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At least 541 records · Page 30

Requirements UML Tool (RUT) Expanded for Extreme Programming (CI02)

A procedure for capturing and managing system requirements that incorporates XP user stories. Because costs associated with identifying problems in requirements increase dramatically over the lifecycle of a project, a method for identifying sources of software risks in user stories is urgently needed. This initiative aims to determine a set of guide-lines for user stories that will result in high-quality requirement. To further this initiative, a tool is needed to analyze user stories that can assess the quality of individual user stories, detect sources cf software risk's, produce software metrics, and identify areas in user stories that can be improved.

McCoy, James R.↗

ASSIST internals reference manual

The Abstract Semi-Markov Specification Interface to the SURE Tool (ASSIST) program was developed at NASA LaRC in order to analyze the reliability of virtually any fault-tolerant system. A user manual was developed to detail its use. Certain technical specifics are of no concern to the end user, yet are of importance to those who must maintain and/or verify the correctness of the tool. This document takes a detailed look into these technical issues.

Johnson, Sally C.↗

Navigating the Compliance Reporting Tool: EPAct State and Alternative Provider Fleet Program User Guide

State government and alternative fuel provider fleets covered under the State and Alternative Fuel Provider Fleet Program (Program) established pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct) may use the Compliance Reporting Tool to track and report on several compliance activities. These activities include, but are not limited to, completing Standard Compliance annual reports, Alternative Compliance notices of intent, and exemption requests. Covered fleets can access the Compliance Tool through the Program's website at https://epact.energy.gov/users/sign_in. Covered fleet point of contacts should bookmark the Compliance Reporting Tool for future access. This user guide addresses general tool navigation, including: 1) Logging in to the Tool, 2) Managing Your Point of Contact and Account Information, 3) Managing Fleet Contact Information, 4) Adding New Fleets to Your Account, 5) Reporting for Entities With Multiple Fleets, and 6) Viewing Credit Trades.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,ENERGY PLANNING, POLIC↗

LANL: Weapons Infrastructure Briefing to Naval Reactors, July 18, 2017

Presentation slides address: The Laboratory infrastructure supports hundreds of high hazard, complex operations daily; LANL’s unique science and engineering infrastructure is critical to delivering on our mission; LANL FY17 Budget & Workforce; Direct-Funded Infrastructure Accounts; LANL Org Chart; Weapons Infrastructure Program Office; The Laboratory’s infrastructure relies on both Direct and Indirect funding; NA-50’s Operating, Maintenance & Recapitalization funding is critical to the execution of the mission; Los Alamos is currently executing several concurrent Line Item projects; Maintenance @ LANL; NA-50 is helping us to address D&D needs; We are executing a CHAMP Pilot Project at LANL; G2 = Main Tool for Program Management; MDI: Future Investments are centered on facilities with a high Mission Dependency Index; Los Alamos hosted first “Deep Dive” in November 2016; Safety, Infrastructure & Operations is one of the most important programs at LANL, and is foundational for our mission success.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Microbial spies and bloggers: programming cells to convert environmental information into discernible signals

Microbes regulate their dynamic behaviors using the chemical and physical characteristics of their environment. The ability of microbes to continuously convert this physicochemical information into biochemical information and to use organic matter in the environment as a power source makes these organisms attractive as chassis for building sensors. However, most biosensors have severe limitations when considering applications in hard-to-image settings like soils, sediments, and wastewater. Emerging technologies at the interface of biomolecular design, microbiome engineering, and synthetic biology offer new tools to program cells and communities as biosensors for these settings. Here, in this review, we describe innovations in biosensor outputs that are enabling new applications in complex environments, including reporters that are read out using electrochemical, gas chromatography, hyperspectral imaging, and next-generation sequencing methods. We also discuss computational advances that are accelerating the diversification of sensing components by mining metagenomics data for new transcriptional regulators and by designing allosteric protein switches that directly regulate reporter outputs using analytes. We highlight emerging opportunities for programming undomesticated microbes in communities to function as distributed sensors in the environment. Finally, we discuss the need for responsible biosensor development and to modernize regulatory frameworks to support evidence-based assessment of environmental biosensors.

