Collaboratory Highlights and Issues Stu Loken Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

Many Faces of Collaboration Video Conferences and Seminars Small Group Meetings Document Preparation Model and Software Development Data Management and Analysis Experiment and Model Validation Visualization

Issues Need for a broader set of tools Need for integrated tools Collaborative Visualization Data Management Real-time Analysis Software Management Project Management Need for integrated tools Common Interface Easy to learn and use

DOE2000 Collaboratories Focus on a subset of tools and technologies Multi-lab projects Pilot projects to test tools and gain acceptance

Collaboratory R&D Projects Shared Virtual Reality Software Infrastructure Collaboration Management Security Infrastructure Electronic Notebooks Floor Control Quality of Service

R&D Progress Projects have made significant progress in the past year reported in DOE2000 pages Tools are now being deployed into Pilot projects and into other programs A repository has been established at LBNL to distribute emerging tools

Collaboration Tools Taxonomy Persistent Information Real Time Information Exchange Email News group Papers Mail Electronic Notebook Telephone Video Conference Chat/White board Shared authoring & applications Shared VR space Instrument control Legal and Records requirements Notebook is a chronological record of ideas, data and events.

Motivation Many advantages of using Electronic Notebook can be shared by remote collaborators (WWW access) always available for input or reading (can’t be “lost”) can contain rich media types (text, images, files, 3D structures, voice, animations, video, ...) can take input directly from computers (instrument or editors) easy transfer of information from one notebook to another simplified notarization process (over the Web) allows querying/ searching (complex query possible) can include hyperlinks to other data and references

Design a common (open) Notebook Architecture Project Goals Design a common (open) Notebook Architecture extensible as technology advances interoperable with other notebook viewers customizable for unique inputs of a given project Develop prototype implementations make them available to DOE collaboratories general research community education industry

Notebook Architecture Design Notebook Engine Plug-ins storage interface Storage implementation dependent storage object Notebook Object Notebook Client (Web Browser based) familiar interface widely used and available existing standard cross-platform lots of existing software

Common Architecture Notebook Client Input Tools ODB OPM Files Notebook Advanced Features Advanced Features HTTP JAVA Notebook Client Notebook Engine Text Images Equations Sketches Data Type N ... Input Tools Editor API mcast Data Acquisition Systems ODB OPM Files Data Storage Interface

Highlights Demonstrations Defined Notebook Object Defined Editor API Increased User Base Released Improved Software Web distribution for SC’98 Papers CENSA Electronic Records Specification

Ongoing and Future Import/Export between Notebooks Digital Signatures and Timestamps Fine-grain Access Versioning Software Development PKI Authentication Integration of third-party software Input devices and Voice Annotation

Some other issues Notebooks for project management/tracking Commercialization of tools

Video Conferencing Work continued on MBone Tools developed at LBL New Conference Controller enables remote control of conference tools and cameras Other tools being used for specific projects NetMeeting PictureTalk Streaming JPEG CUSeeMe

Floor Management Provide Floor Control and Mediation for MBone conferencing tools Plug into existing protocol support Two coordination models Moderated meeting Consensus meeting Floor management should be integrated into Session Management

Shared VR: Long Term Goals Investigate the integration of collaboration technology with immersive virtual environments Develop tele-immersion concepts and demonstrate them on interesting DOE applications areas Explore the notion of persistence in shared collaborative spaces Investigate alternative software architectures for developing tele-immersion applications Develop new concepts for supporting wide area collaboration and man-machine interactions Investigate large-scale VR for collaborative design

ManyWorlds

ManyWorlds An OO core software environment for developing tele-immersive applications. Enables synchronous sharing of VR applications multiple users, multiple worlds, multiple environments Navigation, avatars, control, user interaction, communications and session management services Persistent world servers CAVE family of display environments

Integration Framework Produce the distributed computing architecture required to support development of scientific laboratories Infrastructure will include common communication library which includes multicast and unicast with various reliability levels Group is preparing an Architecture Document to promote standards

Objectives Facilitate development and interoperability of collaboratory components by providing: Convenient access to unicast and multicast messaging Common communication API for unicast and multicast communication Reliable multicast communication CORBA evaluation and integration Directory services Integration of security Access from multiple languages (Java, C++ and C)

CIF Structure Applications PRE CORBA Directory service Security CIF Communication API Reliable unicast Unreliable multicast Unreliable unicast Reliable multicast Legend development integration

Approach A requirements analysis: Robust implementations of reliable multicast Communication service providing uniform interfaces to unicast and multicast communication Directory services and resource location services Integration of authentication and authorization services Investigations of CORBA and Java-based technologies

CIF Highlights Development of CIF toolkit components (CIFcomm, CIF shared state) Exploratory investigations of technology integration (e.g., Globus security, Akenti, CORBA) and application experiments CIF technologies were demonstrated at several major conferences. CIF-based collaborative data analysis system part of SC’98 “Best in Show”

Security Architecture Distributed security architectures that are flexible, effective and easily deployed, administered and used for: Authentication Authorization Access control Confidentiality Infrastructure protection Distributed enterprise

Common Needs for Security Scientific community requirements are very similar to financial services industry (e.g. PKI and general certificate content interpretation) We are evolving a use-condition centered model and architecture Verifiable use conditions Secure and verifiable satisfaction of conditions

