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Information Technology for Hall D Experiment

Building the Digital HallDGeoffrey Fox

Florida State UniversityDepartment of Computer Science and

CSIT (School of Computational Science and Information Technology)400 Dirac Science Library

TallahasseeFlorida 32306-4130

fox@csit.fsu.edu

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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

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Commodity Portals are Web Interfaces for ConsumersYahoo, NetCenter, Amazon.com, Ebay.com etc. are portals fore-commerce, news etc.

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Basic Portal Architecture and Inter Relationships of Education, Computing and other Portals

EnterpriseInformationPortals fromMerrill Lynch

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……...

Hierarchy of Portals and Their TechnologyPortal Building Tools and Frameworks (XUL, Ninja, iPlanet, E-Speak, Portlets, WebSphere, www.desktop.com)

Enterprise Portals

Generic Portals

Information Services

Compute Services

Education andTraining Portals

Science Portals

K-12 University Biology Chem Egy

Generic ServicesCollaborationUniversal AccessSecurity …….

Databases …….

MathML etc

Quizzes Grading ...

Education ServicesGrid ServicesVisualization ...

……...

User customization, component libraries,fixed channels

www.computingportals.org

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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

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Portals think of things as objects and services

ObjectsCORBA or Java

Broker or Server

RenderingEngine

Browser(HTML)

RenderingEngine

Universal InterfacesIDL or XML

XML Requestfor servicefollowed by

return of XMLresult

XML

“Computing Portals”Interface

www.computingportals.org

“Grid Forum”Interface

www.gridforum.org

Community Activities set standards enhancing interoperability

User View System View

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(Java) Interactive Analysis Client Visualization

Application IntegrationVisualization Server

Seamless Access

Databases (HPCC) ComputersGeneral

“Web” Info

CollaborationSecurityLookup

RegistrationAgents/Brokers

Seismic SensorsField Data Geophysical

“Web” InfoBackend Services

MiddlewareBunch of

Web Serversand Object

Brokers

GEM (Earthquake Science)Portal Architecture

Clients

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disloc

ALARM

Dial Stations(and database)

GIPSY/auto_p

simplex

page

web simplex

Caltech

JPL

USGS

JPL

JPL

Boulder(University of Colorado)

JPL

modem

page WAKE UP!

quake location, size --

sorted station potential --

station raw files --

station motions --

WAKE UP!

single-fault model

--graphics--hazard model

--graphics--refined fault model

disloc

--maps for civil authorities

JPL

Virtual_California

WAKE UP!

multi-fault model

pagedisp

collaboration

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Collaboration in GEM Earthquake Analysis System

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Middle-Tier

Resource Spec.

Task Spec.

LayeredPSE

WebFlowObject

Oriented

WebFlowDataFlow

CustomGUI

WebFlow Middle Tier

Computing Portal portalML

Grid Forum API(resourceML)

HPCC: Globus

Other as needed

DBMS: JDBC

Small tasks: Javauser codes

https, IIOP/SECIOP

Example: DoD HPCMO ASC/ARL

Prototype Version

NCSA Alliance

Example: LMS

General or WebFlowSpecific Authoring

Different Computing Paradigms

Control(Small

Messages)

Separatedfrom Data

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Typical Virtual Classroom • Centra, Placeware, WebEx, Anabas ….

Chat Room

Lecture PageAnnotations(student, teacher)Pointers etc.

Control buttons for Audio/Video/Floor Control etc.

Invoke Quiz

Alert/Raise Hands

index

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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

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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.

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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

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Collaborative Portal

PortalML

Database

Database

ResourceML

Synchronous Lesson

AsynchronousArchive and Access

Persistent Store ofShared CoursewareEvents, User Info

Real time Share

WebPage

PersonalServer “Client”

Local Event QueueUser Specific Session Logic

HTML WML W3C WAI Rendering Standards

Store

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LearningInstancemanaged byone university

MentoringTeachingDelivery

CollaborativeUniversityNetwork

Learners

AssessmentFeedback

Collaborative University Network

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Education Specific Portal Support I • Administrative Structure

– degrees, departments, lecturers, Deans ...• Performance (grading) information• Homework submission • Quizzes of various types (multiple choice, random parameters)• Assessment data and an analysis• Hierarchical Curriculum structure from document fragment to

page to 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)

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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”