Press Release Back Number(2005)

Grid computing system utilizing personal computers realizes high-speed analytical processing applications
- Protein analysis formerly requiring 47 days completed in ten hours -

October 31, 2005
Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Chuden CTI Co., Ltd.
IBM Japan, Ltd.

Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. (headquarters: Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture; President: Fumio Kawaguchi), Chuden CTI Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture; President: Tatsuo Yagi), and IBM Japan, Ltd. (headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Takuma Otoshi) have succeeded in jointly constructing a grid computing system that effectively uses the excess processing capacity of personal computers used for standard business applications.

A grid computing system links multiple computers via a network to form a single massive computer, achieving high-speed handling of massive calculations through simultaneous processing distributed across the computers making up the system.

For verification purposes, approximately 200 personal computers used in Chubu Electric Power's Technical Development Department were used to run a protein analysis application developed by Chuden CTI.

Using this system, researchers were able to complete in a mere ten hours calculations that had required 47 days when using a single computer. Used to derive the three-dimensional structures of protein compounds, the protein analysis application analyzes massive patterns. The implementation of such accelerated analysis holds the promise for rapid solutions of proteins in the creation of medicines - for example, to combat illnesses such as Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Through sustained verification over a six-month period, researchers quantified the operating status of personal computers at different times of the day and the amount of excess processing capability available at various points in time. In addition, even when excess capacity is used for analysis processing during business hours, they were able to confirm that no problems or issues arose with the computers making up the grid with respect to everyday tasks when analysis processing was assigned the lowest priority.

Plans for this year call for new research into increasing the precision of nuclear reactor core analysis (fuel allocation analysis intended to ensure safe and efficient consumption of fuel in nuclear power generation), which requires massive calculations, to verify this system's application to the power-generating business and for testing applications such as a supply reliability analysis program from the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), among other projects.

In addition to increasing the speed of analyses, using a grid computing system promises to increase the efficiency of capital investment by eliminating the need for special-purpose computers, since such systems can be expanded simply by adding more personal computers to the grid.

This project's goals include expanding the range of potential analytical processing applications, to test massive grid computing systems linking personal computers at multiple facilities, and to deploy the grid computing system across all of Chubu Electric Power's approximately 17,000 personal computers. Research will also continue to make progress in the creation of business models for grid computing systems.