Let's connect the Tcl computers of the world!

'''What is the Ants project?'''

It is effectively an open, grass-root effort to build a grid computing network around services built in Tcl.


 What: Ants
 Where: http://www.fishpool.com/~setok/ants/
 Description: Ants is a generic system for running any kind of distributed
        code, intended to replace application-specific systems like the one
        used by SETI@home. The idea is to be able to write scripts with areas
        defined to be run on the Ants network. These script fragments can then
        communicate with the original script by passing messages. The server
        admin can specify which libraries scripts are allowed to load. In
        addition to that, by configuring the system and attaching more scripts
        to it, it can be a valuable system administration framework for both
        small and large networks.
        Currently at version 1.0 .
 Updated: 02/2003
 Contact: See web site

Ants has a server component (acting as an application) and a client library
that can be used to enable use of the distribution process.
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[Lars H]: Interesting! I have a scientific problem (basically solving a huge equation system by breadth-first search) that could have use for this, although it might be using a bit more memory (a couple of 10MB) than servers find comfortable.
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[Setok]: At the moment there is no limitation on how much memory scripts can use as I don't think you can control this in pure Tcl? I didn't want to make the first version contain any platform dependencies. I personally don't have any problem allowing 10MB
of any server I connect to that to be used for something cool. What really remains is marketing: convincing people to connect their machines to that as resources for others to use. Note that the scripts are run in safe Tcl environments so there shouldn't be any security risks. So start connecting ;-)

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[AK]: Another topic, which came up on the IIRC is 'security' in general. The server authenticating that a client is a true client, the client that it speaks to a true server, both checking the integrity of the code snippets send around so that no interloper can modify them (or the results) while they are in flight between the client and server, and possibly encryption for privacy.

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[Category Application] |
[Category Package] |
[Category Internet] |