A rapid prototyping/artificial intelligence approach to space station-era information management and access

Applications of rapid prototyping and Artificial Intelligence techniques to problems associated with Space Station-era information management systems are described. In particular, the work is centered on issues related to: (1) intelligent man-machine interfaces applied to scientific data user support, and (2) the requirement that intelligent information management systems (IIMS) be able to efficiently process metadata updates concerning types of data handled. The advanced IIMS represents functional capabilities driven almost entirely by the needs of potential users. Space Station-era scientific data projected to be generated is likely to be significantly greater than data currently processed and analyzed. Information about scientific data must be presented clearly, concisely, and with support features to allow users at all levels of expertise efficient and cost-effective data access. Additionally, mechanisms for allowing more efficient IIMS metadata update processes must be addressed. The work reported covers the following IIMS design aspects: IIMS data and metadata modeling, including the automatic updating of IIMS-contained metadata, IIMS user-system interface considerations, including significant problems associated with remote access, user profiles, and on-line tutorial capabilities, and development of an IIMS query and browse facility, including the capability to deal with spatial information. A working prototype has been developed and is being enhanced

Autonomous power system intelligent diagnosis and control

The Autonomous Power System (APS) project at NASA Lewis Research Center is designed to demonstrate the abilities of integrated intelligent diagnosis, control, and scheduling techniques to space power distribution hardware. Knowledge-based software provides a robust method of control for highly complex space-based power systems that conventional methods do not allow. The project consists of three elements: the Autonomous Power Expert System (APEX) for fault diagnosis and control, the Autonomous Intelligent Power Scheduler (AIPS) to determine system configuration, and power hardware (Brassboard) to simulate a space based power system. The operation of the Autonomous Power System as a whole is described and the responsibilities of the three elements - APEX, AIPS, and Brassboard - are characterized. A discussion of the methodologies used in each element is provided. Future plans are discussed for the growth of the Autonomous Power System

Development of a knowledge-based and collaborative engineering design agent

In order to avoid errors in engineering design that affect the later product life cycle, especially the manufacturing process, an analysis or evaluation has to be performed at the earliest possible stage. As this evaluation is very knowledge-intensive and often this knowledge is not directly available to the engineer, this paper presents an approach for a knowledge-based and collaborative engineering design agent. The technology based on multi-agent systems enables problem-solving support by an autonomous knowledge-based system which has its own beliefs, goals, and intentions. The presented approach is embedded in a CAD development environment and validated on an application example from engineering design

On Implementing Autonomic Systems with a Serverless Computing Approach: The Case of Self-Partitioning Cloud Caches

The research community has made significant advances towards realizing self-tuning cloud caches; notwithstanding, existing products still require manual expert tuning to maximize performance. Cloud (software) caches are built to swiftly serve requests; thus, avoiding costly functionality additions not directly related to the request-serving control path is critical. We show that serverless computing cloud services can be leveraged to solve the complex optimization problems that arise during self-tuning loops and can be used to optimize cloud caches for free. To illustrate that our approach is feasible and useful, we implement SPREDS (Self-Partitioning REDiS), a modified version of Redis that optimizes memory management in the multi-instance Redis scenario. A cost analysis shows that the serverless computing approach can lead to significant cost savings: The cost of running the controller as a serverless microservice is 0.85% of the cost of the always-on alternative. Through this case study, we make a strong case for implementing the controller of autonomic systems using a serverless computing approach

Intelligent agents for matching information providers and consumers on the World-Wide-Web

In this paper, we discuss the various issues in designing intelligent software systems to assist world-wide-web users in locating relevant information. We identify a number of key components in such intelligent systems. These include a web document database management system, a client-based goal-directed search engine, an intelligent learning agent which discovers users' topics of interest by studying their browsing behavior, and an intelligent agent which monitors `hot' web sites. We give examples and suggestions on how these components are designed and implemented. We also describe the architecture of a prototype system that integrates the various components.published_or_final_versio

Logic Foundry: Rapid Prototyping for FPGA-Based DSP Systems

We introduce the Logic Foundry, a system for the rapid creation and integration of FPGA-based digital signal processing systems. Recognizing that some of the greatest challenges in creating FPGA-based systems occur in the integration of the various components, we have proposed a system that targets the following four areas of integration: design flow integration, component integration, platform integration, and software integration. Using the Logic Foundry, a system can be easily specified, and then automatically constructed and integrated with system level software

MONOD, a Collaborative Tool for Manipulating Biological Knowledge

Research article written in 2004 describing MONOD, an early biological knowledge management systemWe describe an open source software tool called MONOD, for Modeler’s Notebook and Datastore, designed to capture and communicate knowledge generated during the process of building models of many-component biological systems. We used MONOD to construct a model of the pheromone response signaling pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. MONOD allowed the accumulation, documentation, and exchange of data, valuations, assumptions, and decisions generated during the model building process. MONOD thus helped preserve a record of the steps taken on the path between from the experimental data to the computable model. We believe that MONOD and its successors may streamline the processes of building models, communicating with other researchers, and managing and manipulating biological knowledge. "Collaborative annotation"-- fine-grained, structured, searchable communication enabled by software tools of this type-- could positively affect the practice of biological research

Evolution of NICNET as an incrementally intelligent network

The evolution of NICNET, the Computer-Communication network of the National Informatics Centre, is so oriented that integration and globalization are progessively implemented utilizing the latest cost-effective technologies available In the international market. With the choice of SSMA/CDMA based VSAT technology utilizing a C-band transponder, during the nucleating stage of NICNET, the top 500 cities and towns in India have been linked apart from more than 100 sites of mega projects and economically important locations. In the next step, high speed SCPC based VSATs with two-way as well as data broadcast capabilities utilizing a Ku-band transpoder is enabling the realisation of the NICNET InfoHighway linking metropolises and big cities as an overlay network over tile low speed NICNET. Dedicated high speed external gateways provide initial infrastructure for globalization of NICNET. In the next phase, it is planned to introduce software based information networking architecture on NICNET for which the concept of structure-function matrix based incrementally intelligent network design is proposed in this paper. As the demand for sophisticated services like CUGs, virtual private network Service, universal personal communications, mobile communication and multimedia services increase, NICNET will be required to respond with more flexible access, intelligent management and versatile charging regimes than what is possible currently, all within the frame-work of an open system architecture. Imperatives of globalization and service creation will be rendered incrementally intelligent utilising an approach based on intelligent hypermedia with imbedded expert system for realising intelligent navigation and integration. The same AI approach is determined to be advantageous for intelligent integration of traffic and facility with adaptive flexible routing. The design of NICNET as an intelligent global network providing a versatile local infrastructure with multiple gateway hooks to a global network employing low or medium earth orbiting satellite constellation, is identified as a desirable long term goal