The WNoDeS cloud virtualization framework: a macromolecular surface analysis application case study

The Grid infrastructures, such as the one providedby the European Grid Infrastructure, represent suitable solutionsto achieve cost effective computational power. However,these solutions present to Grid users some challenges, i.e. tocreate a customized computing environment and its management.For this reason a Cloud-like approach is for certainapplications more suitable than a pure Grid one.In this paper, we propose an approach based on WNoDeS- the Worker Nodes on Demand Service - to exploit both thecomputational and storage power of the Grid and the flexibilityof the Cloud paradigm. This virtualization frameworkmakes possible, trough a tight integration with Local ResourceManagement Systems, a dynamic allocation of virtual resourcesout of a common resource pool. WNoDes has been installed onsome INFN Grid sites, allowing selected users to instantiate aset of customized virtual machines on top of the Grid resources.Running the applications on customized machines simplifies thecomputing model and reduces the failure rates. We show howit is feasible to smoothly perform a real life molecular surfacesanalysis use case instantiating resources through WNoDeS. © 2014 IEEE.