Full HTML for

Basic foilset Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC

Given by David Bernholdt, Geoffrey C. Fox, Sandie Kappes at ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland on Feb 23-25 1999. Foils prepared Feb 20 1999
Outside Index Summary of Material

Joint NPAC NCSA Activities Supporting InfoComm at ARL and ASC
Year 3 of DoD Modernization PET Program

Table of Contents for full HTML of Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC

 Denote Foils where Image Critical
Denote Foils where HTML is sufficient
1 Information and Communications ARL and ASC
2 Organization
3 Objectives
4 Primary Activities
5 LecCorder Lecture Recorder
6 WebWisdomNT Web linked Database
7 From PowerPoint to Database To Web
8 Setting Presentation Attributes in the Java Manager
9 Editing PowerPoint from the Database
10 Early XML Template exporting from database
11 Training Management Web-linked Database
12 Current NPAC Grading Database used to register Syracuse and Online Courses
13 TangoInteractive On-going Enhancements
14 TANGO 1.1 Release
15 TANGO 1.1 Graphical User Interface (based on Java Swing classes)
16 New Buena Vista Audio/Video Conferencing
17 New Shared Browser with Dynamic HTML
18 Shared Form Illustrated by Shared Access to NCSA Biology Workbench showing how general server objects can be shared from web interface
19 New and Improved Applications
20 Ongoing Work to Integrate Asynchronous and Synchronous Collaboration and Community support
21 TangoInteractive Deployment Status
22 Asynchronous Web-based Training
23 Collaboration & Training Support
24 Web Site Support
25 PET Web-sites Redesign
26 Future Activities - I
27 Future Activities - II
28 Future Activities - III
29 SV2 + Tango Architecture
30 SV2 + Tango
31 Future Activities - IV
32 MSRC PET Portal

Outside Index Summary of Material

HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 1 Information and Communications ARL and ASC

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
NPAC/Syracuse University
NCSA
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 2 Organization

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Geoffrey Fox, Academic Lead
Project Leaders for I/C-related activities
  • David Bernholdt, Syracuse
  • Tom Haupt, Syracuse
    • (IPSE/Gateway -- to be presented later with MAPINT)
  • Sandie Kappes, NCSA
  • Nancy McCracken, Syracuse
  • Marek Podgorny, Syracuse
Derek Moses, ARL on-site
Tracey Smith, ASC on-site
Cooperation with Training staff at both MSRCs
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 3 Objectives

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Facilitate PET and Modernization Program activities through ideas, tools, and technologies derived from the rapidly advancing Internet/web/distributed computing arena
Areas of application include internal PET communication as well as interaction with users, technological aspects of Training, as well as I/C issues relating to software environments
  • Collaborative technologies important
Emphasize commodity and standards-based solutions
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 4 Primary Activities

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
LecCorder (automatic production of asynch training resources from live trainings)
WebWisdomNT (multimedia database for courseware)
Training Management Database
TangoInteractive (Collaboration and Training)
Asynchronous Web-Based Training
General Collaboration & Training Support
General Web Site Support
PET Web Sites Redesign
MSRC PET Portal
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 5 LecCorder Lecture Recorder

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Integrated hardware & software system
Record live trainings & publish on web quickly and easily as "foils over audio/video"
Minimal human intervention
Java viewer
In progress...
  • video server back-end for random access & search capabilities
  • Converter for Real Audio/Video format
  • Integration with WebWisdomNT courseware database system
Installed at ASC, available to other sites on request
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 6 WebWisdomNT Web linked Database

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Over the last 2.5 years I have put 715 foilsets and over 28000 foils on the web supported by Perl Scripts and JavaScript Display
  • Included "play lists","multiple views","integration with Tango"
  • Hard to manage and deploy elsewhere
WebWisdomNT abstracts lessons to a Oracle database backend and a dynamic HTML front-end (see later)
Database stores W3C "Document Object Model Components" including PowerPoint with each slide separately stored and editable from database
Reconstructs dynamic pages using XML templates
Has Java Manager to support play list and arrangement in hierarchical "FoilWorlds"
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 7 From PowerPoint to Database To Web

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 8 Setting Presentation Attributes in the Java Manager

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 9 Editing PowerPoint from the Database

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
FoilWorld Tree
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 10 Early XML Template exporting from database

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Will replace by new
dynamic HTML
WebWisdomNT Interface
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 11 Training Management Web-linked Database

