Distributed Computing for e-Science 1 (P01343)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : PHY-P-DCE1

This course covers the principles of distributed computation that underpin e-Science. After summarising why its role is so central to e-Science, the course will review various models of distributed computation and the basic problems common to all of them. Once these basic principles have been outlined, the course will focus on the particular architectures commonly used in the web services and grid computing worlds and discuss how each of these addresses the set of generic problems facing all distributed computational systems. A rough taxonomy of e- Science applications will be developed, and the selection of an appropriate computational architecture for each will be discussed, through the use of case studies.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : Only postgraduates or final year MPhys students with suitable computational background, subject to space restrictions and agreement with relevant Programme Coordinator.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of Physics), (School of Physics, Schedule Q)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
26/09/2005	10:00	12:00			E-science room, Level 7, JCMB

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	10:00	10:50	KB
Lecture	Monday	11:10	12:00	KB

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the distributed computational requirements of the range of applications characteristic of e-Science.
2. Describe the problems that any distributed computational system must address and compare how existing architectures address them.
3. Assess the appropriateness of existing models of distributed computation to current e-Science applications.
4. Show an appreciation of the design choices that underpin web service and grid computing technologies and understanding of the evolution of distributed computing technologies in the commercial and academic IT domains.