VGE is a prototype framework for Grid-enabling native HPC applications. Under VGE applications available on various HPC platforms, may be exposed as generic application services and securely accessed by multiple remote clients over the Internet within a service-oriented environment. VGE has been realized based on state-of-the-art Grid and Web Services technologies, Java and XML.

Currently VGE comprises a Grid Service Environment (VGSE) and a Grid Client Environment (VGCE).

• VGSE is an application framework to be used by service providers in order to automate the process of transforming native applications into Grid Services.
  
• VGCE is a client-side framework and API for the development of user interfaces for Grid-enabled applications.
  

The service-oriented system architecture comprises a certificate authority, one or more clients, registries and services.

The VGE service infrastructure is capable of exposing native HPC applications as standard Web Services. A dynamic QoS negotiation model is provided for flexible support of application-level QoS utilizing specific application performance models, advance resource reservation and pricing models.

The VGE client infrastructure supports the development of Grid client applications based on VGE Grid services. It provides a high- level API as well as a generic command-line and Web interface for interactive service access. The infrastructure has been designed to allow different component implementations being loaded and replaced dynamically.

The VGE Grid service provision framework automates the task of transforming native HPC applications into Grid services. Service provision and deployment is guided by a graphical tool and based on XML application descriptors. VGE services follow the concept of generic application services and provide common operations for remote job management, data staging, error recovery as well as application level QoS support.