George Brett

1
The Klearinghousea network based model for user
support
George Brett NLANR Distributed Applications
Support Team (NCSA/UIUC) ghb_at_dast.nlanr.net http/
/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

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.

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

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

6
The Grid another view
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

8
Applications Middleware
9
Current State

• Online since September 1999
• With assistance of NCSA CC 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

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).

11
Visual Model
12
Process Model
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, ???

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

15
Broker Model
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George H. Brett II NCSA NLANR /
DAST ghb_at_dast.nlanr.net http//www.ncsa.edu/ghb v
. 703-248-0120 f. 703-248-0100
http//www.nlanr.net/ http//dast.nlanr.net/ h
ttp//ncne.nlanr.net/ http//moat.nlanr.net/