Load-balancing remote spatial join queries in a spatial GRID

The explosive growth of spatial data worldwide coupled with the emergence of GRID computing provides a strong motivation for designing a spatial GRID which allows transparent access to geographically distributed data. While different types of queries may be issued from any node in such a spatial GRID for retrieving the data stored at other (remote) nodes in the GRID, this paper specifically addresses spatial join queries. Incidentally, skewed user access patterns may cause a disproportionately large number of spatial join queries to be directed to a few 'hot' nodes, thereby resulting in severe load imbalance and consequently increased user response times. This paper focusses on load-balanced spatial join processing in a spatial GRID.