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
New ASC effort
Management of PET Training Sessions involves many time-intensive and error prone steps
Automate by coupling standard procedures with user database information and web access
  • Users -- automatic registration, confirmation, reminders
  • Instructors -- automate announcements, course materials, student background info
  • User Services -- account creation and cleanup
  • PET Staff -- inquire about registration
Based on existing NPAC course management database
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 12 Current NPAC Grading Database used to register Syracuse and Online Courses

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 13 TangoInteractive On-going Enhancements

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Main focus on:
  • system robustness and maintainability
  • enhancements for collaborative and educational functions (new and improved applications)
    • Full support for W3C document object model sharing
  • linkage of synchronous and asynchronous modes including databases and form based server interfaces
  • system programmability (APIs)
    • Java, Javabean, JavaScript, C++, Lisp
  • documentation and training material
TANGO 1.01 released in July 98 was first deployable version
  • packaged servers for both UNIX and Windows NT platforms
  • packaging for the complete application suite on CDROM
  • used by several universities in US and abroad (~ 1000 downloads)
Tango 1.04 final maintenance release this week
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 14 TANGO 1.1 Release

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Incorporates hosts of improvements in GUI and Functionality
  • available internally in NPAC
  • public release expected in beta version March 99
  • employs newest Java (Swing) and browser technology
  • incorporates all "lessons learned" from TANGO 1.0 deployment and use
  • new paradigm for "collaboration space" navigation, session handling, and floor control
New client supports configurable, domain-specific interfaces
  • selection of collaborative tools
  • predefined, automatically started session
  • hidden agents (faceless application)
  • multi-frame integrated interfaces
  • administrative interfaces
  • all aspects under external control of system administrator/end user
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 15 TANGO 1.1 Graphical User Interface (based on Java Swing classes)

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 16 New Buena Vista Audio/Video Conferencing

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 17 New Shared Browser with Dynamic HTML

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Shared Pointer added to Internet Assistant PowerPoint on the Web
Illustrates sharing of W3C Object Model internal to documents
DHTML "Heartbeat" recording shared events in last 60 seconds on application specific "bar" which is locked above all windows -- addresses window clutter
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 18 Shared Form Illustrated by Shared Access to NCSA Biology Workbench showing how general server objects can be shared from web interface

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Shared Multiple List
Shared Buttons
Shared Text field
Shared Checkbox
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 19 New and Improved Applications

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
BuenaVista 3.0 (TANGO videoconferencing agent) completely rewritten for PC and SGI platforms
Chat tools
  • advanced avatar based 2.5D chat for "telepresence"
  • new professional text chat with many advanced features, including clipboard, session save/mail, and latecomers support, fully customizable
New "instructor feedback" tool
  • continuous audience feedback with polling and alert
Layered whiteboard
  • used in several applications, advanced authoring mode, import/export/save support, telecursor, scriptable external interface, advanced image compression, ....
Shared Telnet tool
Shared streaming media tools
  • Java H263/GSM video viewer with database interface
  • RealVideo player (use and distribution agreed with supported by Progressive Networks)
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 20 Ongoing Work to Integrate Asynchronous and Synchronous Collaboration and Community support

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Personal Identity Module for TANGO
  • Database backend (relational or LDAP) to hold user identities and information, interfaced to collaboratory server
  • supports authentication, security, assessment
TANGO/Mail/Listserv interface
  • Tango can mail to to other Tango users and to others not in session via listserv, ordinary mail
  • NCSA Lotus Notes Intranet has difficulty that discussion lists not linked to "ordinary" email
Local storage and file distribution interface
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 21 TangoInteractive Deployment Status

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Routine use of TangoInteractive by broad spectrum of users is appropriate; deployment/acceptance is next issue
Support for education:
  • Jackson State University (full installation)
  • Morgan State University (full installation)
  • Clark Atlanta, Houston, MSU (client side)
Support for training:
  • CEWES (full installation)
  • ARL/HEAT center (full installation)
  • OSC (client and collaboratory server)
  • ASC, NAVO, NRL (client side)
Two "free" Tango Classes being taught right now
  • CPS616 Graduate Advanced web Technologies: JSU MSU CAU
  • Java Academy for middle and high school students: Boston Houston Starkville
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 22 Asynchronous Web-based Training

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Objective: Provide PET with capability to deliver any-time, anywhere, any-pace training via the web.
Asynchronous web-based training tool, WebCT, recommended and demonstrated in Year 2 for use in delivering CTA courses.
Capability tech transferred to PET via training in December at ARL and NCSA and January at ASC.
Evaluations to determine effectiveness will be conducted as CTA courses are developed.
Note TangoInteractive can share WebCT courseware
Will package tools to add shared pointers and DHTML index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 23 Collaboration & Training Support

