Status of grid middleware and corresponding emerging standards for potential usage in sharing scientific instruments via (International) networks

Grid computing is a broadly accepted paradigm for sharing resources like processing power, or storage space. However, the grid is based on such a broad concept that it can do more than just integrating computing facilties. For example, it can be used to access expensive and thus not so easily available instruments. However, the middleware for instrument integration is not as well- polished as the middleware which is available for integrating computing facilities. This document gives an overview of the the solutions which are available, or are currently emerging, for remote instrumentation. Since remote instrumentation is a topic currently heavily under research, there are not many solutions available. Thus, this document concentrates on the solutions which are available, such as CIMA, as well as competing projects, such as GridCC. It also gives some use cases which help identify weak spots in the currently available technologies.