Granular computing

Granular computing is a new style of computing where applications are composed of large numbers (thousands to millions) of very short-lived (10-100μs) tasks. Today's systems and infrastructure were designed to support millisecond-scale operations and are inadequate to meet the demands of granular computing. In this position paper we discuss the challenges of supporting granular applications, such as handling extreme bursts of activity, and we present a few initial ideas about the infrastructure required to enable granular computing, such as new mechanisms for communication and persistence.