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
On-site I/C staff support routine operations of training rooms
ARL Distance Training Workshop: Tango Interactive and WebCT
Participated in CEWES-sponsored prototype distance training classes: Fortran90 (ARL), OpenMP (ARL, ASC)
Production of asynchronous (web-based) training resources using WLS, LecCorder (ASC)
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 24 Web Site Support

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
MSRC and PET web sites are a primary tool for user communications
On-site staff (Moses, Smith) responsible for day to day operation and management of web sites
On-site staff worked with NCSA staff on web site re-design
On-site I/C staff provide training and assistance with HTML, web tools, etc. for other MSRC & PET staff (ARL)
Plans to install web/database tools: search engine, eventually WSMS (ARL)
  • waiting for account for developer
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 25 PET Web-sites Redesign

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Design Objectives
  • Visual Consistency within and across PET sites
  • Simplified Content Development
  • Visual Distinction between Subject Areas
  • Simple Navigation Structure
Deployed at ASC, CEWES while ARL deployment is pending
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 26 Future Activities - I

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
TangoInteractive has reasonable base infrastructure which will improve over next 3 months as Tango1.1 is deployed and tested
Focus here will be applications to
  • 1) Education and Training -- improved functionality
  • 2) Meetings, Briefings, seminars and eventually brainstorming
  • 3) Scientific collaboration including PSE's built in Gateway
Basic Principles of TangoInteractive
  • Link Synchronous and Asynchronous models by sharing distributed objects and web pages
  • Need to support structured (e.g. database backend) and unstructured (few pages put together by harried faculty just before class)
  • unstructured support either through mapping pages by a filter permanently changing web pages or dynamically by mapping in a server
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 27 Future Activities - II

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
General Capabilities: Security, better community support, improve mail linkage, link to archived multi-media
  • Key to asynchronous collaboration is well archived email and web pages
Outside DoD, study universal access and sharing of both XML (needed for shared PSE's?) and W3C DOM(HTML)
Education and Training: extend authoring styles supported
  • Implement quizzes, glossaries, notes and telecursor with dynamic HTML
  • Support with either filter or dynamic server adding DHTML layers
  • Deploy WebWisdomNT structured database with XML templates
  • This supports authoring with HTML, PowerPoint and WebCT
  • Continue to improve support for shared Java simulations and animations
  • Look into shared Macromedia Authorware at high end
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 28 Future Activities - III

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Briefings and meetings require extension of teacher-student to richer role model
Brainstorming will be studied from functionality of non Internet version at Cewes
We need to start test deployment of TangoInteractive to scientific collaborators
  • Need capabilities such as shared visualization (several prototypes)
Gateway has a clear plan with a demonstration at SC99 and it only got properly started a month ago -- we should monitor carefully but clear plan to add functionality at all three tiers -- see portal discussion later
Need to establish good PSE document object model and optimize sharing
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 29 SV2 + Tango Architecture

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 30 SV2 + Tango

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 31 Future Activities - IV

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Develop MSRC Portal integrating PSE (Problem Solving Environment), IntraNet (Management) and Web Site Functionalities
  • Build on and learn from existing designs (such as OSC Chemistry PSE) and develop in staged fashion
  • Integrate with ASC Gateway PSE activity
  • Design and Development of Management Information Systems to support management of the PET program
  • Facilitate integration of portal services developed by other PET researchers and so build up toolkit of portal services to enable general use
  • Integrated Synchronous and Asynchronous collaboration
MSRC PET Grid involves low level (National Machine Room -- Globus) and high level software (Gateway to be described)
  • Enable seamless access to and metacomputing between MSRC Sites
HTML version of Basic Foils prepared Feb 20 1999

Foil 32 MSRC PET Portal

From Review of Information and Communications Activities at ARL and ASC ARL ASC Joint Mid Year Review Aberdeen Maryland -- Feb 23-25 1999. *
Full HTML Index
Objective: Facilitate access to information and applications relevant to the PET Community by providing a single web gateway to PET/HPC information and applications.
Sample of Proposed Capabilities
  • Management information systems to facilitate PET management activities
  • Collaboration tools to support development of Virtual Communities and provide online meeting and training support
  • Links to Computational Tools
  • Links to data repositories
John Melchi will expand
© Northeast Parallel Architectures Center, Syracuse University, npac@npac.syr.edu

If you have any comments about this server, send e-mail to webmaster@npac.syr.edu.

Page produced by wwwfoil on Mon Feb 22 1999