Research in computer performance analysis has focused primarily on dedicated parallel machines. However, future applications in the area of high-performance computing will not only use individual parallel systems but a large set of networked resources. This scenario of computational and data grids is attracting a great deal of attention from both computer and computational scientists. In addition to the inherent complexity of parallel machines, the sharing and transparency of the available resources introduces new challenges on performance analysis, techniques, and systems. In order to meet those challenges, a multi-disciplinary approach to the multi-faceted problems of performance is required. New degrees of freedom will come into play with a direct impact on the performance of Grid computing, including wide-area network performance, quality-of-service (QoS), heterogeneity, and middleware systems, to mention only a few.
Reflecting this new reality, the Dagstuhl Workshop on Performance Analysis and Distributed Computing, organized by members of the European Working Group APART, was designed to bring together researchers from both the high-performance computing and the distributed computing areas. Indeed, attendees with expertise in a variety of topics in computer and computational sciences arrived in Dagstuhl at the end of August 2002 to discuss the state-of-the-art and the future of computer performance research as it applies to systems, applications, and Grids. Performance Analysis and Grid Computing comprises selected contributions encapsulating this scientifically rich event. The articles are organized in three parts: Performance Modeling and Analysis, Performance Tools and Systems, and Grid Performance and Applications. It will provide invaluable reading for researchers and developers in the areas of performance analysis, high-end computer systems, and grid computing.