The research and development of ChemGrid in CGSP

With the rapid development of computing technologies and network technologies, Grid technology has emerged as the solution for high-performance computing. Recently, the grid of orient-services has become a hot issue in this research area. In this paper, we propose an architecture of ChemGrid in CGSP (China Grid Support Platform). The effectiveness of the proposed architecture is demonstrated by an example which is developed as a Web service based on CGSP; the Web service is used for searching elements in the periodic table. An improvement of the user interface for applications is proposed in order to obtain results interactively. Finally, an extension of ChemGrid is discussed in order to integrate different types of resources and provide specialized services.<br /

Multi-voxel fMRI analysis using an high throughput grid framework

Mestrado em Engenharia Biomédica - Instrumentação, Sinal e ImagemO presente trabalho apresenta uma nova abordagem à análise de imagens de RMf do cérebro, especificamente a utilização de medidas associativas na análise de séries temporais de RMf. Este tipo específico de análise, computacionalmente intensivo, requer recursos que normalmente não se encontram disponíveis em ambientes clínicos. Redes Grid é um novo paradigma de computação distribuída de elevada performance que pode ser utilizado para potenciar a utilização deste tipo de análise, disponibilizando a capacidade de computação necessária. Implementouse um framework que permite a utilização de uma infraestrutura Grid para correr este tipo de análise de forma transparente, viabilizando a sua utilização em ambientes clínicos, onde o tempo é um factor crítico. ABSTRACT: This work, introduces a new approach to fMRI brain image analysis, namely multivoxel fMRI association analysis. The problem associated with this type of approach is that requires a large computing capacity that is not normally available at clinical sites. To enable this specific type of analysis we are required to use High Performance Computing paradigms. In this context we analysed the use of Grid computing and implemented a framework that allows running the multivoxel fMRI association analysis using a grid infrastructure resources. The use of this framework makes this type of analysis usable in clinical environments where time constraints can have a vital importance

Developing a Modern Infrastructure for Open Distance Education in China: The Implementation of the NCEC Project

The NCEC project was a joint venture between China and Europe to deliver Internet-based distance education in China. The project was proposed in 1995, sponsored by the European Union since 1998, and finally completed in 2002. This paper shows how the NCEC project was planned and developed, and the importance of its role in the history of Internet application development in China

Regionally distributed architecture for dynamic e-learning environment (RDADeLE)

e-Learning is becoming an influential role as an economic method and a flexible mode of study in the institutions of higher education today which has a presence in an increasing number of college and university courses. e-Learning as system of systems is a dynamic and scalable environment. Within this environment, e-learning is still searching for a permanent, comfortable and serviceable position that is to be controlled, managed, flexible, accessible and continually up-to-date with the wider university structure. As most academic and business institutions and training centres around the world have adopted the e-learning concept and technology in order to create, deliver and manage their learning materials through the web, it has become the focus of investigation. However, management, monitoring and collaboration between these institutions and centres are limited. Existing technologies such as grid, web services and agents are promising better results. In this research a new architecture has been developed and adopted to make the e-learning environment more dynamic and scalable by dividing it into regional data grids which are managed and monitored by agents. Multi-agent technology has been applied to integrate each regional data grid with others in order to produce an architecture which is more scalable, reliable, and efficient. The result we refer to as Regionally Distributed Architecture for Dynamic e-Learning Environment (RDADeLE). Our RDADeLE architecture is an agent-based grid environment which is composed of components such as learners, staff, nodes, regional grids, grid services and Learning Objects (LOs). These components are built and organised as a multi-agent system (MAS) using the Java Agent Development (JADE) platform. The main role of the agents in our architecture is to control and monitor grid components in order to build an adaptable, extensible, and flexible grid-based e-learning system. Two techniques have been developed and adopted in the architecture to build LOs' information and grid services. The first technique is the XML-based Registries Technique (XRT). In this technique LOs' information is built using XML registries to be discovered by the learners. The registries are written in Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) format. The second technique is the Registered-based Services Technique (RST). In this technique the services are grid services which are built using agents. The services are registered with the Directory Facilitator (DF) of a JADE platform in order to be discovered by all other components. All components of the RDADeLE system, including grid service, are built as a multi-agent system (MAS). Each regional grid in the first technique has only its own registry, whereas in the second technique the grid services of all regional grids have to be registered with the DF. We have evaluated the RDADeLE system guided by both techniques by building a simulation of the prototype. The prototype has a main interface which consists of the name of the system (RDADeLE) and a specification table which includes Number of Regional Grids, Number of Nodes, Maximum Number of Learners connected to each node, and Number of Grid Services to be filled by the administrator of the RDADeLE system in order to create the prototype. Using the RST technique shows that the RDADeLE system can be built with more regional grids with less memory consumption. Moreover, using the RST technique shows that more grid services can be registered in the RDADeLE system with a lower average search time and the search performance is increased compared with the XRT technique. Finally, using one or both techniques, the XRT or the RST, in the prototype does not affect the reliability of the RDADeLE system.Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu - Directorate General For Jubail Project Kingdom of Saudi Arabi

