Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) - Essay Example

Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) When I installed BOINC, that was an open source middleware system for grid computing and volunteering, I learned that it works in a number of ways. Since it has a high number of participants and active computer hosts who generate a worldwide data processing capability, it is being applied in diverse fields, such as medicine, Mathematics, Climatic, Astrophysics, and Environmental Science. BOINC has made it possible for researchers to harvest the massive processing capability of personal computers globally.

The BOINC client-server technology is necessary for the BOINC platform to operate. The BIONIC structure integrates two layers that function under the client-server structural design. In addition, numerous installations of BOINC are currently supported across all of the applications. I have learned that various operating systems, such as Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS support the framework (Ries and Christian 10). Firms, such as IBM have tapped into the numerous unused processors to speed up significant scientific research.

For example, I screen and conduct experiments on cancer drug candidates daily. When I am not helping cancer patients, I am busy trying to solve other global problems, such as clean energy, world hunger, and AIDS. This is a breathtaking portfolio for me, especially considering that I did not take a single biology or chemistry class in college. I am among the increasing number of innovators who have joined IBM’s World Community Grid (González et al. 49). This effort by IBM draws citizen researchers from the public who use the ordinary people’s computers to create open and free-source lab for global researchers.

Since I installed BOINC, I have learned that substantial computational research is broken down into isolated problems and then installed across the vast network. I have also learned that more than a million volunteers in 220 countries have offered 1.5 million desktops and laptops since IBM launched the service in 2004. The grid’s raw computing power is comparable to a top-10 supercomputer. It would take the average personal computer more than 320,000 years to collect the data and complete the calculations performed by the grid so far (González et al. 22) Joining and installing BOINC was more gratifying than writing a check to fund the research.

It has provided me with an opportunity to participate and feel part of the scientific journey towards life-changing solutions. The project names that include Clean Energy Project, Help Conquer Cancer, and FightAids@Home are very inspiring and deeply personal for me since I have relatives and friends with cancer. The application makes me feels that I am contributing and doing something on behalf of these friends. It makes me feel good that I am giving back to the community and that I am giving some meaning to the loss in the world (Ries and Christian 10).

Works Cited González, Daniel Lombrana, et al. "Interpreted applications within boinc infrastructure." Ibergrid 2008. 2nd Iberian Grid Infrastructure Conference Proceedings. 2008. Print. Ries, Christian Benjamin, and Christian Schröder. "ComsolGrid–A framework for performing large-scale parameter studies using COMSOL Multiphysics and the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC)." Proc. COMSOL Conf. 2010. Print.