The fundamental value proposition of computer systems has long been their potential to automate well-defined repetitive tasks. With the advent of distributed computing, the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW) technologies in particular, the focus has been broadened. Increasingly, computer systems are seen as enabling tools for effective long distance communication and collaboration. Colleagues (and programs) with shared interests can work better together, with less respect paid to the physical location of themselves and the required devices and machinery | 19 Peer-to-Peer Grid Databases for Web Service Discovery Wolfgang Hoschek CERN IT Division European Organization for Nuclear Research Switzerland INTRODUCTION The fundamental value proposition of computer systems has long been their potential to automate well-defined repetitive tasks. With the advent of distributed computing the Internet and World Wide Web WWW technologies in particular the focus has been broadened. Increasingly computer systems are seen as enabling tools for effective long distance communication and collaboration. Colleagues and programs with shared interests can work better together with less respect paid to the physical location of themselves and the required devices and machinery. The traditional departmental team is complemented by cross-organizational virtual teams operating in an open transparent manner. Such teams have been termed virtual organizations 1 . This opportunity to further extend knowledge appears natural to science communities since they have a deep tradition in drawing their strength from stimulating partnerships across administrative boundaries. In particular Grid Computing Peer-to-Peer P2P Computing Distributed Databases and Web Services introduce core concepts and technologies for Making the Global Infrastructure a Reality. Let us look at these in more detail. Grid Computing - Making the Global Infrastructure a Reality. Edited by F. Berman A. Hey and G. Fox 2003 John Wiley Sons Ltd ISBN 0-470-85319-0 492 WOLFGANG HOSCHEK Grids Grid technology attempts to support flexible secure coordinated information sharing among dynamic collections of individuals institutions and resources. This includes data sharing as well as access to computers software and devices required by computation and data-rich collaborative problem solving 1 . These and other advances of distributed computing are necessary to increasingly make it possible to join loosely coupled people and resources from multiple organizations. Grids are collaborative .
