Table Of Content

01_790109 ffirs.qxp 6/13/06 8:48 PM Page iii L e s s o n s i n G r i d C o m p u t i n g : The System Is a Mirror Stuart Robbins 01_790109 ffirs.qxp 6/13/06 8:48 PM Page i Lessons in Grid Computing 01_790109 ffirs.qxp 6/13/06 8:48 PM Page ii Additional praise for Lessons in Grid Computing: The System Is a Mirror “I really like the storytelling format for communicating these ideas, and I have a strong feeling this book will be uniquely positioned in the vol- umes of IT advice/offerings. The “Stuart Robbins philosophy” of IT project management is rooted in a genuine appreciation of the human side of technology. This book articulates these important and surpris- ingly simple (yet all too often overlooked) lessons. The accessible storytelling format will communicate to a wider audience than just IT management.” Maggie Law, User Interface Designer, PeopleSoft “I was thrilled to read this. It’s such an easy thing but most often it is overlooked. It’s very true that system reflects the harmony (or the lack of) of an organization. This book explains in plain English one of the se- crets of measuring the success or failures in this complicated and ever changing world of IT.” Ruyben Seth, Database Manager, Symantec Corporation (Oregon) “This is a very complicated and challenging concept and you have raised some serious thought provoking issues.” Atefeh Riazi, Worldwide CIO, Ogilvy & Mather, Inc. “These stories are easy to read, and good fodder for students!” Carol Brown, Ph.D., Kellogg School of Business “You are an excellent writer and [this theory] demonstrates that you are a visionary in our industry!” Steve Yatko, Head of IT R&D, Credit Suisse First Boston (NYC) 01_790109 ffirs.qxp 6/13/06 8:48 PM Page iii L e s s o n s i n G r i d C o m p u t i n g : The System Is a Mirror Stuart Robbins 01_790109 ffirs.qxp 6/13/06 8:48 PM Page iv This book is printed on acid-free paper. ∞ Copyright © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information on our other products and services, or technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at 800-762-2974, outside the United States at 317-572-3993 or fax 317-572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our Web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Robbins, Stuart, 1953- Lessons in grid computing : the system is a mirror / Stuart Robbins. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-471-79010-5 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-471-79010-9 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Information technology—Management. 2. Business—Computer networks. 3. Management information systems. 4. Industrial management—Technological innovations. 5. Decision making. I. Title. HD30.2.R627 2006 658.4’038—dc22 2006002910 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_790109 ffirs.qxp 6/13/06 8:48 PM Page v For my son, Max 01_790109 ffirs.qxp 6/13/06 8:48 PM Page vi “We must transform ourselves.” –Steve Yatko Head of IT R&D, Credit Suisse First Boston 2004 “Language is digital.” –Gregory Bateson Steps Toward an Ecology of Mind 1972 02_790109 ftoc.qxp 6/13/06 8:48 PM Page vii CONTENTS Foreword by Geoffrey Moore xi Foreword by Thornton May xiii Acknowledgments xvii CHAPTER 1 The Prime Theorem 1 Information Systems Mirror the People that Build Them CHAPTER 2 Interfaces 7 How They Work and What Happens When They Are Broken CHAPTER 3 Relationship Management 21 We Can No Longer Manage the Systems as Single Nodes CHAPTER 4 Virtualization 36 A Natural Stage in the Maturity Cycle of Technologies CHAPTER 5 Orchestration 59 Finding a Sensible Order amid too Many Complications to Count CHAPTER 6 Complexity 80 Databases, Passwords, Collaboration, Funding, Smashed Atoms, and a Professor vii 02_790109 ftoc.qxp 6/13/06 8:48 PM Page viii viii Contents CHAPTER 7 Distributed Resources 99 Two Types of Diffusion—Compute Resources and Human Capital CHAPTER 8 Flash Teams 122 Analysis of New Organizational Groups from Several Perspectives CHAPTER 9 Network as Narrative Form 138 Basic Building Blocks Connected to Create Various Structures CHAPTER 10 Identity 155 Finding the Needle in the Haystack and Giving It a Name CHAPTER 11 Organizational Architecture 170 How We Organize Ourselves Is as Important as What We Say and Do CHAPTER 12 (Theory of) Resonant Usability 181 Everything Is Moving to the Presentation Layer, Where Humans Interact CHAPTER 13 Turbulence 208 Creating Stability in the Face of Chaotic Disruption CHAPTER 14 Libraries 232 Two Lives, Two Windows, and the Search for Information CHAPTER 15 Abstraction 246 Lift Yourself above the Conflicting Details and Look for Similarity CHAPTER 16 Insubordination as an Asset 260 Why You Must Allow Employees to Disagree with Your Decisions CHAPTER 17 The Consortium 281 The Multisourced IT Organization and a Software Commons—Our Future CHAPTER 18 The Everysphere 303 An Example of Synchronous Events between “Unrelated” Objects