Data Grids address computational and data intensive applications that combine very large datasets and a wide geographical distribution of users and resources [1, 2]. In addition to computing resource scheduling, Data Grids address the problems of storage and data management, network-intensive data transfers and data access optimization, while maintaining high reliability and availability of the data (see References [2, 3] and references therein). The Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA) [1, 4] builds upon the anatomy of the Grid [5], where the authors present an open Grid Architecture, and define the technologies and infrastructure of the Grid as ‘supporting the sharing. | 15 The Open Grid Services Architecture and data Grids Peter Z. Kunszt and Leanne P. Guy CERN Geneva Switzerland INTRODUCTION Data Grids address computational and data intensive applications that combine very large datasets and a wide geographical distribution of users and resources 1 2 . In addition to computing resource scheduling Data Grids address the problems of storage and data management network-intensive data transfers and data access optimization while maintaining high reliability and availability of the data see References 2 3 and references therein . The Open Grid Services Architecture OGSA 1 4 builds upon the anatomy of the Grid 5 where the authors present an open Grid Architecture and define the technologies and infrastructure of the Grid as supporting the sharing and coordinated use of diverse resources in dynamic distributed Virtual Organizations VOs . OGSA extends and complements the definitions given in Reference 5 by defining the architecture in terms of Grid services and by aligning it with emerging Web service technologies. Web services are an emerging paradigm in distributed computing that focus on simple standards-based computing models. OGSA picks the Web Service Description Language WSDL 6 the Simple Object Access Protocol SOAP 7 and the Web Service Grid Computing - Making the Global Infrastructure a Reality. Edited by F. Berman A. Hey and G. Fox 2003 John Wiley Sons Ltd ISBN 0-470-85319-0 386 PETER Z. KUNSZT AND LEANNE P. GUY Introspection Language WSIL 8 from the set of technologies offered by Web services and capitalizes especially on WSDL. This is a very natural approach since in the distributed world of Data Grid computing the same problems arise as on the Internet concerning the description and discovery of services and especially the heterogeneity of data 9 . In this article the application of the OGSA is discussed with respect to Data Grids. We revisit the problem that is being addressed the vision and functionality of Data Grids
