Grid computing combines aspects from parallel computing, distributed computing and data management, and has been playing an important role in pushing forward the state-of-the-art in computer science and information technologies. There is considerable interest in Grid computing at present, with a significant number of Grid projects being launched across the world. Many countries have started to implement their own Grid computing programmes – such as in the Asia Pacific region (including Japan, Australia, South Korea and Thailand), the European Union (as part of the Framework 5 and 6 programmes, and national activities such as the UK eScience programme), and the US (as part of the NSF CyberInfrastructure.
