SNAP, Crackle, WebWindows!

We elaborate the SNAP---Scalable (ATM) Network and (PC) Platforms---view of computing in the year 2000. The World Wide Web will continue its rapid evolution, and in the future, applications will not be written for Windows NT/95 or UNIX, but rather for WebWindows with interfaces defined by the standards of Web servers and clients. This universal environment will support WebTop productivity tools, such as WebWord, WebLotus123, and WebNotes built in modular dynamic fashion, and undermining the business model for large software companies. We define a layered WebWindows software architecture in which applications are built on top of multi-use services. We discuss examples including business enterprise systems (IntraNets), health care, financial services and education. HPCC is implicit throughout this discussion for there is no larger parallel system than the World Wide metacomputer. We suggest building the MPP programming environment in terms of pervasive sustainable WebWindows technologies. In particular, WebFlow will support naturally dataflow integrating data and compute intensive applications on distributed heterogeneous systems

A survey of techniques and technologies for web-based real-time interactive rendering

When exploring a virtual environment, realism depends mainly on two factors: realistic images and real-time feedback (motions, behaviour etc.). In this context, photo realism and physical validity of computer generated images required by emerging applications, such as advanced e-commerce, still impose major challenges in the area of rendering research whereas the complexity of lighting phenomena further requires powerful and predictable computing if time constraints must be attained. In this technical report we address the state-of-the-art on rendering, trying to put the focus on approaches, techniques and technologies that might enable real-time interactive web-based clientserver rendering systems. The focus is on the end-systems and not the networking technologies used to interconnect client(s) and server(s).Siemens; Bertelsmann mediaSystems GmbH; Eptron Multimedia; Instituto Politécnico do Porto - ISEP-IPP; Institute Laboratory for Mixed Realities at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, LMR; Mälardalen Real-Time Research Centre (MRTC) at Mälardalen University in Västerås; Q-Systems

Ein leistungsfähiges System zur Online-Präsentation von Sequenzen komplexer virtueller 3D-Szenen

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An Application Perspective on High-Performance Computing and Communications

We review possible and probable industrial applications of HPCC focusing on the software and hardware issues. Thirty-three separate categories are illustrated by detailed descriptions of five areas -- computational chemistry; Monte Carlo methods from physics to economics; manufacturing; and computational fluid dynamics; command and control; or crisis management; and multimedia services to client computers and settop boxes. The hardware varies from tightly-coupled parallel supercomputers to heterogeneous distributed systems. The software models span HPF and data parallelism, to distributed information systems and object/data flow parallelism on the Web. We find that in each case, it is reasonably clear that HPCC works in principle, and postulate that this knowledge can be used in a new generation of software infrastructure based on the WebWindows approach, and discussed in an accompanying paper

Collaborative Environment for Grid-based Flood Prediction

This paper presents the design, architecture and main implementation features of the flood prediction application of the Task 1.2 of the EU IST CROSSGRID. The paper begins with the description of the virtual organization of hydrometeorological experts, users, data providers and customers supported by the application. Then the architecture of the application is described, followed by used simulation models and modules of the collaborative environment. The paper ends with vision of future development of the application

