Dependable Computing in Virtual Laboratories

Many scientific disciplines (e.g., biology, astrophysics, particle physics, earth sciences) are shifting from in vitro to in silico research as more physical processes and natural phenomena are simulated in a computer (in silico) instead of being observed (in vitro). In many of these virtual laboratories, the computations involved are very complex and long lived. Currently, users are required to manually handle almost all aspects of such computations, including their dependability. Not surprisingly, this is a major bottleneck and a significant source of inefficiencies. To address this issue, we have developed BioOpera, an extensible process support management system for virtual laboratories. In this paper, we briefly discuss the architecture and functionality of BioOpera and show how it can be used to efficiently manage long lived complex computations. 1 Introduction In a virtual laboratory, science is made based on electronically stored data instead of on direct observation..

Dependable Computing in Virtual Laboratories

alonso,bausch,pautasso,kahn¡ Many scientific disciplines are shifting from in vitro to in silico research as more physical processes and natural phenomena are examined in a computer (in silico) instead of being observed (in vitro). In many of these virtual laboratories, the computations involved are very complex and long lived. Currently, users are required to manually handle almost all aspects of such computations, including their dependability. Not surprisingly, this is a major bottleneck and a significant source of inefficiencies. To address this issue, we have developed BioOpera, an extensible process support management system for virtual laboratories. In this paper, we briefly discuss the architecture and functionality of Bio-Opera and show how it can be used to efficiently manage long lived computations. 1