Towards a generic platform for developing CSCL applications using Grid infrastructure

The goal of this paper is to explore the possibility of using CSCL component-based software under a Grid infrastructure. The merge of these technologies represents an attractive, but probably quite laborious enterprise if we consider not only the benefits but also the barriers that we have to overcome. This work presents an attempt toward this direction by developing a generic platform of CSCL components and discussing the advantages that we could obtain if we adapted it to the Grid. We then propose a means that could make this adjustment possible due to the high degree of genericity that our library component is endowed with by being based on the generic programming paradigm. Finally, an application of our library is proposed both for validating the adequacy of the platform which it is based on and for indicating the possibilities gained by using it under the Grid.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

JXTA-Overlay: a P2P platform for distributed, collaborative, and ubiquitous computing

With the fast growth of the Internet infrastructure and the use of large-scale complex applications in industries, transport, logistics, government, health, and businesses, there is an increasing need to design and deploy multifeatured networking applications. Important features of such applications include the capability to be self-organized, be decentralized, integrate different types of resources (personal computers, laptops, and mobile and sensor devices), and provide global, transparent, and secure access to resources. Moreover, such applications should support not only traditional forms of reliable distributing computing and optimization of resources but also various forms of collaborative activities, such as business, online learning, and social networks in an intelligent and secure environment. In this paper, we present the Juxtapose (JXTA)-Overlay, which is a JXTA-based peer-to-peer (P2P) platform designed with the aim to leverage capabilities of Java, JXTA, and P2P technologies to support distributed and collaborative systems. The platform can be used not only for efficient and reliable distributed computing but also for collaborative activities and ubiquitous computing by integrating in the platform end devices. The design of a user interface as well as security issues are also tackled. We evaluate the proposed system by experimental study and show its usefulness for massive processing computations and e-learning applications.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

IMP Science Gateway: from the Portal to the Hub of Virtual Experimental Labs in Materials Science

"Science gateway" (SG) ideology means a user-friendly intuitive interface between scientists (or scientific communities) and different software components + various distributed computing infrastructures (DCIs) (like grids, clouds, clusters), where researchers can focus on their scientific goals and less on peculiarities of software/DCI. "IMP Science Gateway Portal" (http://scigate.imp.kiev.ua) for complex workflow management and integration of distributed computing resources (like clusters, service grids, desktop grids, clouds) is presented. It is created on the basis of WS-PGRADE and gUSE technologies, where WS-PGRADE is designed for science workflow operation and gUSE - for smooth integration of available resources for parallel and distributed computing in various heterogeneous distributed computing infrastructures (DCI). The typical scientific workflows with possible scenarios of its preparation and usage are presented. Several typical use cases for these science applications (scientific workflows) are considered for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of complex behavior of various nanostructures (nanoindentation of graphene layers, defect system relaxation in metal nanocrystals, thermal stability of boron nitride nanotubes, etc.). The user experience is analyzed in the context of its practical applications for MD simulations in materials science, physics and nanotechnologies with available heterogeneous DCIs. In conclusion, the "science gateway" approach - workflow manager (like WS-PGRADE) + DCI resources manager (like gUSE)- gives opportunity to use the SG portal (like "IMP Science Gateway Portal") in a very promising way, namely, as a hub of various virtual experimental labs (different software components + various requirements to resources) in the context of its practical MD applications in materials science, physics, chemistry, biology, and nanotechnologies.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables; 6th International Workshop on Science Gateways, IWSG-2014 (Dublin, Ireland, 3-5 June, 2014). arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1404.545