Computing for the LHC
What is grid computing?
Grid computing is a service for sharing computer power and data storage capacity over the Internet, or in some cases with the help of dedicated optical fibre networks. Grid computing is making big contributions to scientific research, helping scientists around the world to analyze and store massive amounts of data. You can learn much more about how grid computing works, and what it can be used for, at the GridCafe.
The LHC will produce 15 Petabytes (15 million Gigabytes) of data per year. These data requirements mean that most analysis programmes cannot be run on individual PCs. This is why CERN and its partners in universities around the world are leading the development of the LHC Computing Grid (LCG) which aims to link hundreds of major computing centres around the world. But there are exceptions where high-energy physicists can usefully tap into the combined power of thousands of individual PCs on the internet, using the concept of volunteer computing employed by LHC@home.
Image of the LHC Computing Grid in action
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