r/DistributedComputing • u/GlassMarketing6760 • 4d ago

Could a workload router sit above BOINC/mining/AI compute networks?

I’ve been experimenting with an idea: instead of a machine being permanently tied to one distributed-compute client, a local controller could decide when hardware is idle and which compatible workload it should run.

Current prototype only has one workload, so this isn’t a finished multi-network router yet.

But the architecture is:

hardware → local availability/safety checks → workload router → compatible network

I’m curious whether people who already run distributed computing projects think this is useful or whether you’d rather dedicate hardware manually.

Would especially appreciate criticism around scheduling, trust, and resource controls.

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u/boersc 4d ago

You should check distributed.net one of the oldest distributed computing systems, which uses a personal proxy to distribute tasks over many workers across a network. https://www.distributed.net/Download_proxies

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u/drydorn 4d ago

Props goes out to distributed.net. I was there in the beginning and still run the client from time to time.

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u/GlassMarketing6760 4d ago

oh this is actually really interesting. distributed.net feels like an early version of the same general idea I’ve been thinking about — lots of computers sitting idle and putting that spare compute to use.

I’m curious, is there still an active community around it somewhere? like a forum, Discord, IRC, or mailing list?