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

Prototype Data Portal (NOAAServer 2) Seattle WA Boulder CO Silver Spring MD User issues request

Prototype Data Portal (NOAAServer 2) Seattle WA Boulder CO Silver Spring MD 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 NODC PMEL JOSS EXISTING NODES

17 Proposed Data Portal for HMR * NODC PMEL ODU EXISTING NODES PROPOSED NODES *Hazardous Materials Response

18 Proposed Climate Data Portal NODC PMEL UHSLC (1 st year) EXISTING NODES PROPOSED NODES CO-OPS (2 nd year)

19 Potential Collaboratory Partners: NODC PMEL JOSS UHSLC ODU KOREA (KORDI) CHINA (NMDIS) TAIWAN (NCOR) AUSTRIA (AODC) CO-OPS UA AOML FSU NCSU NCDC

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)

22 Collaboration Tools: Connects to geographically distributed climate data sets Uses NOAAServer2 technologies & NCSA’s 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 OceanShare

23 OceanShare Collaborative Tool

24 Collaboratory elements: Data Portal / Visualization / Full collaboration tools for applications sharing Traditional users: Modelers Forecasters Researchers New users: Educators Students General Public Data & Information Users Distributed data Observed data Satellite data Data and information products Model outputs Visualization Uniform network access in Collaboratory environment

Web Browser Java Application User NetworkNetwork CORBA* Client Support Java Servlet Graphics One or more Web Servers TAO data support CORBA* Data Observing System Server Data 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. CORBA* Network Data Server Data Portal Drifter Data support CORBA* Data

Web Browser Java Application User NetworkNetwork CORBA* Client Support Java Servlet Graphics One or more Web Servers Drifter Data support CORBA* Data TAO data support CORBA* Data Observing System Servers Satellite data support CORBA* Data Satellite Data Servers Model data support CORBA* Data Model Output Servers Data Gridded data support CORBA* Data Gridded Data Servers 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. CORBA* Network Data Servers Data Portal

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

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 Structure of the Collaboratory for Climate Research