Cloud Computing

One of the most interesting things to come out of the Pest conference last month was the ability to use "cloud" computers as a pest nest (a network of computers to run parallel pest). Cloud computing seems to be the latest buzz-word in tech but looks like it could be very useful in groundwater modeling, especially for situations where run-times are long and you may not want to tie up your own computer to do the runs.

In cloud computing, you rent a server (or as many as you need) from a company like Amazon or GoGrid.com. You then load your software and data files on it, fire up the model, and log in later when it's done. The costs are very reasonable (~ $5 per day).

I have tested this on GoGrid.com and have a draft tutorial on how it works. There will also be a new version of parallel pest to work with this, along with other auxiliary software to make it all work better. If you are interested in the tutorial document, just send me an email.