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Astrophysics Portals

Astrophysics Portals

Project Leader:  Sarah Maddison, Swinburne University of Technology

Description

This project is providing user-level services for job configuration, job submission to available grids, and subsequent monitoring for a wide range of theoretical astrophysics codes with grid access to the VO Data Warehouse.

A test grid has been installed at Swinburne – four machines are currently active and another four are available for installation.  On the test grid, we have developed a job monitoring portlet in Java, using a GridSphere portal that monitors a job using globus status commands.  MLAPM, an astrophysical theory code, is running via a GridSphere portal.  Although this is not a parallel job, it is a good demonstration of single-processor applications.

We have now successfully deployed a parallel theory code with underlying job distribution and databases for job tracking and monitoring.

We are investigating other possible areas of astronomy that would benefit from using web services (including grid based services) and service oriented architecture in general. Suitable applications include data catalogues (pulsar, stellar etc) exposed as web services.

Achievements

2004
  • MLAPM code described with VO metadata
  • Testbed grid installed and functioning at Swinburne
1H2005
  • Developed a theory portlet for the creation, submission and monitoring of the N-body theory code MLAPM
  • Developed a generic MPI master-slave load-balancing application suitable for adaption by users
  • MLAPM code compiled and configurable from Gridsphere portal
  • Developed MPI wrapper for theory codes
  • Completed execution of MPI job on Grid via MPI
  • Investigated use of Nimrod with Lensview
2H2005
  • Created a portal interface for theory code “psrevolve” (from University of Manchester) uses MPI mode with Gridsphere 2 and Tomcat.  This gives a template for any theory code that runs on a number of nodes using MPI-1 and has simple inputs and an ASCII output.  It simulates the creation of a pulsar population and creates a list of detected pulsars from a simulation of the largest pulsar surveys.  It is now running on a web server: http://pentane.ssi.swin.edu.au:8080/gridsphere and has user id/password of guest/oaspete.  Users are able to run jobs and see progress and output.
  • Created an advanced C++ plotting program for local manipulation of the output of psrevolve that can be used on either the output of psrevolve, or the real pulsar catalogue.  Output options include publication quality plots.  This program was used in a recently submitted review paper, “Curious properties of the recycled pulsars and the potential of high precision timing”, Bailes, 2006, New Astronomy Reviews, Eds. Kaper, van der Klis and Wijers.
  • Commenced work on a simple light-weight portable job-tracking database.  An example of this can be seen at http:pentane.ssi.swin.edu.au:8080/gridsphere.
  • Demonstrated execution of an MPI job on the National Grid via Gridsphere: Pulsar population evolved and observed via synthetic survey

Plan and Milestones for 2006

March Completion of lightweight database for job tracking
May Investigation/implementation of pulsar catalogue as a web service
July Sample catalogue web service implemented in GT4, as a grid application.  The sample should use a realistic astronomy data structure (meta-data).  The actual data source should gradually evolve from being initially synthesised (for the purpose of building the WS infrastructure) to being read from files, SQL databases, or via other available services
August Setting up a UDDI server with Axis. Investigating UDDI with GT4.  Replicating the UDDI server at VPAC/APAC, to allowing publishing the services developed.  Using APAC certificates on the local development grid to connect the Swinburne system with APAC/VPAC. Investigating the permissible and desirable degree of interaction coupling of the systems
September Various additions to psrevolve and the job monitoring database to improve user friendliness: deleting old jobs, re-submitting or copying failed jobs etc
October Preparation of paper on tracking CPU intensive jobs
December Virtual Observatory: XML (or VOTable) output for psrevolve or other sample astronomical code. Investigating possible use in software and advantages of XML description of meta-data for astronomical data sets

Participating Organisation

  • Swinburne University
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