MySpace: Personalized Work Space in AstroGrid

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MySpace Personalized Work Space in AstroGrid

• Catherine Ling Qin
• 26th Nov 2003

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Background

• Vast amount of Data
• Sharing Data (Limited Storage for each
  astronomer)
• Distributed Across The Globe

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Overview

• MySpace is a component of AstroGrid
• A system for accessing astronomical archives
  which is being developed in the UK
• MySpace provides AstroGrid users with scratch
  space for storing temporary/permanent datasets,
  typically the results of queries submitted to
  large databases, and other transient files.

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Design

• Open-source software products
• Distributed, collaborative and centrally-controlle
  d data storage/processing system
• Simple and user-friendly interface
• Easy Installation (Plug and Play). Eventually be
  deployed at institutions around the globe.

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MySpace Components

• MySpaceManager
• Invoked by users to access or manipulate data
  sources in MySpace systems. It incorporates a
  registry comprising the Meta Data describing the
  data sources in the MySpace system. Typically
  there will be one MySpace Manager per Community.

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MySpace Components (Continue)

• MySpaceServer
• Act like repositories and are where the Data
  Sources are kept.
• Cache Server -- Stores Transient Data
• Community Server Stores Data Sources within the
  Community.

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MySpace Components (Continue)

• MySpace Explorer
• Easy to use.
• Web Based. The User Interface displayed within a
  web browser that allows astronomers to
  interactively browse/edit their data sources
  within MySpace Systems.
• MySpace Explorer displays a simple and intuitive
  representation of hierarchical data sources. The
  notional hierarchy of containers does not
  correspond to the actual directory structure on
  MySpace Servers. Rather, the structure is stored
  and maintained by MySpace manager

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MySpace Components (Continue)

• MySpace Explorer

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MySpace Components (Continue)

• MySpace Manager
• MySpace Server
• Cache Server
• Community Server

MySpace Manager
Internet
Data Transfer between servers
MySpace Server
MySpace Server
MySpace Server
Collocated data transfer
Collocated data transfer
Collocated data transfer
DatasetAccess
DatasetAccess
BeiJing Community
DatasetAccess
Leicester Community
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Technology Choices

• Web services
• Java
• Cocoon (MVC)

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Current Implementation and Supported
Functionalities

• Create/Delete File or Container
• Upload/Download File
• Copy/Move File
• Look up details of a single file
• Look up details of all files matching an
  optionally wild-carded file name.
• Extend Lease
• A rudimentary MySpace Explorer.

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Enhancements and Open Issues

• File Storing System Combined with DBMS Database.
• Access Control
• File Transferring Protocols (Http/FTP/GridFTP)
• In order that free access to (sometimes huge)
  distributed data sources does not cause network
  resources to become overloaded, we would need to
  investigate the possibility of smart algorithms
  for controlled replication of (parts of) data
  sources.