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At least 109 records · Page 6

Accessing and Visualizing scientific spatiotemporal data

This paper discusses work done by JPL 's Parallel Applications Technologies Group in helping scientists access and visualize very large data sets through the use of multiple computing resources, such as parallel supercomputers, clusters, and grids These tools do one or more of the following tasks visualize local data sets for local users, visualize local data sets for remote users, and access and visualize remote data sets The tools are used for various types of data, including remotely sensed image data, digital elevation models, astronomical surveys, etc The paper attempts to pull some common elements out of these tools that may be useful for others who have to work with similarly large data sets.

data sets↗

Methodologies and Tools for Tuning Parallel Programs: Facts and Fantasies

The need for computing power has forced a migration from serial computation on a single processor to parallel processing on multiprocessors. However, without effective means to monitor (and analyze) program execution, tuning the performance of parallel programs becomes exponentially difficult as program complexity and machine size increase. The recent introduction of performance tuning tools from various supercomputer vendors (Intel's ParAide, TMC's PRISM, CRI's Apprentice, and Convex's CXtrace) seems to indicate the maturity of performance tool technologies and vendors'/customers' recognition of their importance. However, a few important questions remain: What kind of performance bottlenecks can these tools detect (or correct)? How time consuming is the performance tuning process? What are some important technical issues that remain to be tackled in this area? This workshop reviews the fundamental concepts involved in analyzing and improving the performance of parallel and heterogeneous message-passing programs. Several alternative strategies will be contrasted, and for each we will describe how currently available tuning tools (e.g. AIMS, ParAide, PRISM, Apprentice, CXtrace, ATExpert, Pablo, IPS-2) can be used to facilitate the process. We will characterize the effectiveness of the tools and methodologies based on actual user experiences at NASA Ames Research Center. Finally, we will discuss their limitations and outline recent approaches taken by vendors and the research community to address them.

Yan, Jerry C.↗

Performance Evaluation Methodologies and Tools for Massively Parallel Programs

The need for computing power has forced a migration from serial computation on a single processor to parallel processing on multiprocessors. However, without effective means to monitor (and analyze) program execution, tuning the performance of parallel programs becomes exponentially difficult as program complexity and machine size increase. The recent introduction of performance tuning tools from various supercomputer vendors (Intel's ParAide, TMC's PRISM, CSI'S Apprentice, and Convex's CXtrace) seems to indicate the maturity of performance tool technologies and vendors'/customers' recognition of their importance. However, a few important questions remain: What kind of performance bottlenecks can these tools detect (or correct)? How time consuming is the performance tuning process? What are some important technical issues that remain to be tackled in this area? This workshop reviews the fundamental concepts involved in analyzing and improving the performance of parallel and heterogeneous message-passing programs. Several alternative strategies will be contrasted, and for each we will describe how currently available tuning tools (e.g., AIMS, ParAide, PRISM, Apprentice, CXtrace, ATExpert, Pablo, IPS-2)) can be used to facilitate the process. We will characterize the effectiveness of the tools and methodologies based on actual user experiences at NASA Ames Research Center. Finally, we will discuss their limitations and outline recent approaches taken by vendors and the research community to address them.

Yan, Jerry C.↗

Methodologies and Tools for Tuning Parallel Programs: 80% Art, 20% Science, and 10% Luck

The need for computing power has forced a migration from serial computation on a single processor to parallel processing on multiprocessors. However, without effective means to monitor (and analyze) program execution, tuning the performance of parallel programs becomes exponentially difficult as program complexity and machine size increase. In the past few years, the ubiquitous introduction of performance tuning tools from various supercomputer vendors (Intel's ParAide, TMC's PRISM, CRI's Apprentice, and Convex's CXtrace) seems to indicate the maturity of performance instrumentation/monitor/tuning technologies and vendors'/customers' recognition of their importance. However, a few important questions remain: What kind of performance bottlenecks can these tools detect (or correct)? How time consuming is the performance tuning process? What are some important technical issues that remain to be tackled in this area? This workshop reviews the fundamental concepts involved in analyzing and improving the performance of parallel and heterogeneous message-passing programs. Several alternative strategies will be contrasted, and for each we will describe how currently available tuning tools (e.g. AIMS, ParAide, PRISM, Apprentice, CXtrace, ATExpert, Pablo, IPS-2) can be used to facilitate the process. We will characterize the effectiveness of the tools and methodologies based on actual user experiences at NASA Ames Research Center. Finally, we will discuss their limitations and outline recent approaches taken by vendors and the research community to address them.

Yan, Jerry C.↗

Network issues for large mass storage requirements

File Servers and Supercomputing environments need high performance networks to balance the I/O requirements seen in today's demanding computing scenarios. UltraNet is one solution which permits both high aggregate transfer rates and high task-to-task transfer rates as demonstrated in actual tests. UltraNet provides this capability as both a Server-to-Server and Server-to-Client access network giving the supercomputing center the following advantages highest performance Transport Level connections (to 40 MBytes/sec effective rates); matches the throughput of the emerging high performance disk technologies, such as RAID, parallel head transfer devices and software striping; supports standard network and file system applications using SOCKET's based application program interface such as FTP, rcp, rdump, etc.; supports access to the Network File System (NFS) and LARGE aggregate bandwidth for large NFS usage; provides access to a distributed, hierarchical data server capability using DISCOS UniTree product; supports file server solutions available from multiple vendors, including Cray, Convex, Alliant, FPS, IBM, and others.