analyte↗

Characterization of Morphology using MAMA Software

The MAMA (Morphological Analysis for Material Attribution) software was developed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory funded through the National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center in the Department of Homeland Security. The software allows images to be analysed and quantified. The largest project I worked on was to quantify images of plutonium oxides and ammonium diuranates prepared by the group with the software and provide analyses on the particles of each sample. Images were quantified through MAMA, with a color analysis, a lexicon description and powder x-ray diffraction. Through this we were able to visually see a difference between some of the syntheses. An additional project was to revise the manual for MAMA to help streamline training and provide useful tips to users to more quickly become acclimated to using the software. The third project investigated expanding the scope of MAMA and finding a statistically relevant baseline for the particulates through the analysis of maps in the software and using known measurements to compare the error associated with the software. During this internship, I worked on several different projects dealing with the MAMA software. The revision of the usermanual for the MAMA software was the first project I was able to work and collaborate on. I first learned how to use the software by getting instruction from a skilled user at the laboratory, Dan Schwartz, and by using the existing user manual and examples. After becoming accustomed to the program, I started to go over the manual to correct and change items that were not as useful or descriptive as they could have been. I also added in tips that I learned as I explored the software. The updated manual was also worked on by several others who have been developing the program. The goal of these revisions was to ensure the most concise and simple directions to the software were available to future users. By incorporating tricks and shortcuts that I discovered and picked up from watching other users into the user guide, I believe that anyone who utilizes the software will be able to quickly understand the best way to analyze their image and use the tools the program offers to achieve useful results.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

TokenPasser: A petri net specification tool

In computer program design it is essential to know the effectiveness of different design options in improving performance, and dependability. This paper provides a description of a CAD tool for distributed hierarchical Petri nets. After a brief review of Petri nets, Petri net languages, and Petri net transducers, and descriptions of several current Petri net tools, the specifications and design of the TokenPasser tool are presented. TokenPasser is a tool to allow design of distributed hierarchical systems based on Petri nets. A case study for an intelligent robotic system is conducted, a coordination structure with one dispatcher controlling three coordinators is built to model a proposed robotic assembly system. The system is implemented using TokenPasser, and the results are analyzed to allow judgment of the tool.

Mittmann, Michael↗

The Creation of a CPU Timer for High Fidelity Programs

Using C and C++ programming languages, a tool was developed that measures the efficiency of a program by recording the amount of CPU time that various functions consume. By inserting the tool between lines of code in the program, one can receive a detailed report of the absolute and relative time consumption associated with each section. After adapting the generic tool for a high-fidelity launch vehicle simulation program called MAVERIC, the components of a frequently used function called "derivatives ( )" were measured. Out of the 34 sub-functions in "derivatives ( )", it was found that the top 8 sub-functions made up 83.1% of the total time spent. In order to decrease the overall run time of MAVERIC, a launch vehicle simulation program, a change was implemented in the sub-function "Event_Controller ( )". Reformatting "Event_Controller ( )" led to a 36.9% decrease in the total CPU time spent by that sub-function, and a 3.2% decrease in the total CPU time spent by the overarching function "derivatives ( )".

Dick, Aidan A.↗

Tools for Administration of a UNIX-Based Network

Several computer programs have been developed to enable efficient administration of a large, heterogeneous, UNIX-based computing and communication network that includes a variety of computers connected to a variety of subnetworks. One program provides secure software tools for administrators to create, modify, lock, and delete accounts of specific users. This program also provides tools for users to change their UNIX passwords and log-in shells. These tools check for errors. Another program comprises a client and a server component that, together, provide a secure mechanism to create, modify, and query quota levels on a network file system (NFS) mounted by use of the VERITAS File SystemJ software. The client software resides on an internal secure computer with a secure Web interface; one can gain access to the client software from any authorized computer capable of running web-browser software. The server software resides on a UNIX computer configured with the VERITAS software system. Directories where VERITAS quotas are applied are NFS-mounted. Another program is a Web-based, client/server Internet Protocol (IP) address tool that facilitates maintenance lookup of information about IP addresses for a network of computers.

LeClaire, Stephen↗

ROSE

Developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), ROSE is an open source compiler infrastructure to build source-to-source program transformation and analysis tools for large-scale C (C89 to C23), C++ (C++98 to C++23), UPC, Fortran (Fortran4, 66, 77, 95, 2003), OpenMP, Java, Python, and Binary applications. ROSE users range from experienced compiler researchers to library and tool developers who may have minimal compiler experience. ROSE is particularly well suited for building custom tools for static analysis, program optimization, arbitrary program transformation, domain-specific optimizations, complex loop optimizations, performance analysis, and cyber-security. ROSE is: A library (and set of associated tools) to quickly and easily apply compiler techniques to one's code in order to improve application performance and developer productivity. A research and development compiler infrastructure for for writing custom source-to-source translators to perform source code transformations, analysis, and optimizations. Is

