Differentiate between a cluster and a grid

Programming Language
#1

Clustering is one of the technologies that may be utilized to build a grid infrastructure. Simple clusters feature static resources that are used by certain owners for specific purposes.

Grids, which can be made up of many clusters, are dynamic resource pools that can be used by a variety of applications and users. A grid does not presume that all of its servers are running the same set of programmes. Applications in the grid can be scheduled and moved across servers. Grids pool resources from and among the owners of independent systems.

Grid computing is, at its most basic level, computing as a utility. In other words, we don’t have to worry about where our data is stored or which machine is handling our request. We should be able to request data or computations and have them delivered to us when we need them. This is similar to how electric utilities operate: we just ask for electricity and receive it, regardless of where the generator is located or how the electric grid is linked. The objective is to turn computers into a utility, a commodity, and something that everyone has access to. As a result, the name “Grid” was chosen. This utility computing viewpoint is, of course, a ‘client-side’ viewpoint.

The grid is about resource allocation, information exchange, and high availability from the ‘server-side’ (or behind the scenes). Resource allocation guarantees that everyone who wants resources gets it, and that resources aren’t sitting idle when requests aren’t being fulfilled. Information sharing ensures that users and apps have access to the information they require when they need it. All data and computation are always available as a utility thanks to high availability characteristics.

#2

Grid started out mostly meaning lots of computers shared within an organization within a similar security domain. It fell out of fashion.

Clusters tend to be more than one computer working closely with others in a very close relationship and permeable security boundaries between them. They tend to be devoted to a single workload.

Distributed computing means any of the above, or any set of computers working together over networks. Distributed computing leads to client/server systems, clusters and grids. Grids lead to Clouds.