Information Technology for Hall D Experiment Building the Digital HallD

1. Information Technology for Hall D ExperimentBuilding the Digital HallD Geoffrey Fox Florida State University Department of Computer Science and CSIT (School of Computational Science and Information Technology) 400 Dirac Science Library Tallahassee Florida 32306-4130 fox@csit.fsu.edu halldsept00

2. What is a Portal • It is a “just” a web-based application • Education Portal is a Web-based University • Computing Portal is a “Problem Solving Environment” • Goal to build more productive environments by integrated access to distributed resources • From a Java point of view, one can view them as “Frameworks for Computing” or “Frameworks for Education” respectively • Well defined Interfaces based on • Grid Forum -- Computing • IMS/ADL/IEEE LTSC -- Education • And a set of Services and Tools halldsept00

3. Commodity Portals are Web Interfaces for Consumers Yahoo, NetCenter, Amazon.com, Ebay.com etc. are portals fore-commerce, news etc. halldsept00

4. Basic Portal Architecture and Inter Relationships of Education, Computing and other Portals EnterpriseInformationPortals fromMerrill Lynch halldsept00

5. Hierarchy of Portals and Their Technology ……... ……... Generic Portals Portal Building Tools and Frameworks (XUL, Ninja, iPlanet, E-Speak, Portlets, WebSphere, www.desktop.com) Collaboration Universal Access Security ……. Generic Services User customization, component libraries,fixed channels Information Services Databases ……. Enterprise Portals Quizzes Grading ... www.computingportals.org Education Services Compute Services Grid Services Visualization ... MathML etc Education andTraining Portals Science Portals K-12 University Biology Chem Egy halldsept00

6. Services in Computing Portals • Security • Fault Tolerance • Object Lookup and Registration • Object Persistence and Database support (as in EIP’s) • Event and Transaction Services • Collaboration among scientists around world • Job Status as in HotPage (NPACI) and myGrid (NCSA) • File Services (as in NPACI Storage Resource Broker) • Support (XML based) computational science specific metadata like MathML, XSIL • Visualization • Programming • Application Integration (chaining services viewed as backend compute filters) • “Seamless Access” and integration of resources between different users/application domains • Parameter Specification Service (get data from Web form into Fortran program wrapped as backend object) AnyPortal halldsept00

7. Portals think of things as objects and services System View User View RenderingEngine CORBA or Java Broker or Server Objects XML Requestfor service followed byreturn of XMLresult XML Browser(HTML) RenderingEngine Universal Interfaces IDL or XML “Computing Portals”Interface www.computingportals.org “Grid Forum”Interface www.gridforum.org Community Activities set standards enhancing interoperability halldsept00

8. GEM (Earthquake Science)Portal Architecture Geophysical “Web” Info Seismic Sensors Field Data General “Web” Info Databases (HPCC) Computers (Java) Interactive Analysis Client Visualization Backend Services Middleware Bunch of Web Servers and Object Brokers Collaboration SecurityLookup Registration Agents/Brokers Application Integration Visualization Server Seamless Access Clients halldsept00

9. WAKE UP! WAKE UP! page ALARM Caltech quake location, size -- page disp disloc JPL sorted station potential -- modem Dial Stations(and database) USGS station raw files -- page WAKE UP! GIPSY/auto_p JPL station motions -- JPL disloc simplex JPL --maps for civil authorities single-fault model multi-fault model Virtual_California Boulder (University of Colorado) web simplex JPL --graphics --refined fault model collaboration --graphics --hazard model halldsept00

10. Collaboration in GEM Earthquake Analysis System halldsept00

11. Different Computing Paradigms Task Spec. Middle-Tier Resource Spec. Example: LMS General or WebFlowSpecific Authoring NCSA Alliance Prototype Version Example: DoD HPCMO ASC/ARL WebFlow Object Oriented WebFlow DataFlow Custom GUI Layered PSE https, IIOP/SECIOP Computing Portal portalML Control(SmallMessages) WebFlow Middle Tier Grid Forum API(resourceML) HPCC: Globus Separated from Data DBMS: JDBC user codes Small tasks: Java Other as needed halldsept00

12. Digital HallD Ground Rules • Distributed Objects • Define all programs and data as objects – define in XML and implement in Object Model de jour (CORBA, Java, COM, SOAP …) • Do not use an Object Database • All HallD objects are labeled “HallD” and use a Jini like mechanism to announce their existence to a net of HallD brokers • HallD brokers allow a Napster-like mechanism for distributed systems to export HallD objects for external access (with built in rules) • Assume everybody has wireless access to the “Digital HallD” through hand held and conventional computers • Moore’s law:Computer Performance increases by a factor of 2 every 18 months • Gilder’s Law:Network bandwidth triples every 12 months -maybe easier to use scattered resources as no cost in sending data? halldsept00

13. Digital HallD Technologies • Globus allows you infrastructure to access computer resources around the world forming a HallD Grid • Maybe you don’t need Globus as the “real world” might provide what you need – several startups addressing issue of harnessing idle computer time • Use a multi-tier software architecture separating resources, servers/brokers, display engines, display devices • Structure access to Digital HallD as a Portal • Do not write any HTML – use XML and convert • Program in C++ or Java • Need distributed and not parallel computers halldsept00

