Poised to follow in the footsteps of the Internet, grid computing is on the verge of becoming more robust and accessible to the public in the near future. Focusing on this novel, yet already powerful, technology, Introduction to Grid Computingexplores state-of-the-art grid projects, core grid technologies, and applications of the grid.After comparing the grid with other distributed systems, the book covers two important aspects of a grid system: scheduling of jobs and resource discovery and monitoring in grid. It then discusses existing and emerging security technologies, such as WS-Security and OGSA security, as well as the functions of grid middleware at a conceptual level. The authors also describe famous grid projects, demonstrate the pricing of European options through the use of the Monte Carlo method on grids, and highlight different parallelization possibilities on the grid.Taking a tutorial approach, this concise book provides a complete introduction to thecomponents of the grid architecture and applications of grid computing. It expertly shows how grid computing can be used in various areas, from computational mechanics to risk management in financial institutions.