Virtual Collaboratory: How Climate Research can be done Collaboratively using the Internet

1
Virtual Collaboratory How Climate Research can
be done Collaboratively using the Internet
U.S. China Symposium and Workshop on Climate
Variability, September 21-24, 1999, Beijing,
China

• Nancy N. Soreide, NOAA/PMEL
• L. Charles Sun, NOAA/NODC
• Presented by
• Len Pietrafesa,
• North Carolina State University

2
Vision

• Societal benefits through climate studies and
  improved climate prediction
• Investing in observations, satellites, models,
  research
• Investments in Information Technology will
• Remove restrictions of the past
• Build a pipeline to the future
• Maximize the return on investments
• Build a Virtual Collaboratory for Climate Research

3
What is a Collaboratory?
The fusion of computers and electronic
communications has the potential to dramatically
enhance the output and productivity of U. S.
researchers. A major step toward realizing that
potential can come from combining the interests
of the scientific community at large with those
of the computer science and engineering community
to create integrated, tool-oriented computing and
communication systems to support scientific
collaboration. Such systems can be called
"collaboratories." From "National
Collaboratories - Applying Information Technology
for Scientific Research," Committee on a National
Collaboratory, National Research Council.
National Academy Press, Washington, D. C., 1993.
4
TAO as an example
5
TAO set a standard

• Data dissemination in initial project planning
• Researcher involvement has assured data quality
• Benefits of data dissemination
• Wide use of TAO data
• Traditional research, modeling, forecasting
  groups
• Over 200 refereed publications in past 5 years
• Related disciplines, educational, administrative,
  public
• With recent advances in technology, we can do
  much more...

6
What are the elements of a Collaboratory for
Climate Research?

• Data Access
• Centralized, uniform, consistent access to
  geographically distributed data in a common data
  format
• Data Visualization
• Over-plotting data from distributed servers
• Interactive plotting with zoom functions, etc.
• 3D, Virtual Reality
• Collaboration tools
• Full collaborative sharing of applications over
  the Internet

7
Collaboratory data access

• Data Access
• Centralized, uniform, consistent access to
  geographically distributed data in a common data
  format
• Realtime Observing System data
• Satellite data
• Gridded data / Model outputs
• Data information products
• Data Portal
• A doorway to climate data

8
The Data Portal a doorway to climate data

• Why do we need a Data Portal?
• Each Project Office provides a highly customized
  Web sites for their data
• but different datasets have different navigation
  and interface characteristics
• so the user faces a bewildering spectrum of data
  access interfaces and locations
• Data Portal is single, uniform, consistent
  doorway to climate data in a common format
• User goes to a single location and sees a
  consistent interface
• Complements the customized data access

9
How do we build a Data Portal?

• Build on a proven prototype
• Next Generation, NOAAServer 2 prototype software
• connects 5 geographically distributed data
  servers in Silver Spring, Boulder, Seattle
• CORBA for network connections
• unified interactive Java graphics
• data from distributed servers are co-plotted
  together on the same axis on the users desktop
• Atmospheric and oceanic profiles, time series,
  ADCP data, global gridded data
• http//www.pmel.noaa.gov/nns/noaaserver/nodc-coad
  s-tao.html
• http//www.pmel.noaa.gov/nns/noaaserver/coads-tao
  -raster.html
• http//merlin/dwd/talks/mts98/unified_browse/

10
Prototype Data Portal (NOAAServer 2)
NODC
Silver Spring MD
PMEL
Seattle WA
JOSS
Boulder CO
User issues request
11
Prototype Data Portal (NOAAServer 2)
NODC
Silver Spring MD
PMEL
Seattle WA
JOSS
Boulder CO
Response to user
12
NOAAServer 2 Web Page
13
NOAAServer 2 Sample Plots
14
NOAAServer 2 Sample Plots
15
NOAAServer 2 Sample Plots
16
Prototype NOAAServer 2 Data Portal
PMEL
NODC
JOSS
EXISTING NODES
17
Proposed Data Portal for HMR
PMEL
NODC
ODU
EXISTING NODES
PROPOSED NODES
Hazardous Materials Response
18
Proposed Climate Data Portal
PMEL
NODC
CO-OPS (2nd year)
UHSLC (1st year)
EXISTING NODES
PROPOSED NODES
19
Potential Collaboratory Partners
UA
KOREA (KORDI)
PMEL
CHINA (NMDIS)
NODC
CO-OPS
JOSS
TAIWAN (NCOR)
ODU
UHSLC
NCSU NCDC
AOML FSU
AUSTRIA (AODC)
20
Other Technologies for the Collaboratory

