What is the VSO?What is the VSO?

(and what isn’t it?)(and what isn’t it?)

The VSO …The VSO …

Allows you to search multiple archives in a Allows you to search multiple archives in a single searchsingle search

Keeps you from needing to keep track of Keeps you from needing to keep track of archivesarchives

Allows for a consistent interfaceAllows for a consistent interface Provides data virtualizationProvides data virtualization Reduces the time spent searching for dataReduces the time spent searching for data Allows scientists to spend more of their Allows scientists to spend more of their

time on sciencetime on science

… … allows you to search allows you to search multiple archivesmultiple archives

H-alpha NetworkH-alpha Network High Altitude High Altitude

Observatory, NCARObservatory, NCAR Montana State UniversityMontana State University National Solar National Solar

ObservatoryObservatory L’Observatoire de ParisL’Observatoire de Paris Owens Valley Radio Owens Valley Radio

ObservatoryObservatory Solar Data Analysis Solar Data Analysis

Center, NASACenter, NASA Stanford Stanford

Helioseismology ArchiveHelioseismology Archive

… … keeps you from keeps you from needing to keep track of needing to keep track of

archivesarchives New archives come New archives come

to youto you Don’t need to Don’t need to

bookmark dozens bookmark dozens of websitesof websites

… … allows for a consistent allows for a consistent interfaceinterface

One interface, for One interface, for all archivesall archives

… … provides data provides data virtualizationvirtualization

Which is just the IT Which is just the IT term for those last term for those last three slidesthree slides

… … reduces the time reduces the time spent searching for dataspent searching for data

(okay, technically, (okay, technically, this is just derived this is just derived from the others from the others mentioned before)mentioned before)

… … allows you to spend allows you to spend more time doing sciencemore time doing science

(it’s another (it’s another derived benefit … I derived benefit … I was bulking up the was bulking up the list, okay?)list, okay?)

The VSO isn’t …The VSO isn’t …

A file retrieval toolA file retrieval tool A specific user interfaceA specific user interface A data archiveA data archive A single system or serverA single system or server A file transformation serviceA file transformation service Grid computing, or those other Grid computing, or those other

current IT buzzwordscurrent IT buzzwords

… … a file retrieval toola file retrieval tool VSO handles finding and VSO handles finding and

ordering dataordering data The browser (UI) does The browser (UI) does

the work, like with other the work, like with other search engines.search engines.

Because of the variety Because of the variety in data transfer formats, in data transfer formats, not all archives provide not all archives provide immediate accessimmediate access

Eg. Systems where you Eg. Systems where you request the files, and they request the files, and they email you when readyemail you when ready

… … a specific user a specific user interfaceinterface

VSO has a default web VSO has a default web based interfacebased interface

VSO has a published VSO has a published API that allows anyone API that allows anyone to write a VSO UIto write a VSO UI

EGSO and VSPO use EGSO and VSPO use VSO to access dataVSO to access data

Any program that can Any program that can download a web page download a web page can search using VSOcan search using VSO

… … a data archivea data archive

VSO stores no VSO stores no scientifically useful scientifically useful data productsdata products

VSO stores a small VSO stores a small description about description about the holdings of lots the holdings of lots of other archives, of other archives, and uses that and uses that information to information to route requests.route requests.

… … a single system or a single system or serverserver

VSO is a lightweight VSO is a lightweight process, that can be process, that can be replicatedreplicated

VSO has no single VSO has no single point of failurepoint of failure

There are currently 3 There are currently 3 production instances production instances (SDAC, NSO, SHA)(SDAC, NSO, SHA)

Future versions of VSO Future versions of VSO may run as a desktop may run as a desktop applicationapplication

… … a file transformation a file transformation serviceservice

Because that’s Because that’s what CoSEC’s goal what CoSEC’s goal isis

CoSEC will be able CoSEC will be able to find data to find data products using VSOproducts using VSO

… … grid computinggrid computing

It uses distributed It uses distributed computing, but computing, but each part has a each part has a specific purposespecific purpose

Grid computing is Grid computing is useful for CoSEC, useful for CoSEC, thoughthough

… … some other marketing some other marketing buzzwordbuzzword

We’re a SOAP We’re a SOAP WebService, WebService, sending XML over sending XML over HTTP, and have HTTP, and have WSDL that WSDL that describes our APIdescribes our API

We’re an OAIS We’re an OAIS Finding and Finding and Ordering AidOrdering Aid

What VSO DoesWhat VSO Does

VSO allows you to find new data VSO allows you to find new data products based on search criteriaproducts based on search criteria

VSO allows you to order data VSO allows you to order data products from Data Providers.products from Data Providers.