Pinnow, NathanT [Lawrence Livermore National Labor↗

Distributed Aerodynamic Sensing and Processing Toolbox

A Distributed Aerodynamic Sensing and Processing (DASP) toolbox was designed and fabricated for flight test applications with an Aerostructures Test Wing (ATW) mounted under the fuselage of an F-15B on the Flight Test Fixture (FTF). DASP monitors and processes the aerodynamics with the structural dynamics using nonintrusive, surface-mounted, hot-film sensing. This aerodynamic measurement tool benefits programs devoted to static/dynamic load alleviation, body freedom flutter suppression, buffet control, improvement of aerodynamic efficiency through cruise control, supersonic wave drag reduction through shock control, etc. This DASP toolbox measures local and global unsteady aerodynamic load distribution with distributed sensing. It determines correlation between aerodynamic observables (aero forces) and structural dynamics, and allows control authority increase through aeroelastic shaping and active flow control. It offers improvements in flutter suppression and, in particular, body freedom flutter suppression, as well as aerodynamic performance of wings for increased range/endurance of manned/ unmanned flight vehicles. Other improvements include inlet performance with closed-loop active flow control, and development and validation of advanced analytical and computational tools for unsteady aerodynamics.

Brenner, Martin↗

Software Quality Metrics for Geant4: An Initial Assessment - Paper 122

In the context of critical applications, such as shielding and radiation protection, ensuring the quality of simulation software they depend on is of utmost importance. The assessment of simulation software quality is crucial both to determine its adoption in experimental applications and to guarantee reproducibility of outcome over time. Geant4 is a simulation system used in a wide range of experimental applications, some of which, such as radiation protection and biomedical studies, may involve critical use cases and would especially profit from an objective assessment of the software quality. In this study, we present the first results from an ongoing analysis of Geant4 code based on established software metrics from the perspective of software engineering. The analysis evaluates the current status of the code to quantify its characteristics with respect to documented quality standards; further appraisals concern evolutions over a series of release distributions. The quantitative assessment of the software is initially focused on a subset of Geant4 packages, which play a key role in scientific applications and are representative of different software development processes. We describe the chosen software metrics that map the entities of a software system to numeric values through mathematical definitions, quantifying software attributes ranging from functionality to maintainability. To measure such metrics, we exploited a set of software metrics tools, i.e. programs that implement a set of software metrics definitions. They allow software engineers to assess a software system by extracting the required attributes from the software and providing the corresponding metric values. To correlate software metrics values in a well-defined way, we used software quality standard models, such as the ISO/IEC 9126 standard, which aggregate numerical values to aid quality analysis and assessment. With this work we aim to create a baseline for evaluating correlations between software quality embedded in the Geant4 development process and simulation observables produced by Geant4-based applications. Furthermore, we intend to highlight what metrics are most effective at evaluating radiation transport software quality. We are confident that the result will provide constructive guidance both to improve key software tools, such as Geant4, and to estimate their contribution in risk analysis concerning sensitive applications. The remainder of this paper is structured as follows. We first discuss the approach adopted to fulfil our assessment. Then, we present the setup of our experiments and the way we collected data. We provide an initial interpretation of a subset of data resulting from measurements made on the selected Geant4 packages. As the analysis is still ongoing at the time of submitting this abstract, some results will be documented in the final paper and in the conference presentation. With this work we aim to create a proper Geant4 data set for evaluating its software characteristics and identifying both strengths and weaknesses. In this initial study, we considered the geometry and processes packages, which play a major role in most simulation applications. The data analysis is in progress at the time of writing; its complexity is related to the differences among software metrics tools, to the large amount of data to be evaluated and to the pioneering character of this project. We are confident that the results will provide valuable indications for the Geant4 user community and constructive guidance to improve key Geant4 packages. Other Monte Carlo codes could profit from the methodology developed in this pilot project for similar assessments of their software quality. At the end of this study, we intend to create a baseline for evaluating correlations between software quality embedded in the Geant4 development process and simulation observables produced by Geant4-based applications. (authors)

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

The INFODEM Information Centre at CEA Marcoule: A Unique Information Tool in Europe About Nuclear Decommissioning - 16217

In September 2014, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) inaugurated a unique information center focused on decommissioning of its nuclear facilities. This facility, named INFODEM information center, is inside the main building of the G1 nuclear reactor at Marcoule, a nuclear site in the south of France with world-recognized expertise in decommissioning. Constructed in the 1950's, the G1 reactor was the first industrial-scale reactor for plutonium production in France; it was also used to produce electricity. Operations ceased in 1968, and it was progressively dismantled (through removal of fuel and main components) and placed in monitoring status. In the 1980s, mockups of fuel cycle process equipment were built under a temporary mission to support development activities for the La Hague reprocessing plant. When that ended, further dismantling occurred, and during 1996 through 2010, the site established itself as a reference example for worldwide nuclear dismantling activities. In 2012, the project to establish an information center at the reactor began, targeting three main audiences: the public, agency personnel and politicians, and technical professionals. Considerable thought went into the facility design, to address the interests and information needs of these three audiences. The INFODEM concept extended over 800 square meters (about 960 square yards), to host an informative tour addressing several major themes: CEA's D and D strategy, programs, skills, tools and methodologies and 'everyday life' on decommissioning projects. Illustrating its unique value and considerable success, INFODEM received the Public Information Prize from the French Nuclear Energy Society (SFEN) in June 2015. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

