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Technology Overview
Mac OS X Server
Distributed Computing
Mac OS X Server v10.4 includes Xgrid, the rst distributed computing architecture to
be built into a desktop or server operating system. Xgrid makes it easy to turn an ad
hoc group of Mac computers into a low-cost supercomputer by streamlining the pro-
cess of assembling nodes, submitting jobs, and retrieving results. With Xgrid, scientists,
animators, and digital content creators can easily run a single job across multiple
computers at once, dramatically improving performance and responsiveness.
Xgrid Admin makes it easy to monitor and manage jobs and agents on multiple controllers.
Integrated directly into Mac OS X Server v10.4, Xgrid works across portable computers,
desktops, and servers to create a seamless distributed computing environment. Xgrid
comes with administration tools for managing Xgrid clusters, monitoring job submis-
sions and progress, and displaying the status of individual jobs.
Xgrid controllers mutually authenticate with both clients and agents, using either a
password or the single sign-on facility in Mac OS X Server. Similarly, clients and agents
can locate a controller using Bonjour, Open Directory, a host name, or DNS service
lookups. This means Xgrid clusters can range from a single rack of Xserve systems to
a roomful of Mac desktop computers to a diverse collection of Mac systems dispersed
across the Internet.