george brett nlanr distributed applications support team (ncsa/uiuc) [email protected]

14 July 2000 TWIST 2000 -- [email protected]

George BrettNLANR Distributed Applications Support Team

(NCSA/UIUC)[email protected]://dast.nlanr.net

The Klearinghouse:a network based model for user support


High Performance Networks

• vBNS – National Science Foundation High Performance

Connections Program

• Abilene – University Corporation for Advanced Internet

Development / Internet2

• Next Generation Internet– various federal agency networks (NREN, ESNet, DREN)

• Something New– not really sure yet, but there will be something after

vBNS & Abilene for Research and Education


The National Laboratory forApplied Network Research

• Established in 1995, as cooperative agreement with three sites, SDSC, NCSA, PSC

• Initially focused on the design, development and deployment of the NSF/MCI very high performance Backbone Network Service (vBNS)

• Established a new level of networking capability to support research

• Evolved to provide services to maintain, operate and support the use of the vBNS, Abilene and other high-performance networks.

• Recently provided direct support to researchers by leveraging the use of distributed resources.


National Laboratory forApplied Network Research

• Engineering Services (CMU/PSC)– Assist in the establishment and use of high-performance

network connections (vBNS and Abilene) – Help optimize overall end-to-end performance– Provide information, training, and tools to manage high

performance networks• The Measurement and Network Analysis team

(UCSD/SDSC)– Improving our understanding of service models, service metrics,

and tool requirements– Searching for macro-level insights into high performance

internetworking• The Distributed Applications Support team

(UIUC/NCSA)– support users and applications developers– develop an Applications Clearinghouse– develop training materials and documentation


The National Technology Grid

• Networks – high performance network services

• Computational Resources – supercomputers, clusters, distributed

computing resources

• Communications Resources– Wired, wireless, web-based, sync & async

• Other Services– Remotely controlled research equipment– Immersive environments


The Grid: another view


The DAST Clearinghouse

• Advanced Applications Clearinghouse– Develop a data base of applications &

people that use vBNS and Abilene– Identify “affinity groups” of users by

discipline or shared technologies– Explore concept of “User Services” for

advanced networks and computational resources

– Design a process / product that can be generalized or reproduced for use by other “affinity groups”


Applications & Middleware

Green slime of policy & non-technical stuff that get in the way of making technology work.

Projects Middleware

• Scientific Visualization• Data Mining• TeleImmersion• Remote Instrumentation• Distance Learning• Video Conferencing• Distributed Computing• email• Web Browsing• Resource discovery• Collaboration• etc., etc., etc.

Networks

• Pipes• Architecture• Operation Centers• Security• Protocols• Engineering• etc., etc., etc.


Current State

• Online since September 1999– With assistance of NCSA C&C Information

Resources Group

• 980+ Projects– Project = “meritorious application,” research

or educational activity using resources

• 180+ Resources– Resouce = applications, hardware, network,

software, systems (composite of other parts)

• Search / Query URL– http://dast.nlanr.net/Clearinghouse/Query.

htm


The Klearinghouse

• Next the Knowledge thing….– People to data / information – kBase

• Information about collections (e.g., data, meta-data, and others).

– People to People – kSpace• Information about computer mediated

communications tools / applications /collaboratories

– People to Tools of their work – kTools• Information about resources / applications used

by specific disciplines (e.g., Biologist Workbench, TeleMedicine, Sloan Digital Sky Survey).


Visual Model


Process Model


Issues

• Management of collection– Requires proactive human intervention

• Information resources autonomous and diverse

• Priority placed on work at hand not planning for future

• Who owns the problem?– Research lab, campus, professional org, ???


User Support Services

• What are the new models?– (De) Centralized or at least Distributed

• What works? – New model, Old model– Look to other communities (e.g., special libraries,

commercial help desks, commercial industries)

• What services?– Help desk– Training– Research & Development– Technology Transfer– Business practices– Documentation


Broker Model


George H. Brett IINCSA NLANR / [email protected]://www.ncsa.edu/~

ghbv. 703-248-0120f. 703-248-0100

http://www.nlanr.net/http://dast.nlanr.net/http://ncne.nlanr.net/http://moat.nlanr

.net/

george brett nlanr distributed applications support team (ncsa/uiuc) [email protected]

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