INSTITUTION NAME: Syracuse University

WORKPAGE TITLE: WebHLA

PROJECT TITLE: Metacomputing FMS Demonstrations

CTA or PEI: Forces Modeling and Simulation (FMS)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project develops demonstrations of FMS modules that illustrate their intended use in large scale simulation frameworks such as JSIMS. We will use the software architecture of WebHLA, for the overall coordination and runtime control of such Metacomputing FMS Demonstrations. WebHLA middleware is given by Java/CORBA based RTI – hence the prototypes/demos developed in this framework are both HLA-compliant and Web/Commodity software based. Initial target of this project is the parallel CMS code to be developed in another PET project Parallel Modeling and Simulation Modules and integrated with the ModSAF based vehicle simulation. Initial HPDC topology for our Metacomputing FMS demos will include a set of workstations running ModSAF vehicles and an Origin2000 running CMS. All these modules will be wrapped as WebHLA federates and controlled by Web interfaces. Initial demo is planned for Supercomputing 98 where we intend to run Parallel CMS in ARL MSRC, ModSAF vehicles on NPAC workstations and the ImmersaDesk visualization and control front-end in Orlando. Larger, more sophisticated, and more realistic demonstrations will be performed with this system as the components mature. Likely future demonstration targets include a) moving towards high performance multi-vehicle simulation using E-ModSAF (i.e. high performance ModSAF with shared memory based PDU communication on Origin2000) under development by CHSSI FMS-3; b) decomposing large minefields (with millions of mines) into coarse grain domains mapped on Origin2000 systems in ARL and CEWES MSRCS; and c) integrating the CMS demo with larger scale simulations systems such as NSS (addressed by CHSSI FMS-4) or JSIMS (related to CHSSI FMS-5).

PROJECT OBJECTIVES: A metacomputing FMS demonstration platform that is capable to clearly expose unique features of the individual FMS software components and to advertise such encapsulated high performance modules for the large M&S communities such as JSIMS.

DELIVERABLES: 1) Initial Parallel CMS demo for Supercomputing 98, including Parallel CMS on Origin2000 at ARL MSRC, ModSAF vehicles on NPAC workstations, ImmersDesk based realtime battlefield visualization in Orlando; 2) Full Parallel CMS demo for NSS/JSIMS (with large minefields decomposed over HPC facilities at ARL and CEWES MSRCs); 3) E-MoSAF support for HPDC multi-vehicle simulation (in the SF Express style but Web-based and HLA-compliant).

CUSTOMERS/END USERS: 1) Night Vision Lab for the countermine R&D; 2) HPCMO for general publicity purposes; 3) Possibly JSIMS for realistic modern mine warfare simulations.

BENEFIT TO THE WARFIGHTER: HPC FMS technology demonstration will help marketing the unique HPC capabilities and will facilitate HPC technology insertion into the advanced joint simulation systems and new generation Virtual Prototyping and Simulation Based Acquisition systems.

PROJECT DEPENDENCIES AND SCOPE: This project depends on the completion of the Parllel Modeling and Simulation Modules that will develop Parallel CMS.

RISK ELEMENT: 1) User community for Parallel CMS is not fully recognized yet; 2) Networking challenges of MBONE (ModSAF DIS) + Metacomputing (Parallel CMS) integration are yet to be understood and addressed. 3) It may be necessary for ARL and other participating sites to acquire licenses for some software packages. 4) In all metacomputing activities, there are significant issues around access/security and resource scheduling that need to be addressed, either on a one-time fashion, or in general. Such issues are beyond the scope of this proposal. At the recent ARL Annual Review (Year 2) an extensive discussion between Geoffrey Fox and the Programming Tools group lead to the conclusion that PT may be able to work on some solutions to these issues in the coming year.

REQUIRED FUNDING LEVEL: