e-Infrastructures Roadmap - Internet Society Nederland

e-Infrastructures RoadmapMiddleware and organisationMiddleware plays the intermediary role to facilitate a deep integration of individual componentswith the networks into a European Science Grid. Grids are an evolutionary step in the way we canwork with computers and everything connected to them. A grid consists in principle of a group ofresources (digital devices and anything attached to them or stored on them) which can be used forcombined efforts. The middleware assumes a network such as the internet to run on – or in the caseof GÉANTx a hybrid IP/optical network – and in fact implements a protocol stack into an interoperableruntime environment and/or query mechanism that allows for sharing of information and tasksbetween distributed devices and systems. New processes and procedures have to be devised to alterthe way organisations work, delivering for instance an authentication and authorisation framework.In order to enable the shift from discipline oriented solutions to generic facilities special attention isneeded to support and train users.A number of destinations are available for middleware infrastructure and organisation:• Authentication and authorisation infrastructure• Software life cycle management• Middleware repositories and parameter registration• Ensure open standards• Training & support for scientists and support personnel2223