Work Package Title: IC

Project Title: Core Information and Communications Support

POC: Bernholdt, David E

Email Address: bernhold@npac.syr.edu

Telephone: 315 443 3857 Fax: 315 443 1973

CTA or PEI: Information and Communications

Project Description: This project provides support for the ARL PET and and the user community in the area of Information and Communications through the development, assessment, and deployment of appropriate tools and technologies. The overall vision for the program-wide InfoComm plan is based on the work of the PET Executive Committee, and the implementation plan developed therefrom by Geoffrey Fox. The ARL PET InfoComm plan emphasizes basic collaboratory capabilities in a fashion which is can successfully stand alone, but is also well integrated with the overall program-wide PET Collaboration and Training vision as articulated by the PET Executive Committee and the implementation plan derived from it by Geofrey Fox.

Project Objectives:

(Items in italics are part of the NCSA IC support effort and are included here only for completeness.)

1. Monitor ongoing progress in InfoComm technologies and transfer as appropriate to DoD Modernization community through training and deployment activities
1. Year 3: Evaluate Train and Deploy Database Management Tools for ARL Web Site. Investigate if other sites (such as DC's) interested
2. Year 3: Evaluate, Train, and Deploy web technologies for PET web site enhancements to MSRC PET staff and users.
3. Year 4,5: Ongoing work as determined by user needs and technology evolution
2. Deployment in Staged Fashion of basic collaboratory with gradual broadening of user community and addition of advanced features. This would be supported by training and evaluation functions. This would be Tango for synchronous and a selection of Asynchronous tools such as Hypernews and perhaps Lotus Notes.
1. Year 3(Sept 1 98): Deploy basic synchronous and asynchronous collaboratory to small prototype group. This user group should include one CTA group (where emphasis "science") and a (subset) of PET team itself (where emphasis would be "management"). Provide training support and evaluation function. Support includes "bug database" and ongoing product improvement.
2. Year 3 (Jan 1 99): Deploy one or more selected additional tools for comparison with Tango capabilities. Note in this task and previous one, there is an implied interaction between deployment and technical support teams.
3. Year 3 (Jan 1 99): Deploy initial advanced features such as shared visualization (CTA) or calendar/documents (with shared editing capabilities) (management user group)
4. Year 3 (June 1 99): Evaluate lessons of initial deployment and evaluation tasks and broaden deployment if possible
5. Year 4,5: Our plan is not consistent with details of Pet Vision but this Vision needs to be modified. However the general structure is clear -- we continue to iterate the train/deploy/evaluate/improve functionality/implementation structure so as to achieve collaborative scientific research and collaborative technical management support for a broad range of users. The goal is extensive deployment and rich functionality by end of year 5 with most of technical development in years 3 and 4.
3. Produce an evaluation and associated training to allow use of multimedia (audio/video over foils) enhancements to training material. Phase in use of databases as back-end support
1. Year 2(July 98 Evaluate) and Year 3(October 1 Deploy) Produce evaluation of existing systems (including WLS and NCSA webcasting) for pure file system and database support of multimedia. In particular establish process and standards for audio/video over foils in both "real-time" and stylized situations. Evaluate importance of and tools for editing. This task should not need to be extended into years 4 and 5 as can be lumped into Objectives 1, 2 and 4.
2. Year 3: Transfer technologies utilized for NCSA webcasting or other system as determined by previous task to MSRC PET training staff for use in distance training
4. Deployment of proven Tango education and training capabilities and enhancement with especially addition of integrating backend database support.
1. Year 3(Sept 1 98 or as determined by training and education needs): Deploy Tango 1.0 distance education system starting with current proven system. Two of the most important additional features in Year 3 are in the follwoing two tasks, but others will be added especially in year 4. These additions obviously requires substantial training and evaluation functions.
2. Year 3 (Initial deployment for SC98 November 98) "Training Server" backend as in WebWisdom NT
3. Year 3 (Jan 1, 99) Deploy "bullet-proof" simple student interface.
4. Years 4 and 5: There is clear need for additional functionality such as full archiving and there are also a lot of new training opportunities which will impact the technology as well. For instance one can now do very interesting new approaching to teacher and student assessment using access tracking available from "Training Server". One expects at the end of year 5, to have relatively integrated systems combining technologies from Objectives 1-5.
5. Evaluate and deploy authoring techniques for both training and other web pages. Supply training as needed
1. Year 3: Provide technical assistance for development of CTA web-delivered courses (asynchronous). This builds on demonstration of web-based training capabilities from Year 2.
2. Year 4 and 5: Develop guidance for development of more complex courses that provide interactivity and integration with HPC systems.

1. Ongoing: Active involvement in the activities of the PET Executive Committee and the Collaboration and Training Working Group to insure that the ARL PET InfoComm plan remains consistent with program-wide activities.
2. As available: Reports on relevant meetings, tools and technologies
3. Sept 1 98 Deploy Database Management Tools for ARL Web Site in a fashion which enhances the site's capabilities
4. Sept 1 98: Deploy basic synchronous and asynchronous collaboratory to small prototype group. Provide training support and evaluation function.
5. Jan 1 99: Deploy one or more selected additional tools for comparison with Tango capabilities.
6. Jan 1 99: Deploy initial advanced collaboratory features such as shared visualization or calendar/documents (with shared editing capabilities)
7. June 1 99: Evaluate lessons of initial deployment and evaluation tasks (summarized in a report) and broaden deployment if possible
8. October 1 99: Produce evaluation of existing systems for pure file system and database support of multimedia.
9. Sept 1 98 or as determined by training and education needs: Deploy Tango 1.0 distance education system starting with current proven system.
10. Initial deployment for SC98, November 98: "Training Server" backend as in WebWisdom NT
11. Jan 1, 99: Deploy Tango "bullet-proof" simple student interface.

Customers / End Users: ARL PET team members, and ARL MSRC users and their collaborators.

Benefit to Warfighter: This project will have an indirect benefit to the warfighter through enhanced productivity and effectiveness of PET team members and HPC users enabled by information and communications technologies.

Project Dependencies and Scope: This project interacts strongly with the work of the Training PEI, and will require their cooperation and assistance to be successful. In particular, we anticipate that Training personnel will be involved in testing and deployment of many of the technologies developed here.

Risk Element: The risks involved in this project come from two sources: rapid technological change in the IC field, and risks associated user acceptance and uptake of new tools and technologies. Risks from rapid change of the field can be minimized in several ways. Recognition of the rate of change, and the need for continual monitoring is a major factor . This also implies that long-term planning must be done at a fairly high level if it is to be useful. Detailed plans beyond Year 3 are therefore unrealistic at this time. Reliance on standards wherever possible will also mitigate the risk of rapidly changing technologies. User acceptance of new technologies is not necessarily related to their technical merits, and constitutes a second very important source of risk. We will attempt to minimize this risk by staged deployment, using select groups to try out tools and using their feedback to decide on wider deployment and promotion or whether to look for alternatives.

Required Funding Level: