1 / 25

ALMA Science Operations (User-facing aspects)

ALMA Science Operations (User-facing aspects). John Hibbard North American ARC Manager, NAASC/NRAO. Why “User Facing Aspects”?. What’s covered in this talk: User Portal & Helpdesk OT (phase 1, phase 2) Project Tracker Proposal Review Scheduling Staffing Policies

makana
Download Presentation

ALMA Science Operations (User-facing aspects)

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. ALMA Science Operations(User-facing aspects) John Hibbard North American ARC Manager, NAASC/NRAO ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  2. Why “User Facing Aspects”? • What’s covered in this talk: • User Portal & Helpdesk • OT (phase 1, phase 2) • Project Tracker • Proposal Review • Scheduling • Staffing • Policies • What’s covered in other talks • Pipeline, Offline data reduction, NA archive • What’s not covered • Array operations (reconfiguration, Array Operators, AoD) • Chile Archive operations ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  3. Steps to Early Science • Integrated tests (proposal generation to archive retrieval) • May 10 – June 8, 2010: proposal preparation, submission, load test, panel review process, SB submission, project tracker, helpdesk • Aug-Sept 2010 (currently in progress): all above elements, plus User Portal (incl. single sign-on) • Oct/Nov 2010: “realistic” test of Technical Assessments, OT-Phase2 process • Final test: Nov-Jan 2010 (serve as “train the trainer” for final systems) • Documentation Development Plan • Construction team produces software user/reference manuals • Prior to each CfP, Operations will update end-user documentation (cookbooks, guides, recipes) • Assigned across ARCs & DSO • First versions due by Sept 28, 2010 for “Operations Readiness Review” ALMA Operations Plan External Review

  4. SciOpsIPT Documentation Planhttps://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/ALMA/ESdocs NAASC is on track to meet its responsibilities ALMA Operations Plan External Review

  5. Steps to Early Science – Current Milestones • Operations Readiness Review: Oct-Nov 2010 • Result from OpsRR is a punchlist of activities to be completed, and an assessment of when the Call for Proposals goes will be issued • Assuming satisfactory “readiness”, CfP will be issued Dec 2010 • NAASC starts OT-phase I training activities (Dec workshop? Jan AAS, Jan workshop in Victoria) • Proposals due 2 months later (Feb 2011) • NAASC starts working with successful P.I.’s on preparation of OT-phase II materials • SB’s prepared & submitted June-July 2011 • NAASC concentrates more on CASA training activities • Early Science observing queue invoked July 2011 ALMA Operations Plan External Review

  6. “Preparing for Early Science” document by R. Hills ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  7. ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  8. Call for Proposals: • Current timeline has a date of Dec 1, 2010 • Responsibility of Project Scientist; distributed by DSO • Draft is expected to be submitted for Operations Readiness Reviews • Will be broadcast by the ARCs • NAASC: NRAO eNews list (currently 5,280 unique addresses), NRAO & NAASC website, AAS Newsletter • Issues: How will call be crafted? How will it moderate community expectations? Will it contain enough information for users to judge the best types of proposals to submit? ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  9. ALMA User Portal & associated applications • Available at http://asa.alma.cl/asa • After logging in, users have access to ALMA applications • Helpdesk • Project Tracker • Assessment tool • Proposal Review tools • ALMA Science Archive (under development) • Apart from ASA, applications have been tested & performed well during last two Integrated tests • Some interface issues uncovered • No show stoppers ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  10. ALMA User Portal: Registering ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  11. Screen shot of UP before and after logging in ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  12. ALMA Applications: Helpdesk ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  13. ALMA Observing Tool • OT used to plan observations and submit proposals (Phase I) & create observing requests (Phase II) • Uses / interacts with Exposure Time Calculator, Splatalogue, ALMA Science Archive • OT design is based on similar existing tools at Gemini, JCMT, Spitzer and Herschel ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  14. ALMA Observing Tool – Phase 1 submission ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  15. ALMA Observing Tool – Phase 1 submission • Tested extensively during integrated tests • Note: only involved “fake” proposal justifications • Ended with “load test” of archive & server • Successfully submitted >700 proposals from around the world in a 15min interval • Issues: • Time estimator, “ease of use” of spectral visualizer & picker • How to advise users on what to write • No show stoppers for proposal submission ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  16. Panel Review process • Tool for assigning both Scientific and Technical Assessors • Needs to be more automated (especially reassignment of conflicts), but no showstoppers • Assessor tool for accepting/rejecting assignments (based on conflicts), and assessing and ranking proposals • Some interface issues, but no show stoppers • Draft guidelines for assessment need to be improved • Issues: • PHT lead not yet hired (interviews Sept 21). Will need to get on board and train up FAST • Need proper test of Technical Assessment process (i.e. using real justifications). Planned for November 2010. May require changes in Technical Summary, but not a show-stopper • Summary: DSO believes it has staff & tools to handle proposal review process ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  17. ALMA Applications: Assessor Tool ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  18. Schedule-block submission (OT-phase2) • In every day use at OSF • Oct/Nov test will provide a broader test (specifically the construction of SBs from science goals) • For Early Science, NAASC will work with all successful NA PI’s to generate SBs • Issues: • The heart of the Phase1 to Phase2 process involves calibration procedures, which are under development • Expect to learn more at OpsRR ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  19. ALMA Applications: Project Tracker ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  20. ALMA Applications: Project Tracker NSF Review

  21. Scheduling • By-hand scheduling takes place at OSF already • ARCs have not been involved in this; will learn more at SciOpsRR • DSO backup plan, if required, is to do block scheduling by hand, so not a show stopper ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  22. Pipeline, Offline Data Reduction & Archive • Will be covered in talk by Mark Lacy • NAASC has recently convened a CSV Data Reduction “Tiger Team”, lead by Al Wootten, to download useful CSV datasets and reduce them • Parallels and complements CSV “Imaging Team” effort • NAASC Tiger Team will additionally produce data reduction “guides” for SV data for public consumption ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  23. Other Operations Issues: Staffing • DSO Staffing • Currently being recruited: PHT lead • To be hired: 2 System Astronomers, 1-2 Ops Astronomers, Lead and Deputy of Program Management Group • Some will transfer from Construction (will come pre-trained) • Head of DSO (L.-A. Nyman) says DSO staffing is sufficient for Proposal acceptance • NAASC • To be hired: 2-3 Data Analysts, 1 scientific programmer, 2 postdocs • Sufficient staff in place for proposal submission, helpdesk, visitor support ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  24. Other Operations Issues: Policies & Guidelines • Procedures & Policies • DSO-ARC issues – need to set up JIRA system & policies • Proposal Process Implementation Plan – draft due for OpsRR (Scientific & Technical Assessment policies drafted for 2nd Integrated test – still need work, and may need specific policies for Early Science) • Phase1 to Phase2 policies – need written (will build off of ESO VLT guidelines) • Helpdesk service policies – draft generated ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

  25. Science Operations Status: A personal perspective • No identified show stoppers at this time (but await outcome of Readiness Reviews) • December call leaves little time for training of Proposal Handling Team (but not believed to be a show stopper) • Would always appreciate more time to test more, train more, spend more time on policies (current schedule is 1.5mo advanced compared to AOPvD offsets) • Timing of software release R8.0 (December) vs. date of Call (Dec 1)? ANASAC 13-14 Sept 2010

More Related