Subject: my thesis work
From: Gang Cheng <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 14 Jul 1996 16:23:02 -0400

To make myself well understood,
I summerized your comment on my current
dissertation draft as below, based on our conversation:

. Organizational:

1. In the introduction chapter, rise several relevant computer
science questions to be addressed in this thesis or questions
to be partially answered (or try to answer) by the experimental
work of this thesis.

2. A new chapter to conclude and deduct the general research
area/topics this thesis attempted to study. Point out what
questions have been answered and major finding in this thesis
work, what questions have not been answered and need further
work, what potential research/direction related to this
work can be undertaken and refer to other similar work in the
direction.

. Details remarks

1. Major findings in this work:
  
   1) Mixing of data-parallel programming and coarse grain
task parallelism for parallel computation

   2) Mix of database and parallel computing

   3) Hetergeneous meta-computing
	
   4) Choice of optimal platform - eg. CM5 for matrix solver

2. Questions to be asked

   1) Is dataflow model a complete coordination framework
or is it a solid coarse-grain coordination language in HPCC ?

   2) How to use a PSE ? Is the current dataflow framework
complete and enough for a general PSE system ? Is it enough
in data-parallel and task-parallel system ?

   3) Can Webflow plus HPF/HPC++?Java be a complete PSE system ?

   4) What are the application requirements for PSE in terms
of a) functionality b) performance. May quote MOPAC, Webflow
and Gregor's work as related effort for insights.

   5) WAN vs. LAN.

I talked to David, Scott and Tom respectively in details about what may be
good as a case study of my thesis work in their projects. Bascially
I discussed with them that I am looking for some work that
   1. must be part of their NPAC projects, so that my work will benefit
both my thesis and the project
   2. The application work should have three components needs: RDBMS, 
simulation and WWW interface.

In Tom's blackhole project, there is a very ideal candidate that
requires the mixing of simulation, database and web. Bascially,
there are lots of output data the simulation code will generate
which will be further analyzed by either visualization software or
programs. Because the output data represent model results of different
grid resolutions, adaptive mesh configurations, the total volume
can be big. Post processing of the data will include visulalization
as an major means to capture the visual insight of the large dataset.
Actually before I talked to Tom, he had the idea of using Oracle
in mind, it is just that currently they are focusing on algorithm
design. I feel this can be a good candidate for the case study
you asked me to do as the final case study in my thesis. Tom is
also very interested in the idea. So I
would like to know if this is OK. Please let me know as early
as possible so I can proceed. 
I will come up the second draft when you get back
from China. At the same time I would like to start the final
case study so that hopefully I can have some focused time to finish
my dissertation. I wish I can defense in August.

Thanks.

--- Gang