1. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Virtual Lab project International oceanographic data and information exchange programme of IOC (IODE) Joint WMO/IOC technical commision for oceanography and marine meteorology (JCOMM) Marine Hydrophysical Institute (MHI) Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ)

2. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project What is VLIZ ? VLIZ : Flanders Marine Institute Oostende, Belgium Supports Marine Research in Flanders Support IODE, IOC, UNESCO Flanders Marine Datacenter

3. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Located : Oostende

4. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project What is the virtual lab ? The Virtual Lab will be a computing environment collecting the data, models and interfaces needed to run hydrodynamic models for training and research.

5. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Hydrodynamic models Hydrodynamic models like POM predict water currents, wave heights and ocean circulations, so basically the movement of watermasses, and all that is carried by it. The water movements are caused by wind, temperature and atmospheric pressure. These meteo parameters are called the forcing data because they make the waterccolumn move. These movements are then deviated by land masses and shallow waters. The models are used in forecasting, operational mode when using predicted meteorological parameters. Important for safety at sea, stormsurge warning etc. They can also be used in hindcasting using corrected meteo parameters. Mainly for research or training.

6. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Running models Modelling software eg. POM Forcing data eg.NCEP Bathymetry eg.ETOPO Powerfull computers Visualization software eg GRADS Expertise & training

7. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Known problems Difficult software –Runs on Linux, command line mode –Edit fortran code, and recompile to run the model. –Install viewers, learn to operate them Preparing data, lots of work –Download forcing data (>100Mb : bandwidth ?) –Extract bathymetry Very computer intensive –Reformatting data –Running the model Possible solution : Virtual Lab

8. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project The virtual lab Experts will install the models Install powerful hardware Make use of GRID computing Make software user friendly Develop easier interfaces Batch jobs download & reformat the data automatically Make VL available through internet

9. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project System diagram Data repositories GRID network Data collectorsInterfaces Data providersClients

10. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project System diagram:providers Data repositories GRID network Data collectorsInterfaces Data providersClients Data providers are the met-offices, oceanographic datacentres, basically any organisation that has relevant data

11. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Data repositories GRID network Data collectorsInterfaces Data providersClients User authentication based on name/password and/or certificates Can be Windows, Mac or Unix machines Software needed : at least an internet browser (IE, firefox,mozilla…) Optionally SSH, FTP, VNC, Xwindows software System diagram:clients

12. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project System diagram:GRID Data repositories GRID network Data collectorsInterfaces Data providersClients GRID network is the EGEE computing GRID, specially the BEGRID component of it. IODE computers from trainingroom

13. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project System diagram:collectors Data repositories GRID network Data collectorsInterfaces Data providersClients Scripts written in perl, php, python, csh Run several times a day, unattended Download data from providers Extract and reformat data to the formats needed by the different models. Where appropriate the jobs can be submitted to run on the GRID network.

14. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project System diagram:repositories Data repositories GRID network Data collectorsInterfaces Data providersClients Computers running NFS, FTP, SMB(samba/windows) Database servers running MySQL GIS databases SAN coupled (fibre disks with Terabytes storage capacity)

15. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project System diagram:interfaces Data repositories GRID network Data collectorsInterfaces Data providersClients Linux systems Access protocols : SSH, (s)FTP, HTTP,VNC,Xwindows SSH and FTP access will allow full control of the models WebPages can simplify the process of running the models, and allow to submit jobs on the GRID, and be used to visualise the results. VNC and Xwindows access provided the network bandwidth is available

16. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Internet System diagram:flow Data repositories GRID network Data collectorsInterfaces Data providersClients SSH, VNC, Xwindows, FTP HTTP, HTTPS FTP,HTTP NFS, SMB, SQL edg-job-submit NFS edg-job-submit NFS, SMB

17. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Candidate models Selected for the JCOMM – IODE jamboree –Extra tropical storm surge (Ø.Sætra, NMI) –WAM wave model from (NMI) –Tropical storm surge (S. Dube, IIT) –Circulation model for the Black Sea ( Korotaev,MHI)

18. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project First steps : Black sea circulation Model Project VLIZ – MHI Ukraine Based on POM Running high resolution model for Blacksea is very computer intensive. –5km resolution, 1 month : hours –1km resolution, 1 month : days Current approach : nested model –Low resolution model for whole BlackSea –Use this as input for high resolution model for smaller regions Ideal for GRID computing –1 job for whole black sea –each region = 1 job, independant of others

19. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Basin-Scale Circulation Model Regional Atmospheric Model (ALADIN Family) Sea Surface Elevation Current Velocity Sea Water Temperature and Salinity Regional Models Family Kalamita Bay Regional Model Nowcasting system Romanian Coastal Zone Regional Model Russian Coastal Zone Regional Model NWS Regional Model Burgas Bay Georgian Zone Forecasting System of the Black Sea Circulation

20. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project low resolution Blacksea model Lineair scalable till about 10 – 16 CPU Will run on 2x4core CPU system with 8Gb in VL

21. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project regional models Kalamita Bay GRID cluster with 5x2x4 CPU will be used for running the regional models in parrallel

22. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Planning mid 2007 –install equipment : Blades with 5x2xQuadCores, 8Gb –install gLite middleware –install existing models end 2007 –make models ‘GRID’ enabled –investigate MPI – POM beginning 2008 –run model in ‘semi-operational’ forecasting mode in parallel –start same exercise for other models

23. IODE/JCOMM/VLIZ/MHI – Virtual lab project Thank you