Towards a Global Middleware Infrastructure

1
Towards a Global Middleware Infrastructure

• Tony Hey,
• Director of UK e-Science Core Programme
• EPSRC, UK

2
Research Prototype Middleware to Production
Quality

• Research projects are not funded to do the
  regression testing, configuration and QA required
  to produce production quality middleware
• Common rule of thumb is that it requires at least
  10 times more effort to take proof of concept
  research software to production quality
• Key issue for UK e-Science projects is to ensure
  that there is some documented, maintainable,
  robust grid middleware by the end of the 5 year
  250M initiative

3
Core e-Science Middleware

• Need to develop open source, open standard
  compliant, Grid Middleware stack that will
  integrate and federate with industrial solutions
• Software Engineering focus
• Aim is to produce robust, well-documented,
  re-usable software that is maintainable and can
  evolve to embrace emerging Grid Service standards
• Major focus of Phase 2 of the UK e-Science
  Programme will be the establishment of a UK OMII
  institute

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A UK Open Middleware Infrastructure Institute

• Repository for UK-developed Open Source
  e-Science/Cyber-infrastructure Middleware
• Compliance testing for GGF/WS standards
• Documentation, specification and QA
• Fund work to bring research project software up
  to production strength
• Fund Middleware projects for identified gaps
• Work with US NMI, EU Projects and others
• Support from major IT companies

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UK Open Middleware Infrastructure Institute

• Mission
• Maintain repository for UK Grid middleware
• Assist in developing and co-ordinating
  development of Open Source, Standards Compliant
  and Interoperable Grid Middleware
• Support and co-ordinate commissioning of
  additional Grid middleware modules where gaps in
  functionality have been identified

6
Governance of OMII

• The activities of the OMII will be overseen by an
  e-Science Software Engineering Advisory Board
  (eSSEAB)
• The eSSEAB will be chaired by the Director of the
  e-Science Core Programme
• Membership of the eSSEAB will include experienced
  software engineers from both academia and industry

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eSSEAB Brief

• Identify key middleware services for development
  that will be co-ordinated by the OMII, using the
  Gap Analysis as appropriate
• Recommend specific Open Source licensing policy
  for UK Grid middleware after seeking appropriate
  legal advice
• Advise on issues concerning Open Source generic
  Grid middleware and application level
  middleware
• Assist in development of UK strategy to
  co-ordinate standards and policies of the UK OMII
  with international activities

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OMII Roles (1)

• Set up repository for selected middleware
  components identified by the eSSEAB
• Develop procedures for contributing, downloading
  and maintaining widely used middleware
• Establish QA process through inspection, testing
  and operational experience
• Develop test harness and distributed test-bed
  for integrated testing of Grid middleware modules
• Support mechanisms for version control, bug
  reporting and QA for documentation
• Liaise with Grid Support Centre for transfer of
  front-line support for UK Grid middleware

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OMII Roles (2)

• Work with originators and eSSEAB about developing
  upgrades of contributed middleware
• Undertake software development of specific
  middleware gaps identified by the eSSEAB
• Re-engineer and harden prototype middleware
  from research projects
• Develop regular middleware release programme and
  beta test community
• Provide input to standardisation process as
  appropriate
• Funding for roles 1 and 2 will be 3m for initial
  3 years

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OMII Roles (3)

• Host programme to commission development of
  middleware components identified by the eSSEAB
• Co-ordinate and perform QA on middleware
  developed by other organisations under this remit
  
• Middleware development is expected to be
  sub-contracted to groups in both industry and
  academia selected by a competitive proposal
  process overseen by the eSSEAB
• Initial budget for this activity will be 3.5M
  but it is expected that significant additional
  funding will be available from the DTI

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OMII Selection Criteria

• Track record of proposed full-time Director
• Suitability of proposed software engineering
  processes and track record
• Knowledge and experience of e-Science activities
  and engagement with key standards activities
• Experience in appropriate software technologies
• Ability to recruit and/or allocate sufficient
  numbers of software engineers
• Management competency and infrastructure provided
  by host institution
• Support from industry and plans for future

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Assessment and Selection

• Bids will be considered by eSSEAB soon after
  closing date of October 3rd 2003
• Up to 3 bids shortlisted and asked to make
  presentation to the eSSEAB soon after
  shortlisting meeting
• Decision made by November 2003 and OMII grant
  will start Q4 2003 or Q1 2004
• The Director of the OMII will be an ex officio
  member of the eSSEAB

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A Global Open Middleware Infrastructure Institute?

• Repository for global Open Source
  e-Science/Cyber-infrastructure Middleware
• Compliance testing for GGF/WS standards
• Documentation, specification and QA
• Fund work to bring research project software up
  to production strength
• Fund Middleware projects for identified gaps
• Federated Global OMII structure of EU, US and
  A-P middleware engineering activities
• Supported by all major IT companies

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Research and Development

• R and d
• RC Pilot Projects
• CP Centre Projects
• r and D
• OGSA-DAI project
• OMII