• Networks (100 Megabits/sec today, 10 Gigabits/sec
  in future)
• Next Generation Internet (NGI) and Internet 2
• Visualization
• Interactive Java graphics
• 3D, Virtual reality
• Immersion technology
• Collaboration tools
• high-speed telecommunications systems for
  advanced collaboration applications
• tele-immersion systems allow individuals at
  different locations to share a single virtual
  environment
• Use networks not airplanes for collaboration

21
Visualization Tools
3D Visualization and Virtual Reality (VRML)
http//pmel.noaa.gov/visualization http//www.pmel
.noaa.gov/vrml
22
Collaboration Tools
OceanShare

• Connects to geographically distributed climate
  data sets
• Uses NOAAServer2 technologies NCSAs Habanero
• Collaborative features
• Interactive Java graphics
• Text and line annotations
• High-lighting of individual plots
• Display of data values on plots
• Support for multiple collaborating scientists
• Whiteboards
• Featured in national HPCC BlueBook 2000

http//www.epic.noaa.gov/collab
23
OceanShare Collaborative Tool
http//www.epic.noaa.gov/collab
24
Collaboratory elementsData Portal /
Visualization /Full collaboration tools for
applications sharing
Distributed data Observed data Satellite
data Data and information products
Model outputs Visualization
Data Information Users
Traditional users Modelers Forecasters Researcher
s New users Educators Students General Public
Uniform network access in Collaboratory
environment
25
Data Portal
Data Server
One or more Web Servers
User
Observing System Server
CORBA
TAO data support
Data
Web Browser
Java Servlet
CORBA
Client Support
Network
Network
Drifter Data support
Data
Graphics
CORBA
Java Application
CORBA
Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)
is an industry standard Middleware. CORBA is
used in the NOAAServer software from which this
effort will leverage. Based on performance
indicators, Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI),
an alternative middleware, could easily be
substituted for CORBA.
Data
26
Data Portal
Data Servers
One or more Web Servers
User
Observing System Servers
CORBA
TAO data support
Data
Web Browser
Java Servlet
CORBA
Client Support
Network
Network
Drifter Data support
Data
Graphics
CORBA
Satellite Data Servers
CORBA
Java Application
Satellite data support
Data
Model Output Servers
CORBA
CORBA
Model data support
Data
Gridded Data Servers
CORBA
Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)
is an industry standard Middleware. CORBA is
used in the NOAAServer software from which this
effort will leverage. Based on performance
indicators, Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI),
an alternative middleware, could easily be
substituted for CORBA.
Gridded data support
Data
Data
27
Collaboratory functions

• Focal point for utilization of Information
  Technology for the advancement of climate
  programs
• Provide technical software/hardware support
• Data Portal
• Unified, central access to distributed data
  servers
• Observing system data, model outputs, satellite
  data, data information products
• Visualization
• Interactive Java graphics, 3D, virtual reality,
  immersion technology
• Collaboration tools
• use networks not airplanes

28
Collaboratory Infrastructure

• Data Portal
• Computer and networking hardware and software
• Increased network bandwidth/speed
• Next Generation Internet (NGI) connection
• Visualization
• 3D, Virtual Reality, collaborative virtual
  environments
• SGI workstations, CAVE, ImmersaDesk...
• Network collaboration tools
• Relationships
• Observing System Project Offices
• Research community, Academia...
• other Collaboratory nodes
• Steering Committee

29
Climate Program Resource Allocation
30
Structure of the Collaboratory for Climate
Research
International Steering Committee
Collaboratory Partner
Collaboratory Partner
Collaboratory Partner
Collaboratory Partners Customers Providers of
Data Information Users of Data Information
Observations Satellite Groups
Modeling Forecasting Groups
Research Groups
New Users Educational Administrators
General Public