George Brett NLANR Distributed Applications Support Team (NCSA/UIUC) ghb@dast.nlanr

1. The Klearinghouse:a network based model for user support George Brett NLANR Distributed Applications Support Team (NCSA/UIUC) ghb@dast.nlanr.net http://dast.nlanr.net TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

2. High Performance Networks • vBNS • National Science Foundation High Performance Connections Program • Abilene • University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development / Internet2 • Next Generation Internet • various federal agency networks (NREN, ESNet, DREN) • Something New • not really sure yet, but there will be something after vBNS & Abilene for Research and Education TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

3. The National Laboratory forApplied Network Research • Established in 1995, as cooperative agreement with three sites, SDSC, NCSA, PSC • Initially focused on the design, development and deployment of the NSF/MCI very high performance Backbone Network Service (vBNS) • Established a new level of networking capability to support research • Evolved to provide services to maintain, operate and support the use of the vBNS, Abilene and other high-performance networks. • Recently provided direct support to researchers by leveraging the use of distributed resources. TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

4. National Laboratory forApplied Network Research • Engineering Services (CMU/PSC) • Assist in the establishment and use of high-performance network connections (vBNS and Abilene) • Help optimize overall end-to-end performance • Provide information, training, and tools to manage high performance networks • The Measurement and Network Analysis team (UCSD/SDSC) • Improving our understanding of service models, service metrics, and tool requirements • Searching for macro-level insights into high performance internetworking • The Distributed Applications Support team (UIUC/NCSA) • support users and applications developers • develop an Applications Clearinghouse • develop training materials and documentation TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

5. The National Technology Grid • Networks • high performance network services • Computational Resources • supercomputers, clusters, distributed computing resources • Communications Resources • Wired, wireless, web-based, sync & async • Other Services • Remotely controlled research equipment • Immersive environments TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

6. The Grid: another view TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

7. The DAST Clearinghouse • Advanced Applications Clearinghouse • Develop a data base of applications & people that use vBNS and Abilene • Identify “affinity groups” of users by discipline or shared technologies • Explore concept of “User Services” for advanced networks and computational resources • Design a process / product that can be generalized or reproduced for use by other “affinity groups” TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

8. Middleware Projects Networks • Scientific Visualization • Data Mining • TeleImmersion • Remote Instrumentation • Distance Learning • Video Conferencing • Distributed Computing • email • Web Browsing • Resource discovery • Collaboration • etc., etc., etc. • Pipes • Architecture • Operation Centers • Security • Protocols • Engineering • etc., etc., etc. Green slime of policy & non-technical stuff that get in the way of making technology work. Applications & Middleware TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

9. Current State • Online since September 1999 • With assistance of NCSA C&C Information Resources Group • 980+ Projects • Project = “meritorious application,” research or educational activity using resources • 180+ Resources • Resouce = applications, hardware, network, software, systems (composite of other parts) • Search / Query URL • http://dast.nlanr.net/Clearinghouse/Query.htm TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

10. The Klearinghouse • Next the Knowledge thing…. • People to data / information – kBase • Information about collections (e.g., data, meta-data, and others). • People to People – kSpace • Information about computer mediated communications tools / applications /collaboratories • People to Tools of their work – kTools • Information about resources / applications used by specific disciplines (e.g., Biologist Workbench, TeleMedicine, Sloan Digital Sky Survey). TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

11. Visual Model TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

12. Process Model TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

13. Issues • Management of collection • Requires proactive human intervention • Information resources autonomous and diverse • Priority placed on work at hand not planning for future • Who owns the problem? • Research lab, campus, professional org, ??? TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

14. User Support Services • What are the new models? • (De) Centralized or at least Distributed • What works? • New model, Old model • Look to other communities (e.g., special libraries, commercial help desks, commercial industries) • What services? • Help desk • Training • Research & Development • Technology Transfer • Business practices • Documentation TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

15. Broker Model TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net

16. George H. Brett II NCSA NLANR / DAST ghb@dast.nlanr.net http://www.ncsa.edu/~ghb v. 703-248-0120 f. 703-248-0100 http://www.nlanr.net/ http://dast.nlanr.net/ http://ncne.nlanr.net/ http://moat.nlanr.net/ TWIST 2000 -- ghb@dast.nlanr.net