Using grid computing and PVFS2 technologies for construction of an e-learning environment

In recent years, e-learning has become a popular method of learning. Generally, an e-learning platform which provided multi-media content required a high capacity storage device such as NAS (network attached storage) or SAN (storage area network). However, many schools with insufficient budgets cannot afford this type of expensive equipment. Thus, we employ grid computing and PVFS (parallel virtual file system) technology to integrate the idling storage resources in the school as a means to substitute the purchase of an expensive high-level storage server. In this research we will link several sets of PCs in the school to make them armed with the storage and computing capacity like that of a high-end server. We hope the goal of sharing and reuse of resources among the schools can be achieved.