concurrent execution. mGrid is an open source environment. Apart from the programming language itself, all other components are also open source, freely available tools: light-weight PHP scripts and the Apache web server.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Transparent, load-balanced distribution of user-defined Matlab toolboxes and rapid prototyping of many simple parallel applications can now be done with a single easy-to-use Matlab command. Because mGrid utilizes only Matlab, light-weight PHP scripts and the Apache web server, installation and configuration are very simple. Moreover, the web-based infrastructure of mGrid allows for it to be easily extensible over the Internet.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2105/7/139
spellingShingle Almeida Jonas S
Karpievitch Yuliya V
mGrid: A load-balanced distributed computing environment for the remote execution of the user-defined Matlab code
BMC Bioinformatics
title mGrid: A load-balanced distributed computing environment for the remote execution of the user-defined Matlab code
title_full mGrid: A load-balanced distributed computing environment for the remote execution of the user-defined Matlab code
title_fullStr mGrid: A load-balanced distributed computing environment for the remote execution of the user-defined Matlab code
title_full_unstemmed mGrid: A load-balanced distributed computing environment for the remote execution of the user-defined Matlab code
title_short mGrid: A load-balanced distributed computing environment for the remote execution of the user-defined Matlab code
title_sort mgrid a load balanced distributed computing environment for the remote execution of the user defined matlab code
url http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2105/7/139
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