Explain the concept of Scalable Computing over the Internet. Describe its evolutionary trends, major paradigms, and the differences among centralized, parallel, distributed, and cloud computing
Answer:-
Scalable Computing over the Internet
Scalable computing means solving big problems efficiently by using many computers connected through the Internet. Instead of using one single centralized computer, we now use parallel and distributed systems to handle large-scale tasks. These systems have improved the quality of modern life by powering services like Google Search, social media, online shopping, and more.
Evolution of Computing Platforms
Computers have evolved over five generations:
- 1950–1970 – Mainframes (e.g., IBM 360): Used by big companies and governments.
- 1960–1980 – Minicomputers (e.g., PDP-11): Used in colleges and small businesses.
- 1970–1990 – Personal Computers: Built using microprocessors (VLSI).
- 1980–2000 – Portable Devices: Laptops, mobiles in wired/wireless networks.
- Since 1990 – Clusters, Grids & Clouds: Use High Performance and High Throughput systems.
These systems form the backbone of modern Internet services, using shared resources and parallel processing to handle massive workloads.
High-Performance Computing (HPC)
- Focuses on speed and raw power.
- Used in scientific simulations, engineering, weather forecasting, etc.
- Measured in floating point operations per second (FLOPS).
- Examples: Supercomputers.
High-Throughput Computing (HTC)
- Focuses on completing many tasks at once.
- Used in web services, search engines, data centers.
- Measures number of jobs completed per second.
- Prioritizes cost, energy efficiency, and reliability.
