Its Friday so I'll jump in with what I think will be a typical reponse from
a Grid provider:

"Ahem...We provide disk and CPUs and the network to reach them.  We can
provide backup services if you like.  We will host your data.  What you must
do to make sure that your data retention meets your record management
policies will be up to you.  But, probably, we can provide lots of services
to help you cover that as well, for a price."

They'll insist that the customers own the records but this might not help
grid providers if they can't get indemnification from costs for legal
discoveries.  Perhaps there will be a clause in the contract insisting that
the customer will be billed for such costs associated discoveries on that
customer's data.

Where the Grid offerings can be challenged is probably on security.  Suppose
I decide that I need 5 Terabytes of extra storage for a little while.  Is
the disk scrubbed ahead of time or will I be able to run block reads on the
extra space I'm given to see what the last tenant had written there?  And
will mine be scrubbed when I give back the 5 terabytes?



Rich Wilson writes:

> The question is: Who owns and manages the records?
>
> * AT&T To Offer Utility Computing Service
> http://www.computerworld.com/newsletter/0,4902,103718,00.html?nlid=AM
>
>
>  AT&T Corp. will launch a managed utility computing service late this year... AT&T executives revealed in interviews this week.
>
> Rich Wilson, MCP
> Records Management Supervisor
> Governmental Records
> 2301 Central Ave
> Cheyenne, WY 82002-0001
> Phone: 307-777-5586  Fax: 307-777-7044
>
> E-Mail to and from me, in connection with the transaction of public business, is subject to the Wyoming Public Records Act and may be disclosed to third parties.
>
> List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
> Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance

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