Focused Effort Title:
High Performance Distributed Object Web based HLA Demonstration
Thematic Area(s): Scalable Computing Migration, HPC Training and DoD User Productivity
PI Name: Dr. David Bernholdt (NPAC-Syracuse)
PI EMail Address: bernhold@npac.syr.edu
PI Telephone: (315) 443-3857 PI Fax: (315) 443-1973
Statement of Work: In Year One, Syracuse developed (for ARL) a Technology Roadmap/Vision for High Performance FMS, based on anticipated Converge of the Web, Distributed Objects, Componentware, HLA, VR and HPDC technologies. In Year Two, Syracuse is accumulating FMS/HLA experience and developing training materials and prototype software components (both for ARL and CEWES) that will help to enable the vision outlined in Year One. In Year Three, Syracuse will begin developing metacomputing level HPC FMS demonstrations. In Year Two, Syracuse developed the following software components and interactive training materials in the FMS area:
1) Object Web (Java/CORBA) based RTI (Run-Time Infrastructure) that will facilitate management, monitoring and integration of geographically distributed HLA simulations;
2) Detailed implementation plan for the parallel (Origin2000) port of the Comprehensive Mine Simulator developed by Night Vision Lab at Ft. Belvoir;
3) NPAC installation and hands-on experience with using ModSAF (which provides terrain management for the CMS);
4) Hands-on experience with and interactive training material developed for SPEEDES - an advanced logical time parallel simulation kernel by Caltech-JPL/Metron.
5) Visual Simulation Authoring Tools that will use NPAC WebFlow and DMSO HLA FEDEP standards such as OMT, OML, FOMs, SOMs and DIFs to facilitate high level user friendly development of HLA objects and simulation environments.
In Year Three, Syracuse will develop a HPDC Object Web HLA metacomputing demonstration that will: a) integrate components developed on year 2 and listed above; and b) involve and interconnect FMS users both at ARL and CEWES MSRCs in the cooperative development, testing and simulation fine-tuning activities. The demonstration will use the CMS scenario with one MSRC running the mine field simulation and the other running the tested countermine vehicle. Both simulation components will be packaged as HLA compliant federates, running on HPC facilities in both centers and communicating across the centers via the Object Web based RTI bus. The implementation of the demonstration described above includes the following steps: a) coarse-grain DIS->HLA conversion of the CMS simulation by wrapping both components as HLA composite federates using Visual Simulation Tools (developed in Year Two); b) installing the Object Web RTI (developed in Year Two) at CEWES, linking HPC federates at CEWES and ARL centers via the RTI bus, testing and fine-tuning inter-center RTI based communication; c) Working with FMS users at both MSRCs to provide the most adequate interactive control, navigation and visualization front-ends. The final demonstratioon will include support for: a) high end VR controls such as vehicle navigator by MaK Technologies currently used at Ft. Belvoir; and b) Web based lower end but pervasive interface (based on VRML, Java3D or DirectX) that will allow for multiuser access to the simulation from other (Web) sites.
Deliverables:
• Prototype Object Web RTI operational on sequential Java platforms (UNIX workstations, Windows NT PCs) (May 1998)
• HLA version of CMS is operational and tested at NPAC using Object Web RTI (August 1998)
• Contributions to PET bi-weekly and Annual reports (every two weeks according to schedule and March 1999)
• Presentations for PET Mid-Year and Annual Reviews (August 1998, January 1999)
• Both sequential and parallel versions of CMS modules for mine field and tested vehicle installed in respective centers and connected via Object Web RTI. Simple Web browser based control front-end established to both sites/simulation components. Front-end (given by a Java applet with simple 2D navigation tools) allows user to run and monitor distributed CMS from any Web site (December 1998)
• Final Demonstration (March 1999)
• "Pre-print" report on results of effort (March 1999)
Expenditure Profile: