Post on 01-Jan-2016
description
Requirements from Requirements from astronomy in the Virtual astronomy in the Virtual Observatory eraObservatory era
Bob Mann Bob Mann
Institute for AstronomyInstitute for Astronomy & & NeSCNeSC
University of EdinburghUniversity of Edinburgh
Outline of talkOutline of talk
What is the Virtual Observatory (VObs)?What is the Virtual Observatory (VObs)?– How is it changing astronomy?How is it changing astronomy?
Who in astronomy needs e-Science skills?Who in astronomy needs e-Science skills?– Data centre staffData centre staff– VObs middleware developersVObs middleware developers– Data analysis tool developersData analysis tool developers– Research astronomers Research astronomers
SummarySummary– What skills are needed?What skills are needed?– How can these requirements be met?How can these requirements be met?
What is the What is the Virtual Observatory?Virtual Observatory?
A goalA goal::– An interoperable federation of the world’s An interoperable federation of the world’s
astronomical data sourcesastronomical data sources A standards agency/coordination body:A standards agency/coordination body:
– International Virtual Observatory Alliance International Virtual Observatory Alliance – Its members are VObs projects in Its members are VObs projects in
Australia, Canada, China, France, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Spain, UK, USA, and the EU.Korea, Russia, Spain, UK, USA, and the EU.
Why is the VObs Why is the VObs needed?needed? We observe across the whole electromagnetic We observe across the whole electromagnetic
spectrum spectrum
Different views of a local spiral galaxyDifferent views of a local spiral galaxy– Need all of them to understand its physics fullyNeed all of them to understand its physics fully– The databases holding them are located all over the worldThe databases holding them are located all over the world
IRAS 252MASS 2DSS Optical IRAS 100 NVSS 20cmGB 6cmROSAT ~keV WENSS 92cm
Schematic of the VObsSchematic of the VObs
DB 1 DB 5 DB 4 DB 3 DB 2
Registry
Compute Resource 1
Compute Resource 2App 5
App 3App 2
App 1
App 4
Portal
Workflow
User
What services will the What services will the Virtual Observatory Virtual Observatory need?need? Data discoveryData discovery
– Looking up metadata in a registryLooking up metadata in a registry Data accessData access
– With/without authentication & With/without authentication & authorizationauthorization
Data integrationData integration– Cross-matching entries in databasesCross-matching entries in databases
Data manipulationData manipulation– Data mining, data analysis, etcData mining, data analysis, etc
Data centre staffData centre staff
DB 1 DB 5 DB 4 DB 3 DB 2
Registry
Compute Resource 1
App 1
• Data Curation:
•Provenance, DBMS design and operations
• Data Access
• Security, Registry Metadata, Web Services
• Data Manipulation
• User-uploaded code, job scheduling
VObs middleware VObs middleware developersdevelopers
DB 1 DB 2
Registry
Compute Resource 2
App 3
Portal
Workflow
Web/Grid services for the discovery, transport and integration of data
Workflow & service composition
Metadata and service registration
Job management
Security
Data analysis tool Data analysis tool developersdevelopers
DB 1
Registry
Compute Resource 2
App 3Workflow
Data Access:
• OGSA-DAI/data access web services
Service Registration
Integration into workflows
Job submission
Research astronomersResearch astronomers
DB 1 DB 2
Registry
Compute Resource 2App 5
App 4
Portal
Workflow
User
Initially:
• Use of portal
Soon:
• Script and tool development using APIs, local job control, wrapping apps as web services
Summary of skills Summary of skills neededneeded Web/Grid services for data discovery, Web/Grid services for data discovery,
access, integration and manipulationaccess, integration and manipulation Metadata for data & service registration Metadata for data & service registration Data curation – provenance, preservationData curation – provenance, preservation Workflow creation and executionWorkflow creation and execution Job control – local and remoteJob control – local and remote SecuritySecurity
How can these needs be met? How can these needs be met? (1)(1)
Learning through experienceLearning through experience– Difficult: fast moving field; where to start?Difficult: fast moving field; where to start?
Danger of learning the wrong technologiesDanger of learning the wrong technologies
– Inefficient: undirected training can be Inefficient: undirected training can be slowslow
Hiring people with appropriate skillsHiring people with appropriate skills– Not many people with e-Science skills yetNot many people with e-Science skills yet
……and expensive to employ on research grantsand expensive to employ on research grants
– Really need astronomers for some jobsReally need astronomers for some jobs Danger of losing scientific direction to projectsDanger of losing scientific direction to projects
How can these needs be met? How can these needs be met? (2)(2)
Existing staff: training coursesExisting staff: training courses– Can be expensive and time-consumingCan be expensive and time-consuming– Need to budget time and money for Need to budget time and money for
themthem Funders need to understand their necessityFunders need to understand their necessity
Future staff: educationFuture staff: education– Astronomers: MSc-level courses – either Astronomers: MSc-level courses – either
as MSc or as part of PhD trainingas MSc or as part of PhD training– IT specialists: inclusion of e-science IT specialists: inclusion of e-science
content in CS degree programmescontent in CS degree programmes