14. MyHallD Collaborative Portal • MyHallD is the portal door to the • Virtual HallD Experiment Control Room • Virtual HallD Monte Carlo Farm • Virtual HallD DST Factory • Virtual HallD Physics Engine • Virtual HallD Board Room • HallD Education and Outreach Area • These share access to HallD digital objects but access (and make) them in different ways and are optimized in different ways • They share certain features and services • All actions are logged (in XML) and archived • Common security infrastructure • Access can be from PC or Hand Held device halldsept00

15. Message Center Interface • Yahoo Messenger is an interesting model for a portal interface • Application that invokes browser – more robust than browser • Runs on PC or Palmtop and “only” contains summary information suitable for Palms • Has services like file manipulation, send a message and set of custom buttons • Access News, Weather, Stocks etc. • Develop “HallD Messenger” as control centers for HallD functions halldsept00

16. Features of MyHallD and it’s HallD Virtual Places • MyHallD would have: • “Handles” to open 6 Community Virtual Places as well as ability to open private virtual rooms • HallD/Jefferson/HEP Calendar, Phone lists etc. • News Items with browser links • Experiment Status etc. • Invoke basic Collaboration Tools – Internet Phone; Local and remote cameras; Chat; Whiteboard • Automatic Update (to myHallD) Feature • Indicator as to which places you are in and who else is active there. • To do list for you in HallD • Gentle and Crass ways of getting people’s attention halldsept00

17. What’s Involved in MyHallD? • Probably needs some money but < $30.9442 • Commitment to use the “HallD Digital Object Framework” • Basic functions are available in existing commercial systems; start to use these and to prototype some of the special capabilities needed • What is involved in making HallD objects collaborative? First use objects and then we have choices – which vary in ease of use and functionality. • First we discuss Collaborative Objects in general • These are particular digital objects shared by more than one people • Best known is asynchronous sharing: you create/modify an object. Others access it at a later time • Synchronous Collaboration involves real-time updates of objects being shared by several people in distributed locations halldsept00

18. Features of Virtual MyHallD Places • HallD Board room can be done today for some capabilities using WebEx Placeware or Centra • DST Factory and Monte Carlo Farm do not require significant synchronous collaboration; build computing portals for standard HENP packages • Need strong management functions • HallD Physics Engine could benefit from innovative user interfaces and collaboration in analysis of results • Here is where difficult decisions made (how to run Minuit) and distributed experts could be useful • Share analysis results and choice of parameters for future large analysis (which partial waves to include) • HallD Education and Outreach can use Virtual Classroom model being developed by several vendors halldsept00

19. Typical Virtual Classroom • Centra, Placeware, WebEx, Anabas …. Control buttons for Audio/Video/Floor Control etc. Lecture Page Annotations (student, teacher) Pointers etc. index Alert/Raise Hands Chat Room Invoke Quiz halldsept00

20. Features of Virtual MyHallD Places • Virtual Experiment Control Room could be a big win as (unexpected) real-time decisions need “experts-on-demand” • I have proposed this model to NASA for remote spacecraft mission control and real-time scientific analysis of earthquakes • Needs to evaluate collaborative decision making (vote?) and planning tools • Needs to allow shared streaming data as well as shared read-outs of experimental monitors (output of all devices must be distributed objects which can be shared) • Needs to support experts caught on their sailboat with poor connectivity or in their car with just a cell phone and a PDA halldsept00

21. Techniques for Collaboration I • Shared Display: One object and share “frame buffer” produced by this object • Can modify (resolution of) frame buffer to customize for each client • Clever algorithms to only send “updates” to frame buffer as object rendering changes • Can trap user interactions (mouse, keyboard) on any client • Microsoft NetMeeting and public domain VNC well known examples of this • Collaboration Server Sends messages between clients to replicate frame buffer and trapped user interface events • Technology base for “customer help” systems • Expert in Seattle sees your screen and can click mouse etc. halldsept00

22. Techniques for Collaboration II • Shared Event: Separate copies of application (object) for each client and collaboration server exchanges events that record “changes in state” of “master object” • E.g. Shared Web Page:every client runs a separate browser and one “just” sends the URL to record state change • Low message volume and can customize • E.g. if one client is a palmtop, one “automatically” modifies URL sent by PC to access WML version of web Page optimized for small devices • In collaborative visualization, can share image but each client can chose viewpoint halldsept00

23. Collaborative Portal Data base Data base WebPage Persistent Store ofShared Courseware Events, User Info AsynchronousArchive and Access ResourceML Store Local Event QueueUser Specific Session Logic Real time Share Synchronous Lesson PersonalServer PortalML “Client” HTML WML W3C WAI Rendering Standards halldsept00

24. Collaborative University Network Shareable Courseware Repository Learning Instance managed by one university CollaborativeUniversityNetwork AssessmentFeedback Delivery Teaching Mentoring Learners halldsept00

25. Education Specific Portal Support I • Administrative Structure • degrees, departments, lecturers, Deans ... • Performance (grading) information • Homework submission • Quizzes of various types (multiple choice, random parameters) • Assessmentdata and an analysis • Hierarchical Curriculum structure from document fragment to pageto lecture to course • Napster/Gnutella type distributed information system with personalized dynamic collections (analogy between CDROM of pirated music and dynamic lectures/personal info resource as in RealJukebox) halldsept00

26. Education Specific Portal Support II • Glossaries with a middle tier glossary service to automatically link glossary entries to document fragments • Student Annotations • Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) enables simple authoring of TV-like multimedia presentations such as training courses on the Web • SVG, VML X3D etc. for pictures • MathML Mathematical Expressions • Agent type support for “Computer Tutor/Learning Management System” halldsept00