Security Goals assured, multiple stakeholder representation trusted third-party certification of user attributes distributed management of all information needed for access decisions use of X.509 identity certificates and their generation and management infrastructure from multiple institutions

Security Goals (cont.) integrated with existing security protocols capable of action and object-level access easily integrated with applications capable of supporting emerging approaches

Technical Progress Akenti prototype is operational and has been deployed in several testbeds It is used in the Diesel Combustion Collaboratory It is used to allow restricted access to download the Akenti code It has been integrated with a collaboratory camera management system

Technical Progress (cont.) We have implemented SPKM for secure communications between end peers Also, the security context establishment is coupled with Akenti access control for authorization decisions as a part of the protocol itself We have two applications that use the SSL protocol.

Technical Progress (cont.) Integrated with several standard server / gateway mechanisms we have developed an Akenti enhanced Apache Web server that uses the SSLeay patches Web user and password access control replaced with one implemented by Akenti and based on the ID certificate the user passed in, and the distributed Use Conditions that have been created by the stakeholders for the documents. A pilot integration of Akenti with a CORBA ORB using the (OMG) defined interceptor mechanism has been built.

Technical Progress (cont.) Demonstrated in several prototype applications We are using the Akenti/Apache Web server to secure a prototype Image Library and a prototype implementation of a secure file uploading facility. We demonstrated the use of Akenti to control access to a collaboratory instrument resource.

Issues Broad deployment needed to support collaborative work Export issues for international collaboration

Session Management Presenting collaboration tools as parts of a single, coordinating, collaborative environment can make them much simpler to use, and can help preserve the natural, informal nature of small group interactions. By gathering functionality for tracking users, providing security, managing control of resources, etc., into a central session manager for the user, one can make development of new tools much easier.

Approach PNNL is collaborating with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) on the development on a Java-based Collaboration Management Engine. The work is based on software developed at PNNL and NCSA’s Habanero environment. PNNL has obtained source and distribution licenses to Habanero and is developing CORE, a hybrid system with advanced capabilities.

CORE Functionality The functionality of CORE is available through two standardized development APIs: Collaboration Management API: provides access to collaboration management capabilities and allow development of alternate user interfaces Collaborative Tool API: allows the integration of new collaborative applications

Highlights Fifth Release of CORE2000 Cross-platform Application Sharing Web Session Directory Remote Camera Operation Directory Schema for User, Session, and Instrumentation Information Demonstration of Collaborative Scientific Instrument Control

CORE2000 Tools: TeleViewer (Shared Screen Viewer) Video (vic - video option for Multicast Backbone users) Audio (vat - audio option for Multicast Backbone) CU-SeeMe WhiteBoard Chat Voting Tool Molecule Modeler (PDB file viewer) 3D XYZ (XYZ file viewer) Camera Controller

Some issues Multiple tools need to fit into a standard architecture Interoperability standards

Quality of Service Deploy Differentiated Services on selected ESnet links to support collaborative work Implement a Bandwidth Broker to provide sustained bandwidth to collaborative or distributed application Link to authentication architecture

Accomplishments Design and implementation of bandwidth broker with authentication Interaction with IETF to establish standard Demonstrated capability with Cisco routers on ANL-LBNL link Now looking at deployment issues on ESnet and on I2

Pilots Designed to test emerging technology and give feedback to technology developers Major Projects: Diesel Combustion Collaboration Materials Microcharacterization Collaboratory Some other efforts are going ahead with other (limited) funds

Diesel Collaboratory Focus on next generation of engines which must meet very tight emissions limits Collaborative computation as well as experiments to validate models Strong connection to industry, labs and university

Diesel Collaboratory Features Shared Combustion Models Computational Steering Library of Combustion Images Video Conferencing Electronic Notebooks

Accomplishments Client/Server for remote execution Multiple combustion codes available as “collaboratory-wide” resources Secure collaboration environment (phase I) LBNL PRE-server hosting ChemkinII/soot Security definition and implementation Secure Image Library Data archive loaded with complete data from Cummins/SNL optical diesel engine

Diesel Collaboratory Issues Security especially for proprietary data Infrastructure at industrial partners Concerns about connections to Internet

Materials Collaboratory Features Common interface to instruments at all sites Remote control of instruments In-situ experiments using computer control Electronic notebooks Video conferencing

Accomplishments Outreach at all levels! Improvements to Instrumentation Uniform Architecture Security Infrastructure Video Everywhere Online Research Sessions

Materials Collaboratory Issues Security to protect instruments Some concern with proprietary data Avoiding “least common denominator” for instrument features Diversity of platforms Macintosh legacy

Observations Pilots must use a mix of commercial software and custom applications None of the tools is a perfect fit to needs Collaboratory tools are not well integrated with each other or with other packages already in use

Deployment Issues Integrating emerging tools into on-going science program Who supports the tools? Installation Training Infrastructure Commercialization Interoperability and Standards

Signs of Progress Despite problems and rough edges, the tools are being used Industry partners do seem to be joining in the collaborations although less quickly than university and lab scientists Other collaboratory projects are starting even with absence of new DOE funding