Science 2.0 : sharing scientific data on the Grid

Mestrado em Engenharia de Computadores e TelemáticaA computação assumese cada vez mais como um recurso essencial em ciência, levando ao surgimento do termo eCiência para designar a utilização de tecnologias de computação avançada para suportar a realização de experiências científicas, a preservação e partilha do conhecimento. Uma das áreas de aplicação do conceito de eCiência é o tratamento e análise de imagens médicas. Os processos que lidam com imagem médica, tanto ao nível clínico como de investigação, são exigentes em relação ao suporte computacional, devido aos algoritmos de processamento de imagem que requerem e à elevada capacidade de armazenamento relacionada com volume das imagens geradas. As políticas públicas e os avanços tecnológicos recentes orientados para a eCiência, têm vindo a apoiar o desenvolvimento da computação em Grid, tanto a nível dos middlewares como da instalação de capacidade de produção, como um sistema de computação avançado que permite a partilha de recursos, instrumentos científicos e boas práticas em comunidades virtuais. Este trabalho tem como objectivo desenvolver uma estratégia e um protótipo para o armazenamento de dados médicos na Grid, visando a sua utilização em investigação. Uma preocupação diferenciadora prendese com o objectivo de colocar as potencialidades da Grid ao serviço de utilizadores não técnicos (e.g. médicos, investigadores), que acedem a serviços de processamento e de armazenamento e catalogação de dados de forma transparente, através de um portal Web. O protótipo desenvolvido permite a investigadores na área das neurociências, sem conhecimentos específicos da tecnologia Grid, armazenar imagens e analisálas em Grids de produção existentes, baseadas no middleware gLite. ABSTRACT: Computing has become an essential tool in modern science, leading to the appearance of the term eScience to designate the usage of advanced computing technologies to support the execution of scientific experiments, and the preservation and sharing of knowledge. One of eScience domain areas is the medical imaging analysis. The processes that deal with medical images, both at clinical and investigation level, are very demanding in terms of computational support, due to the analysis algorithms that involve large volumes of generated images, requiring high storage capabilities. The recent public policies and technological advances are eScience oriented, and have been supporting the development of Grid computing, both at the middleware level and at the installation of production capabilities in an advanced computing system, that allows the sharing of resources, scientific instrumentation and good practices among virtual communities. The main objective of this work is to develop a strategy and a prototype to allow the storage of medical data on the Grid, targeting a research environment. The differentiating concern of this work is the ability to provide the nonexperts users (e.g: doctors, researchers) access to the Grid services, like storage and processing, through a friendly Web interface. The developed prototype allows researchers in the field of neuroscience, without any specific knowledge of Grid technology, to store images and analyse them in production Grid infrastructures, based on the gLite middleware

Towards ensuring scalability, interoperability and efficient access control in a triple-domain grid-based environment

Philosophiae Doctor - PhDThe high rate of grid computing adoption, both in academe and industry, has posed challenges regarding efficient access control, interoperability and scalability. Although several methods have been proposed to address these grid computing challenges, none has proven to be completely efficient and dependable. To tackle these challenges, a novel access control architecture framework, a triple-domain grid-based environment, modelled on role based access control, was developed. The architecture’s framework assumes three domains, each domain with an independent Local Security Monitoring Unit and a Central Security Monitoring Unit that monitors security for the entire grid.The architecture was evaluated and implemented using the G3S, grid security services simulator, meta-query language as “cross-domain” queries and Java Runtime Environment 1.7.0.5 for implementing the workflows that define the model’s task. The simulation results show that the developed architecture is reliable and efficient if measured against the observed parameters and entities. This proposed framework for access control also proved to be interoperable and scalable within the parameters tested

SInCom 2015

2nd Baden-Württemberg Center of Applied Research Symposium on Information and Communication Systems, SInCom 2015, 13. November 2015 in Konstan