Direct Execution of Linux Binary on Windows for Grid RPC Workers

Local area or campus-type networks consist of PCs using different operating systems such as Windows and Linux. These PCs are expected to have enormous potential computing power for grid computing. The majority of PCs in this type of environment run on Windows, while grid applications and middleware are often developed on Linux. The challenge is to absorb the heterogeneity of operating systems. Grid RPC is a promising programming model for the development of grid applications. We have designed and implemented an agent called BEE, which enables direct execution of Linux binary programs on Windows for a grid RPC worker. We have integrated the BEE agent into an OmniRPC system in order to make use of Windows PCs as computing resources in a hybrid grid environment combining Windows PCs into grid computing resources. The BEE agent allows Linux binaries of the program of the OmniRPC worker to be exported and run under Windows without any modification of its Linux binaries. The results of our experiments show that the performance of a worker program using BEE is almost the same as that of Windows native binary and Cygwin and is better that that of using VMware. We have demonstrated a hybrid grid environment combining Window PCs in a conventional grid of Linux nodes.