Optimizations in the grid visualization kernel

Computational grids are large-scale computing infrastructures, which offer ubiquitous access to networked resources for integrated and collaborative use by multiple organizations. The required abstraction and management for grids is transparently performed in the grid middleware layer. An example is the Grid Visualization Kernel GVK, which supports distributed near real-time interaction between distant simulation servers and visualization clients. Efficient transportation of data via limited and varying bandwidth is achieved by applying optimized abstraction and filtering techniques. The basic idea is to incorporate knowledge about visualization data structures and user viewpoints before transferring the data between server and client. Corresponding ideas include optimizations like multiple levels of detail, occlusion-culling, reference and image-based rendering.