O hipervídeo aplicado à cibermuseologia

Mestrado em Comunicação Multimédia - Audiovisual DigitalO termo hipervídeo surgiu em 1996 como forma de diferenciar o vídeo interactivo, dadas as novas especificidades que este possui em comparação com o vídeo digital tradicional. Com o progresso tecnológico registado neste tipo de conteúdo audiovisual, vídeos desta natureza passam também a ter novas demandas que, aliadas ao ambiente da Web, têm contribuído para o aumento da sua aceitação e exposição nos mais diversos meios e contextos. Apesar de ainda existirem algumas fragilidades, quanto à melhor forma de conjugar os desafios da composição da interface gráfica e da sua relação com a não-linearidade no hipervídeo, existem já vários exemplos em que a sua utilização foi experimentada com resultados muito interessantes. Na presente dissertação, o hipervídeo será abordado no contexto da cibermuseologia, isto é, na mesma será feito um levantamento das preocupações a ter em conta aquando da sua produção e realização para posterior aplicação como canal de conhecimento e espaço de educação alternativo ou complementar, sem que seja necessária a presença do utilizador num tempo ou num espaço determinados. No presente documento será feito um resumo histórico de projectos hipervídeo e um levantamento das plataformas existentes que trabalham com vídeo interactivo. Serão ainda identificados os aspectos a ter em conta na concepção da interface gráfica de conteúdos desta natureza, as preocupações a considerar no seu design estrutural, no design de conteúdos, e na interacção a estabelecer com o mesmo. Este quadro teórico é depois cristalizado num protótipo de visita virtual ao centro de Aveiro que foi avaliado por meio de inquérito e sobre o qual se elaborou um conjunto de melhorias a realizar de acordo com os dados recolhidos e as conclusões retiradas.The term hypervideo emerged in 1996 as a way to differentiate it from interactive video, given its new in comparison with the traditional digital video. With the technological progress made within this type of audiovisual content, such videos have new demands that, allied to the environment of the Web, have contributed to the increased acceptance and exposure in various ways and contexts. Although there are still some difficulties in trying to find the best way to deal with the challenges of composition of the graphical interface and its relationship with the non-linearity in hypervideo, there are already several examples in which their use has been tested with very interesting results. In this dissertation, hypervideo will be addressed in the context of cybermuseology, i.e., a survey of concerns that takes into account the production and performance for subsequent applications as a channel of knowledge and area of complementary or alternative education, without the need for the presence of the user at a time or a certain place. This document will include an historical summary of hypervideo projects and an analysis of existing platforms that work with interactive video. Also identified are the aspects of design with regards to graphical interface in content of this nature, the concerns to be considered in structural design, the design of content, as well as the interaction. This theoretical framework is then formed into a prototype of a virtual tour to the centre of Aveiro, which was evaluated by a survey that will allow to knowledge a series of improvements to be undertaken in accordance with the data collected and conclusions drawn

A web-based approach to engineering adaptive collaborative applications

Current methods employed to develop collaborative applications have to make decisions and speculate about the environment in which the application will operate within, the network infrastructure that will be used and the device type the application will operate on. These decisions and assumptions about the environment in which collaborative applications were designed to work are not ideal. These methods produce collaborative applications that are characterised as being inflexible, working on homogeneous networks and single platforms, requiring pre-existing knowledge of the data and information types they need to use and having a rigid choice of architecture. On the other hand, future collaborative applications are required to be flexible; to work in highly heterogeneous environments; be adaptable to work on different networks and on a range of device types. This research investigates the role that the Web and its various pervasive technologies along with a component-based Grid middleware can play to address these concerns. The aim is to develop an approach to building adaptive collaborative applications that can operate on heterogeneous and changing environments. This work proposes a four-layer model that developers can use to build adaptive collaborative applications. The four-layer model is populated with Web technologies such as Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), the Resource Description Framework (RDF), Protocol and RDF Query Language (SPARQL) and Gridkit, a middleware infrastructure, based on the Open Overlays concept. The Middleware layer (the first layer of the four-layer model) addresses network and operating system heterogeneity, the Group Communication layer enables collaboration and data sharing, while the Knowledge Representation layer proposes an interoperable RDF data modelling language and a flexible storage facility with an adaptive architecture for heterogeneous data storage. And finally there is the Presentation and Interaction layer which proposes a framework (Oea) for scalable and adaptive user interfaces. The four layer model has been successfully used to build a collaborative application, called Wildfurt that overcomes challenges facing collaborative applications. This research has demonstrated new applications for cutting-edge Web technologies in the area of building collaborative applications. SVG has been used for developing superior adaptive and scalable user interfaces that can operate on different device types. RDF and RDFS, have also been used to design and model collaborative applications providing a mechanism to define classes and properties and the relationships between them. A flexible and adaptable storage facility that is able to change its architecture based on the surrounding environments and requirements has also been achieved by combining the RDF technology with the Open Overlays middleware, Gridkit

Jahresbericht 1997/98 und 1. Halbjahr 1999 Abteilung Kommunikation und Datenverarbeitung

Bericht der Abteilung Kommunikation und Datenverarbeitung des FZR über ihre Tätigkeit in den Jahren 1997, 1998 und im 1. Halbjahr 199