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Development of Decision Support System
Mike Rippin, Tessella Support Services 07 Feb 2003
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Agenda

• Introduction Presentation
• Scope
• Overview of proposed system
• Issues from questionnaire
• User base and Use Case scenarios
• Data outputs, parameters, constraints
• Internationalisation
• GUI
• Personal data and data storage
• Administration
• Data gathering
• What Next?

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Introduction
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Tessella Support Services

• Software Services consultancy
• Offices Abingdon (head), Burton, Winchester,
  Cambridge, Warrington, Welwyn Garden City, Den
  Haag, Boston USA (new)
• Specialise Scientific and Engineering customer
  base
• Web site www.tessella.com
• Sub contracted to HRI to develop framework for
  decision support system

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Tessellas Understanding of Problem

• To provide a modern framework for the extension
  of N_ABLE into a sophisticated Decision Support
  System to optimise Nitrogen use in Crop Rotation,
  with a Web based front end
• To facilitate the modularisation of the N-ABLE
  Fortran code
• To provide a framework for the straightforward
  integration of new Calculation Models for
  Nitrogen concentrations in soil
• To provide an extensible database to store
  empirical data for weather, crop and soil
  characteristics, and model scenarios
• Two Stage Project
• Year 1, provide generalised framework for
  integrating new models
• Year 2 provide Web-based user interface to run
  models

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Project Basic Scope Objectives

• Create and deliver framework for model
  integration (Y1)
• Examples of 1-2 existing Fortran models
  implemented
• HRI can add in the rest
• Create and deliver Database (Y1)
• example data for some models loaded in
• appropriate SQL for HRI to load the rest
• Create and deliver User Interface (Y2)
• Web based framework

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Project Technical Liaison

• HRI and Tessella need to work together on
• Design
• Fortran modularisation, data interfaces, and
  wrapper design
• Database Tables (data content)
• Development
• Tessella developer work on-site at HRI for a
  period of time
• Assist integration of example N-ABLE Fortran
  modules

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Proposed Technical Framework
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Proposed Solution Framework - 1

• Objectives
• Provide solution will no, or very little,
  purchase or licensing costs
• Provide solution which will allow the existing
  Fortran code (N-ABLE) to be integrated
• Provide solution which is extensible
• in defining new data types (soil, weather,
  plants)
• in the construction of Scenarios for a
  particular growth period (application of
  Actions/Events)
• in defining new individual calculation models as
  research advances

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Proposed Solution Framework 5

• The Database
• Aim Two uses
• storage of data
• storage of information about the models and
  scenarios
• How Meta data database
• data about data
• allows new data to be added more easily without
  changing the database structure i.e. adding new
  tables
• overhead in some complication, but provide
  simple access tools (prepared SQL)

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Proposed Solution Framework 5

• The Framework
• Aims
• Provide modular infrastructure for new models
• Straightforward to add new modules and models
• How
• Develop in Java
• Cross-platform/portable
• 3-tier Architecture provides flexibility in
  choice of interface
• Web-based GUI system

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Proposed Solution Framework 4
Database
Scenario Definition
Results
class names
weather, soil, crop
Define Growth Scenario
Load Model Data
Determine Calculation Modules
Load Scenario Definition
Run Scenario
Generate Output
class names
Load Calculation Modules
Module1
Java Reflection API
Model Params
Module2
Model Prams
C Wrapper DLL
Module3
JNI
C-Calling Convention
Fortran DLL
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Requirements
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What Next?

• Tessella Create Software Requirements Document
• based on all information to date
• based on this meeting
• HRI Review (with Consortium)
• review cycle
• All Agreed system as early as possible
• what is in this document is what will be
  delivered

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The Questionnaire

• User base and Use Case scenarios
• Data outputs, parameters, constraints
• Internationalisation
• GUI
• Personal data and data storage
• Administration

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Data Gathering

• Very Important Stage!!
• Who gathers what coordinators
• Reporting and Communication channels
• Data
• parameters
• empirical data (weather)
• historical
• new
• What formats it is to be stored in V.
  IMPORTANT!
• How this is to be loaded into main database