Pacific Rim Application and Grid Middleware: Broadening PRAGMA Impact on Global Science and Technology Communities

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract - OCI 0627026 Routine sharing of data, software, and intermediate findings is becoming an essential mode for international research teams as they move to Collaborative Team Science. The next generation of technology for controlling instruments, examining remotely-stored large 3D data sets, enabling high resolution video conferencing, and integrating global resources in real time has been demonstrated at meetings such as Supercomputing and iGRID. Yet, technological, cultural, language factors and disparate methods for sharing information, keep global collaboration and daily use of these technologies out of reach for many Established in 2002, the Pacific Rim Application and Grid Middleware Assembly [PRAGMA] is an open organization whose focus is how to practically create, support, and sustain international science and technology collaborations. Specific experiments are postulated, candidate technologies and people are identified to support these experiments, evaluation is performed in our trans-Pacific routine-use laboratory, and successful solutions are integrated into country-specific software stacks or GGF standards. The group harnesses the ingenuity of more than 100 individuals from 25 institutions to create and sustain these long-term activities. PRAGMA plays a critical role as an international conduit for professional interactions, ideas, information, and grid technology. Our multi-faceted framework for collaboration catalyses and enables new activities because of a culture of openness to new ideas. Their pragmatic approach has led to new scientific insights, enhanced technology] and a fundamental sharing of experiences manifest in their routine-use laboratory. While the P.I.s and others have made significant progress, the grid (or cyberinfrastructure) remains cumbersome on a routine basis. Underlying glue software changes rapidly, portability and/or interoperability among production grids are rare, and culturally, people are still trying to understand the sea change from "work independently" to "work collaboratively." Their role in PRAGMA has been catalytic in terms of providing enough people and organizational structure to enable progress. The P.I.s propose to continue this role and expand their impact to new application areas, increasing emphasis on data in their routine use laboratory, harness the potential of lambda grids, work with productions grids to achieve interoperations, and broader involvement of middleware developments from outside the Pacific Rim, with focus on the following four key areas: 1. Develop new and deepen existing collaborations in specific application areas to focus their grid developments and to produce new scientific insight; 2. Enhance and expand our routine use application grid laboratory to allow for middleware and applications codes to be tested, improved, and lessons learned to be advanced to others; 3. Improve multi-way software dissemination pathways, to ensure access and use of software and middleware throughout the grid community and to promote standards; 4. Strengthen and expand the Pacific Rim community of grid users and developers to broaden its impact on and interactions with new groups and efforts in and beyond the Pacific Rim. The proposed activities will lead to advances in a broader yet targeted set of scientific areas; strengthen the grid operations center and the routine use laboratory; improve essential middleware; interoperate with the lambda grids; create ties between large national resources; integrate more solid international middleware into the NMI and other middleware frameworks. The impact of the work will be in the strengthening and expanding the conduit and framework for collaboration to help ensure compatibility of international grid efforts; extending strategic US research investments (e.g. .OptIPuter, GEON, NMI, Teragrid, LTER) to other institutions, building a framework for new research and education activities, and incorporating insights/software from Pacific Rim and global partners into US and other global activities. As we continue to learn and disseminate our findings on how to make the grid usable on a routine basis, science and scientists will greatly benefit.