Extensible Network Services for the Access Grid

University Of Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

The proposal plans to develop middleware that will allow individuals or groups using differing collaboration infrastructures to participate in an Access Grid-based session without the need for human intervention. This will be done by developing a web services model that will allow components to be updated as they become available without requiring the whole framework to be reworded. The proposal will develop three new modules: 1. Network Services Engine which acts as the principal point of contact between the users and resolution engine 2. Resolution Engine which matches user capabilities to the services available; it will also function as a Service Registry and, 3. Network Services User Interface which provides the user's view into the network services framework. The work will build on the extensive expereince base of the Access Grid developers. These modules will enable users to maximize their use of the Access Grid. The Network Services User Interface funnels user requests for resources to the Network Services Registry, and the Resolution Engine uses the Network Services Interface to interact with the user in the event that manual resolution tasks need to be performed. The work will be beneficial to the collaboration community beyond that of the Access Grid. The proposal also includes technical guidance, training and evaluation of the Access Grid space and advice on changes and improvements at University of Chicago and the NSF Access nodes.