This talk explains grid concepts and introduces the EGEE project, its infrastructure and its middleware.
A Grid is “an infrastructure that enables flexible, secure, coordinated resource sharing among dynamic collections of individuals, institutions and resources” (Ian Foster and Carl Kesselman). The talk explains how, with a single sign-on, users are authenticated and authorised to use computers in other organisations for computation and data access. The roles of virtual organisations, the supporting operations services and Certificate Authorities are described. The history of grid computing is outlined: from early prototypes towards e-infrastructure that provides services for many research communities.
The EGEE project is establishing production quality grid infrastructure, with major activities in a) establishing operations infrastructure provided from many countries; b) re-engineering its grid services, into the "gLite middleware"; c) supporting user communities - including MAGIC.
