Semantics, resource and grid

The future interconnection environment will be a platform-independent Virtual Grid consisting of requirements, roles and resources. With machine-understandable semantics, a resource can actively and dynamically cluster relevant resources to provide on-demand services by understanding requirements and functions each other. Versatile resources are encapsulated to provide services in the form of single semantic image by using the uniform resource model. A resource can intelligently assist people to accomplish complex tasks and solve problems by participating versatile resource flow cycles through virtual roles to use proper knowledge, information, and computing resources. From this Virtual Grid point of view, this paper conceptualizes the Social Grid, Semantic Resource Grid and Knowledge Grid, then points out the key research issues of the future interconnection environment. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.