A key challenge faced by large-scale, distributed applications in Grid environments is efficient, seamless data management. In particular, for applications that can benefit from access to data at variable granularities, data management can pose additional programming burdens to an application developer. This paper presents a case for the use of virtualized distributed file systems as a basis for data management for data-intensive, variable-granularity applications. The approach leverages on-demand transfer mechanisms of existing, de-facto network file system clients and servers that support transfers of partial data sets in an application-transparent fashion, and complement them with user-level performance and functionality enhancements such as caching and encrypted communication channels. The paper uses a nascent application from the medical imaging field (Light Scattering Spectroscopy
Jithendar Paladugula, Ming Zhao 0002, Renato J. O.