1. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 DS4 Thomas Boch Pascal Wassong Sébastien Derrière Thomas Boch Pascal Wassong Sébastien Derrière First prototype of a CDS portal

2. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Why a portal ? Facts –CDS users don’t know well the differences between CDS services They even sometimes mix up Simbad and VizieR They might ignore some services/tools of interest for their search Each service has different interfaces, different options, etc --> scaring for beginners –Not easy to reuse output from a service as input to another service Facts –CDS users don’t know well the differences between CDS services They even sometimes mix up Simbad and VizieR They might ignore some services/tools of interest for their search Each service has different interfaces, different options, etc --> scaring for beginners –Not easy to reuse output from a service as input to another service

3. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Why not Aladin ? Aladin is geared towards data visualization Java based : Need an installation or launch an applet Interface not immediately accessible –Rather steep learning curve Using Aladin needs a preliminary knowledge of services one wants to query Aladin is geared towards data visualization Java based : Need an installation or launch an applet Interface not immediately accessible –Rather steep learning curve Using Aladin needs a preliminary knowledge of services one wants to query

4. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Goals Develop a simple interface (Web based) –Uniform access point to CDS services Data-centric (vs. Service-centric) Facilitate workflow between services (eg: use Simbad output as VizieR input) Reuse or adapt existing services/interfaces as much as possible –No duplication of existing features Develop a simple interface (Web based) –Uniform access point to CDS services Data-centric (vs. Service-centric) Facilitate workflow between services (eg: use Simbad output as VizieR input) Reuse or adapt existing services/interfaces as much as possible –No duplication of existing features

5. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 First step Focus on ConeSearch-like queries –Positions –Object names Provide –Summary of information/available data –Links to existing services/tools Focus on ConeSearch-like queries –Positions –Object names Provide –Summary of information/available data –Links to existing services/tools

6. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 CDS Portal

7. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Technologies Very first prototype built separately with 3 different AJAX toolkits : –Prototype + DWR –Dojo –GWT Very first prototype built separately with 3 different AJAX toolkits : –Prototype + DWR –Dojo –GWT (+ Ext-GWT for widgets)

8. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Google Web Toolkit Java toolkit to develop AJAX applications Open source (Apache 2.0) Develop in Java, compile to Javascript –Javascript as an assembly language Java toolkit to develop AJAX applications Open source (Apache 2.0) Develop in Java, compile to Javascript –Javascript as an assembly language

9. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 GWT pros Use your favorite Java tools (Eclipse, debugger) –Develop and test in hosted mode (Java) –Deploy to Javascript Simple RPC to communicate with server –Serialization of Java objects Cross-browser (true most of the time) Optimization of compiled Javascript –Speed –Size Use your favorite Java tools (Eclipse, debugger) –Develop and test in hosted mode (Java) –Deploy to Javascript Simple RPC to communicate with server –Serialization of Java objects Cross-browser (true most of the time) Optimization of compiled Javascript –Speed –Size

10. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Architecture (1) ClientServer CDS Portal GWT server RPC CDS services HTTP User DB Saved data Client X HTTP

11. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Architecture (2) Keeping portal intelligence independent from toolkit HTTP services –Provide needed information for each CDS service –http://cdsportal…./services/simbad?target=m1& format=json Keeping portal intelligence independent from toolkit HTTP services –Provide needed information for each CDS service –http://cdsportal…./services/simbad?target=m1& format=json /* {"simbad": { "objects_around": { "nb_objects": "7", "url": "http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim- id?Ident=m1&NbIdent=around&Radius.unit=arcmin&Radius=2" }, "data": { "morphological_type": "~", "object_type": "Pulsar", "spectral_type": "F", "url": "http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim- id?Ident=m1&radius.unit=arcmin&Radius=2" }, "map": {"url": "http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim- plot?radius=2&radius.unit=arcmin&submit=plot+around&ident=m1&coo=05+34+31.97+%2 B22+00+52.1"}, "target": "m1", "biblio_refs": { "nb_refs": "3382", "image_url": "http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/~boch-bin/cds-portal/generate-nbref- histo.py?start=1950&scaleX=6&object=m1", "url": "http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim- id?Ident=%40795871&submit=display&bibdisplay=refsum&bibyear1=1850&bibyear2=2008 &Name=m1&Radius=2#lab_bib" } }} */

12. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Bridging the gap between services (1/2) Use case –Query 2MASS catalogue in VizieR to retrieve red objects (J-K>4.5) around NGC 1333 –Save this list –Reuse it to query Simbad and merge the result with the input –Save the result Use case –Query 2MASS catalogue in VizieR to retrieve red objects (J-K>4.5) around NGC 1333 –Save this list –Reuse it to query Simbad and merge the result with the input –Save the result

13. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Bridging the gap between services (2/2) Portal as a gateway to connect CDS services Saving to portal as a new output format –Redirect to a dedicated URL on the portal Allows user authentication URL to be saved passed as a parameter –Actual saving performed asynchronously server-side –Currently tested on VizieR Portal as a gateway to connect CDS services Saving to portal as a new output format –Redirect to a dedicated URL on the portal Allows user authentication URL to be saved passed as a parameter –Actual saving performed asynchronously server-side –Currently tested on VizieR

14. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 CDS Portal

15. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Dealing with users Identify users –HTTP cookie Anonymous users –First-class users Can set preferences Can save data Why register ? –Lost cookie ? Too bad –Retrieve your data/settings on different computers Identify users –HTTP cookie Anonymous users –First-class users Can set preferences Can save data Why register ? –Lost cookie ? Too bad –Retrieve your data/settings on different computers

16. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Foreseen developments Develop list of actions to be performed on saved data (query VizieR/Simbad with a list of positions, cross- match these 2 saved tables, etc) Save data from Simbad Upload local tables Explore non-positional queries “radial velocities“, “radial velocities for NGC 7619” –Semantics analysis, links with ontologies (AIDA WP8 ?) –Description of service capabilities/metadata model Misc –Improve list of Aladin images Develop list of actions to be performed on saved data (query VizieR/Simbad with a list of positions, cross- match these 2 saved tables, etc) Save data from Simbad Upload local tables Explore non-positional queries “radial velocities“, “radial velocities for NGC 7619” –Semantics analysis, links with ontologies (AIDA WP8 ?) –Description of service capabilities/metadata model Misc –Improve list of Aladin images

17. T. Boch - VOTECH DSRP Meeting - Cambridge - 29 Sept-2 Oct 2008 Demo Alpha test version deployed at : http://cdsportal.u-strasbg.fr/ Use it at your own risk –Service likely to be stopped anytime –Saved data likely to be removed anytime First production deployment planned for end of this year Alpha test version deployed at : http://cdsportal.u-strasbg.fr/ Use it at your own risk –Service likely to be stopped anytime –Saved data likely to be removed anytime First production deployment planned for end of this year