A Review and Analysis of Remote Sensing Capability for Air Quality Measurements as a Potential Decision Support Tool Conducted by the NASA DEVELOP Program

This project focused on a comprehensive utilization of air quality model products as decision support tools (DST) needed for public health applications. A review of past and future air quality measurement methods and their uncertainty, along with the relationship of air quality to national and global public health, is vital. This project described current and future NASA satellite remote sensing and ground sensing capabilities and the potential for using these sensors to enhance the prediction, prevention, and control of public health effects that result from poor air quality. The qualitative uncertainty of current satellite remotely sensed air quality, the ground-based remotely sensed air quality, the air quality/public health model, and the decision making process is evaluated in this study. Current peer-reviewed literature suggests that remotely sensed air quality parameters correlate well with ground-based sensor data. A satellite remote-sensed and ground-sensed data complement is needed to enhance the models/tools used by policy makers for the protection of national and global public health communities

Ross, A.↗

EnDEVR: An Environment for Data Engineering in VR

Organizations within the public and private sectors are looking to improve their data science operations for research, development, and operational purposes. As this interest in data science grows, so too does interest in tools and programs that facilitating such operations. This paper presents EnDEVR, the Environment for Data Engineering in Virtual Reality, a user-extensible system that allows for the execution of custom data science functions. We describe the user-centered design process for the EnDEVR system, based on the needs of subject matter experts within the aerospace and aviation industries. Fundamental to this design is a method for users to integrate their existing analysis code (that may leverage third-party vendors) as usable objects in the virtual environment; this allows organizations to operate without the price tag and lifetime obligations associated with commercial data science toolkits, a concept known as “vendor lock-in”. We then present our system design with iterative implementations, and conclude with lessons learned. The presented work may provide insight into future user-centered design processes for VR applications, particularly for digital transformation stakeholders to circumvent vendor lock-in.

Human-centered computing↗

Towards the Development of Molten Salt Reactor Multiphysics Modeling Capabilities: Depletion, Thermochemistry, Reactor Dynamics, and Species Tracking

This report documents the simulation and modeling work performed under the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program, utilizing the tools and codes developed under the program. The focus in this Fiscal Year (FY) is on the depletion, thermochemistry, reactor dynamics, and species transport in MSRs. The fission products travelling in the entire primary loop is unique in MSRs. There are many physical/chemical mechanisms that can significantly affect the fission products concentration in the fuel salt, e.g., diffusion into gas bubbles, diffusion in the core moderators, deposition on the surface of structures/pipes, etc. The fission product concentration in the fuel salt can potentially affect the neutronics, system dynamics, chemical potentials, etc., so accurately predicting the fission products distribution in the primary loop is important. Under the main objective, different activities are pursued to assess the NEAMS tools applicability for a variety of areas on species transport, including the depletion analyses using Griffin (fission product source), the redox potential assessment at different depletion points, the assessment of xenon transport effect on the neutronics and reactor dynamics, a survey of correlations for calculating the mass transfer coefficient of different fission products, etc.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Clock Synchronization in High-end Computing Environments: A Strategy for Minimizing Clock Variance at Runtime

We present a new software-based clock synchronization scheme that provides high precision time agreement among distributed memory nodes. The technique is designed to minimize variance from a reference chimer during runtime and with minimal time-request latency. Our scheme permits initial unbounded variations in time and corrects both slow and fast chimers (clock skew). An implementation developed within the context of the MPI message passing interface is described, and time coordination measurements are presented. Among our results, the mean time variance for a set of nodes improved from 20.0 milliseconds under standard Network Time Protocol (NTP) down to 2.29 secs under our scheme.

clock synchronization↗

Optimizing I/O Forwarding Techniques for Extreme-Scale Event Tracing

Programming development tools are a vital com- ponent for understanding the behavior of parallel applica- tions. Event tracing is a principal ingredient to these tools, but new and serious challenges place event tracing at risk on extreme-scale machines. As the quantity of captured events increases with concurrency, the additional data can over- load the parallel file system and perturb the application be- ing observed. In this work we present a solution for event tracing on extreme-scale machines. We enhance an I/O for- warding software layer to aggregate and reorganize log data prior to writing to the storage system, significantly reduc- ing the burden on the underlying file system. Furthermore, we introduce a sophisticated write buffering capability to limit the impact. To validate the approach, we employ the Vampir tracing toolset using these new capabilities. Our re- sults demonstrate that the approach increases the maximum traced application size by a factor of 5x to more than 200,000 processes.

atomic append↗