Visual Grid Tutorial
PI: Dr. Bina Ramamurthy Computer Science and Engineering Dept. Graduate Student: Surabhi Abhayankar Undergraduate Student: Min Suk Cha This project is partially supported by Educational Technology Grant of University at Buffalo and NSF DUE CCLI A&I 0311473
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Introduction: Grid Computing
• Grid computing offers an open and standard framework for integrating resources and computations across distributed, heterogeneous and dynamic organizations. • It is an emerging technology that is expected to provide scalable solutions for a wide range complex scientific problems.
– Examples: drug discovery, advanced weather prediction models; modeling spreading of avian flu; financial portfolio management; space applications
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Problem Addressed
• While the grid can solve a wide range of problems, lack of a proper learning tool is hiding its real worth and impairing its growth and application. • To address these problems, we have designed and implemented a Visual Grid Tutorial (ViGOR) tool to disseminate to grid concepts and application models.
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ViGOR Tool
We have designed a tool that grid concepts at three levels of detail: 1. Executive Summary
• • High level information Architectural details and building blocks enabling a grid
2. Basic Concepts
3. Grid Programming
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Programming models with optional code details
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Tool Screen Shot
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Discussion Topics
• • • • • • • • Design of ViGOR Implementation Details Grid Computing Concepts Illustrated Usage Models Broader Impact of ViGOR Summary References Demo
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Design Details
• Fully animated visual tour of the concepts presented at three levels:
– Executive or policy maker – Grid user – Grid programmer
• There levels will be presented embedded within each other and one can easily navigate among the three
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Implementation Details
• Vector graphics offered by Flash and the related e-learning support offered by Macromedia worked in favor of choosing Flash as the basic medium for development of ViGOR. • Moreover, it provides more slick and portable outputs. • ViGOR has been developed as a stand alone, web-accessible tool.
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Grid Computing Concepts
• Different types of grid • Core services offered by the grid
– soft-state management, notification, service data, routing, logging and virtualization
• System level services
– Security and job execution
• Higher level services
– Storage services, information services and resource framework
• Application models • Programming models
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Usage Models
• Level 1 (Executive summary level) can be used to publicize the grid technology to any audience from high school students to corporate policy makers and novices to grid. • Level 2 (Grid user level) will teach users how to use a grid for problem solving in their domain. • Level 3 (Grid programmer level) will expose programming models and code details. Used in all distributed systems courses. (CSE4/586)
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Broader Impact
• Provide a healthy support for the growth of the grid. • Provide many inquiring minds a visual tour of the grid technology. • Offer an appealing façade to motivate undergraduates and visual learners to explore the grid. • Adaptable, independent, and easily accessible. • Framework for collaboration among grid computing specialists and domain experts.
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Summary
• ViGOR is a unique project that will explicitly showcase the grid technology. • Learning tool ViGOR will complement the grid curriculum effort that is underway at UB and elsewhere. • We plan to leverage ViGOR effort to seek external funding for expansion of ViGOR.
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Future: ViGOR Version 2
• Add more content: grid computing area is vast • Improve visual appeal: current version is still textual • Evaluate the usefulness of the tool
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References
• http://www.globus.org
– Grid related information
• http://www.macromedia.com
– Macromedia Flash and e-learning suite of software and some sample projects
• http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/gridforce
– PI’s NSF-supported grid curriculum project to improve the technical preparedness of our workforce for the grid. The project is called Grid For Collaboration, Research and Education (GridFoRCE)
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ViGOR1.0 ViGOR1.2
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