Anything else is a function of the Anything else is a function of the specific User Interfacespecific User Interface VSO allows people to write new User VSO allows people to write new User

Interfaces to build on to the VSO Interfaces to build on to the VSO functionalityfunctionality

How VSO Works … How VSO Works … FindingFinding

The Solar Physicists (or Equivalent), The Solar Physicists (or Equivalent), makes a request through a User makes a request through a User InterfaceInterface

The User Interface translates the The User Interface translates the request into terms that VSO can request into terms that VSO can understand, and sends it to a VSO understand, and sends it to a VSO InstanceInstance

The VSO Instance consults its The VSO Instance consults its Registry to see which Data Providers Registry to see which Data Providers may be able to fulfill the requestmay be able to fulfill the request

How VSO Works … How VSO Works … FindingFinding

The VSO Instance sends the requests The VSO Instance sends the requests to the Data Providers.to the Data Providers.

The Data Providers respond back to The Data Providers respond back to the VSO Instancethe VSO Instance

The VSO Instance combines the The VSO Instance combines the results, and sends it back to the User results, and sends it back to the User InterfaceInterface

The User Interface formats the results The User Interface formats the results and presents it to the Solar Physicistand presents it to the Solar Physicist

Things that can go Things that can go wrongwrong

The Registry is staleThe Registry is stale How often do new Data Providers come online?How often do new Data Providers come online?

The Registry can’t find any Data Providers The Registry can’t find any Data Providers to fulfill the queryto fulfill the query That means a really quick ‘no records found’ That means a really quick ‘no records found’

messagemessage A Data Provider doesn’t really have the data A Data Provider doesn’t really have the data

they claimed tothey claimed to The Registry can use a different level of The Registry can use a different level of

granularity to mark that the data sets are not granularity to mark that the data sets are not availableavailable

Things that can go Things that can go wrongwrong

A Data Provider isn’t availableA Data Provider isn’t available The VSO Instance will give up, and The VSO Instance will give up, and

return what it did get back, and a return what it did get back, and a message about the problem providermessage about the problem provider

The VSO Instance isn’t availableThe VSO Instance isn’t available User Interfaces can fail over to another User Interfaces can fail over to another

VSO InstanceVSO Instance Too much data is returnedToo much data is returned

That’s a problem?That’s a problem? Use a more specific queryUse a more specific query

How VSO Works … How VSO Works … OrderingOrdering

The Solar Physicist selects which The Solar Physicist selects which data products from their searches data products from their searches that they’d like to retrieve in the that they’d like to retrieve in the User InterfaceUser Interface

The Solar Physicist specifies how The Solar Physicist specifies how they’d like to obtain the data they’d like to obtain the data productsproducts

The User Interface sends a request to The User Interface sends a request to the VSO Instancethe VSO Instance

How VSO Works … How VSO Works … OrderingOrdering

The VSO Instance breaks up the The VSO Instance breaks up the request into parts, and send each part request into parts, and send each part to the correct Data Providerto the correct Data Provider

The Data Providers act upon the The Data Providers act upon the requests, and send a response to the requests, and send a response to the VSOVSO

VSO combines the results, and sends it VSO combines the results, and sends it back to the User Interfaceback to the User Interface

The User Interface formats the results The User Interface formats the results and presents it to the Solar Physicistand presents it to the Solar Physicist

Things that can go Things that can go wrongwrong

Need to agree on a data transfer Need to agree on a data transfer methodmethod Can repeat the request until you agreeCan repeat the request until you agree

Some Data Providers may require Some Data Providers may require additional information to complete additional information to complete the requestthe request Can repeat the request with the needed Can repeat the request with the needed

infoinfo

Who is VSO good for?Who is VSO good for?

Solar Physicists who don’t know what Solar Physicists who don’t know what data archives are out theredata archives are out there or don’t want to know, and only want or don’t want to know, and only want

the datathe data Solar Physicists who want to Solar Physicists who want to

compare data to other instruments compare data to other instruments than those whose data they normally than those whose data they normally useuse Confirming anomaliesConfirming anomalies Gap filling Gap filling

Who is VSO not good Who is VSO not good for?for?

People who are doing work on People who are doing work on specific instrumentsspecific instruments They know where the data is, and can They know where the data is, and can

most likely access it directlymost likely access it directly People looking for desktop pictures People looking for desktop pictures

to color coordinate with their current to color coordinate with their current ensembleensemble VSO searches for science quality data, VSO searches for science quality data,

although some Data Providers may also although some Data Providers may also provide quicklook imagesprovide quicklook images

How can you help?How can you help?

Use VSOUse VSO Try it out, so that you can …Try it out, so that you can …

ComplainComplain Let us know what you don’t likeLet us know what you don’t like

Give SuggestionsGive Suggestions Let us know what we can do to improve Let us know what we can do to improve

your ability to search for meaningful your ability to search for meaningful datadata

Let us know which data archives are Let us know which data archives are useful to youuseful to you

http://http://virtualsolar.org/virtualsolar.org/