SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN The UARC/SPARC Experience: Peter A. Knoop, Dan Atkins, Gary Olson, Tom Finholt, Joseph, Hardin, Terry Weymouth, Farnam Jahanian, Atul Prakash, Bob Clauer, Tim Killeen School of Information and Department of Geological Sciences University of Michigan

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Aurora image

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN The Community n Space physicists n Concentrated in N. America and Europe (approx. 300 researchers) n Affiliated with the American Geophysical Union –space physics and aeronomy sub-division

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: System n Goals –Real-time remote control of instruments –Access to archival and real time data –Communication with remote colleagues n Evolution –Organized campaigns –Impromptu campaigns and monitoring

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: History n UARC v.5 (pre-web era) –NeXTstep-based system, n UARC v.6 –java applet-based system, n SPARC –Web-based, thin client system, present

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UARC 5.0 interface

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UARC 6.0 interface

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Early SPARC interface

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Current SPARC Interface n Live demo! n

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: Funding n UARC (IRI ) –cooperative agreement between Michigan and NSF CISE & ATM –approximately $800 K per year, n SPARC (ATM ) –KDI award from NSF CISE –approximately $500 K per year,

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: Organization n 14 investigators –3 computer science –2 human-computer interaction –9 space physics n 15 students –6 computer science –6 human-computer interaction –3 space physics n 8 staff –7 programmers –1 system administrator

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Description: Incentives n Funding –scientists recruited through sub-contracts n Recognition –innovative system –highly visible to space science and computer science communities n Novel capabilities –new ways of combining data –respond to opportunities (e.g., UCB sounding rocket campaign)

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Data Sources and Characteristics n Observational and model n Real-time and archival; dirty vs. clean n Web-scrapping into flat files n Access to community databases (e.g., CEDAR, CDAW)

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Access: Instruments n Observational –ground-based active –incoherent scatter radar (e.g., convection reversal boundaries) –all-sky cameras (e.g., auroral morphology) –interferometry (e.g., winds) passive –riometry –magnetometer chains

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Access: Instruments (cont.) n Observational –space-based satellite imagery (UV and visible light) shuttle imagery sounding rockets n Theoretical –computational simulations

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Sondrestrom observatory Sondrestrom, Greenland

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Instrument scope, 1993

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Instrument scope, 2001

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Technology involved n –UARC v.5 built on NeXT machines, migrated to NeXTstep OS n –UARC v.6 built as java applets (MURAL), Web- based n 1998 to present –SPARC built as thin client (e.g., HTTP), migrating toward CHEF-based system (e.g., portlet technology)

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Success and challenges n Scientific –first simultaneous real-time display of incoherent scatter radar chain (April, 1998) –first combined real-time simulation and observation campaign (April, 1997) –first archival campaign (December, 1993) n Educational –first student campaign (February, 1995) n Future –model for dozens of collaboratory efforts

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ISR Radar Chain

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Simulation and observational data

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Social network 2/95 campaign Michigan Scientist Student Scientist No one Scientist Florida California B California A Student Site crew Greenland Scientist Engineer

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Total sessions per year n Arrival of web n Internet usage

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Use of SPARC,

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Simultaneous scientific use September 22, May 2, 2000 Y2K shutdown Missing data Fire in server building

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Simultaneous scientific use with chat September 22, May 2, 2000 LTCS campaign Geophysical world days Radar campaign Workshop

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Shift in Usage Patterns n Campaigns n Real-time monitoring n Archival data access –Island Community Networks (meta-data standards, XML, and Z39.50)

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Key findings, 2001 n Some use of data intensive websites; concentrated with core users n No predominant community web or data sites n Scientists do not read core space science journals on-line n Low use of collaboration technologies –Data conferencing –Videoconferencing

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN For more information… n n n n