An On-line Collaborative Platform for Earth Observation Scientists Presented by Cameron Kiddle Research Fellow, Grid Research Centre

Outline Overview Project Team Virtual Organization Challenges Solutions Progress/Status

Overview

Project Team

Virtual Organization

Challenges

Solutions

Progress/Status

Overview GeoChronos is an on-line platform For: Earth Observation Scientists Facilitating: Collaboration between scientists Data access, management and sharing Application access, management and sharing Leveraging: Web 2.0 and social networking technologies Semantic Web technologies Cloud computing technologies

GeoChronos is an on-line platform

For:

Earth Observation Scientists

Facilitating:

Collaboration between scientists

Data access, management and sharing

Application access, management and sharing

Leveraging:

Web 2.0 and social networking technologies

Semantic Web technologies

Cloud computing technologies

Project Team Dr. Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa University of Alberta Dr. John Gamon University of Alberta Dr. Benoit Rivard University of Victoria Dr. Rob Simmonds University of Calgary Prinicipal Investigators Project Coordination Platform Development Domain Scientists

Virtual Organization

Collaboration Challenges Familiarity with new tools for collaboration Keeping all interested parties in the loop Finding related work and researchers Keeping up to date with current research Collaboration while working in the field

Familiarity with new tools for collaboration

Keeping all interested parties in the loop

Finding related work and researchers

Keeping up to date with current research

Collaboration while working in the field

Data Challenges Acquisition of data Many different data sources Different regulations/mechanisms for accessing data Lack of automation Finding the right data Managing data Scattered and unorganized data Inadequate tools for recording/maintaining metadata Data without metadata is meaningless Lack of suitable metadata standards Validation of metadata Tracking provenance of data Pre-processing of data Raw data typically cannot be directly analyzed Significant amount of time spent preparing data for analysis Lack of automation

Acquisition of data

Many different data sources

Different regulations/mechanisms for accessing data

Lack of automation

Finding the right data

Managing data

Scattered and unorganized data

Inadequate tools for recording/maintaining metadata

Data without metadata is meaningless

Lack of suitable metadata standards

Validation of metadata

Tracking provenance of data

Pre-processing of data

Raw data typically cannot be directly analyzed

Significant amount of time spent preparing data for analysis

Lack of automation

Application Challenges Access to software available in research lab while in field or other locations Installing, configuring and updating software System dependencies of software Awareness and suitability of available software Sharing applications Getting help in using applications Sharing results and getting feedback Co-location of data and applications

Access to software available in research lab while in field or other locations

Installing, configuring and updating software

System dependencies of software

Awareness and suitability of available software

Sharing applications

Getting help in using applications

Sharing results and getting feedback

Co-location of data and applications

Collaboration Solutions Social networking portal Facebook (1 st prototype) Ning (2 nd prototype) Elgg (Current) Social networking services Blogs Tags Media/document sharing Wikis Friends/contacts Groups Discussions Message boards Status News Feeds http://geochronos.org/

Social networking portal

Facebook (1 st prototype)

Ning (2 nd prototype)

Elgg (Current)

Social networking services

Blogs

Tags

Media/document sharing

Wikis

Friends/contacts

Groups

Discussions

Message boards

Status

News Feeds

Data Solutions Data Acquisition Automated acquisition of satellite, meteorological and spectral data Data Management iRODS (Integrated Rule-Oriented Data System) Metadata management RDF (Resource Description Framework) OWL (Web Ontology Language) Data Processing and Analysis Automated data workflows

Data Acquisition

Automated acquisition of satellite, meteorological and spectral data

Data Management

iRODS (Integrated Rule-Oriented Data System)

Metadata management

RDF (Resource Description Framework)

OWL (Web Ontology Language)

Data Processing and Analysis

Automated data workflows

Application Solutions On-line/on-demand access to scientific applications using VNC Java Web Start-based VNC viewer (NRC) Connections tunneled over SSH via gateway node User storage space Share sessions and data with other users Restrict access to applications using groups Interactive Application Service (IAS)

On-line/on-demand access to scientific applications using VNC

Java Web Start-based VNC viewer (NRC)

Connections tunneled over SSH via gateway node

User storage space

Share sessions and data with other users

Restrict access to applications using groups

Cloud Computing Infrastructure Developed by the GRC (in collaboration with HP Labs) Enables dynamic allocation and management of virtual machines and cloud services Running on HP Labs Data Centre at the UofC Similar to Eucalyptus, Nimbus and OpenNebula but has greater focus on scheduling capabilities and efficient image management Automated Service Provisioning ENvironment (ASPEN)

Developed by the GRC (in collaboration with HP Labs)

Enables dynamic allocation and management of virtual machines and cloud services

Running on HP Labs Data Centre at the UofC

Similar to Eucalyptus, Nimbus and OpenNebula but has greater focus on scheduling capabilities and efficient image management

Progress/Current Status Collaboration June 2008 – Facebook-based portal (prototype) Sept 2008 – Ning-based portal (prototype) Jan 2009 – Elgg 1.2-based portal (beta) Apr 2009 – Elgg 1.5-based portal (development) Data June 2008 – MODIS satellite data repository (prototype) Apr 2009 – Spectral library (initial design) Applications Nov 2008 – Interactive Application Service (prototype) Jan 2009 – Interactive Application Service (beta)

Collaboration

June 2008 – Facebook-based portal (prototype)

Sept 2008 – Ning-based portal (prototype)

Jan 2009 – Elgg 1.2-based portal (beta)

Apr 2009 – Elgg 1.5-based portal (development)

Data

June 2008 – MODIS satellite data repository (prototype)

Apr 2009 – Spectral library (initial design)

Applications

Nov 2008 – Interactive Application Service (prototype)

Jan 2009 – Interactive Application Service (beta)

Contact Information Cameron Kiddle [email_address] http://pages.cspc.ucalgary.ca/~kiddlec/ http://geochronos.org/ http://grid.ucalgary.ca/ http://ceos.ualberta.ca/ http://www.cybera.ca/