Perdue, James↗

Networking Technologies Enable Advances in Earth Science

This paper describes an experiment to prototype a new way of conducting science by applying networking and distributed computing technologies to an Earth Science application. A combination of satellite, wireless, and terrestrial networking provided geologists at a remote field site with interactive access to supercomputer facilities at two NASA centers, thus enabling them to validate and calibrate remotely sensed geological data in near-real time. This represents a fundamental shift in the way that Earth scientists analyze remotely sensed data. In this paper we describe the experiment and the network infrastructure that enabled it, analyze the data flow during the experiment, and discuss the scientific impact of the results.

Johnson, Marjory↗

The Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) Project

The Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology (RVLT) Project is one of six projects in the Advanced Air Vehicles Program (AAVP) of the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. The overarching goal of the RVLT Project is to develop and validate tools, technologies, and concepts to overcome key barriers for vertical lift vehicles. The project vision is to enable the next generation of vertical lift vehicles with aggressive goals for efficiency, noise, and emissions, to expand current capabilities and develop new commercial markets. The RVLT Project invests in technologies that support conventional, non-conventional, and emerging vertical-lift aircraft in the very light to heavy vehicle classes. Research areas include acoustic, aeromechanics, drive systems, engines, icing, hybrid-electric systems, impact dynamics, experimental techniques, computational methods, and conceptual design. The project research is executed at NASA Ames, Glenn, and Langley Research Centers; the research extensively leverages partnerships with the US Army, the Federal Aviation Administration, industry, and academia. The primary facilities used by the project for testing of vertical-lift technologies include the 14- by 22-Ft Wind Tunnel, Icing Research Tunnel, National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, 7- by 10-Ft Wind Tunnel, Rotor Test Cell, Landing and Impact Research facility, Compressor Test Facility, Drive System Test Facilities, Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Facility, Vertical Motion Simulator, Mobile Acoustic Facility, Exterior Effects Synthesis and Simulation Lab, and the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Complex. To learn more about the RVLT Project, please stop by booth #1004 or visit their website at https://www.nasa.gov/aeroresearch/programs/aavp/rvlt.

NASA↗

Distributed user services for supercomputers

User-service operations at supercomputer facilities are examined. The question is whether a single, possibly distributed, user-services organization could be shared by NASA's supercomputer sites in support of a diverse, geographically dispersed, user community. A possible structure for such an organization is identified as well as some of the technologies needed in operating such an organization.

Sowizral, Henry A.↗

Computer Simulation Performed for Columbia Project Cooling System

This demo shows a high-fidelity simulation of the air flow in the main computer room housing the Columbia (10,024 intel titanium processors) system. The simulation asseses the performance of the cooling system and identified deficiencies, and recommended modifications to eliminate them. It used two in house software packages on NAS supercomputers: Chimera Grid tools to generate a geometric model of the computer room, OVERFLOW-2 code for fluid and thermal simulation. This state-of-the-art technology can be easily extended to provide a general capability for air flow analyses on any modern computer room. Columbia_CFD_black.tiff

Ahmad, Jasim↗

Visions of our Planet's Atmosphere, Land and Oceans: NASA/NOAA Electronic Theater 2002

The NASA/NOAA Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in a historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to the Olympic Medals Plaza, the new Gateway Center, and the University of Utah Stadium Site of the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies in Salt Lake City. Fly in and through the Park City, and Snow Basin sites of the 2002 Winter Olympic Alpine Venues using 1 m IKONOS "Spy Satellite" data. See the four seasons of the Wasatch Front as observed by Landsat 7 at 15m resolution and watch the trees turn color in the Fall, snow come and go in the mountains and the reservoirs freeze and melt. Go back to the early weather satellite images from the 1960s and see them contrasted with the latest US and international global satellite weather movies Including hurricanes & "tornadoes". See the latest visualizations of spectacular images from NASA/NOAA remote sensing missions like Terra, GOES, TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat 7 including new 1 - min GOES rapid scan image sequences of Nov 9th 2001 Midwest tornadic thunderstorms and have them explained. See how High-Definition Television (HDTV) is revolutionizing the way we communicate science. (In cooperation with the American Museum of Natural History in NYC) See dust storms in Africa and smoke plumes from fires in Mexico. See visualizations featured on the covers Of Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, Popular Science & on National & International Network TV. New computer software. tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global images e.g. Landsat tours of the US, and Africa, showing desert and mountain geology as well as seasonal changes in vegetation. See animations of the polar ice packs and the motion of gigantic Antarctic Icebergs from SeaWinds data. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See vertexes and currents in the global oceans that bring up the nutrients to feed tin) algae and draw the fish, whales and fisherman. See the how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nina climate changes. See the city lights, fishing fleets, gas flares and biomass burning of the Earth at night observed by the "night-vision" DMSP military satellite. The demonstration is interactively driven by a SGI Octane Graphics Supercomputer with two CPUs, 4 Gigabytes of RAM and 0.5 Terabyte of disk using two projectors across a super sized panoramic 48 foot screen. In addition new HDTV technology will be demonstrated from a portable computer server.

Hasler, A. F.↗

Visions of our Planet's Atmosphere, Land and Oceans: NASA/NOAA Electronic Theater 2002

The NASA/NOAA Electronic Theater presents Earth science observations and visualizations in a historical perspective. Fly in from outer space to the Olympic Medals Plaza, the new Gateway Center, and the University of Utah Stadium Site of the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies in Salt Lake City. Fly in and through the Park City, and Snow Basin sites of the 2002 Winter Olympic Alpine Venues using 1 m IKONOS "Spy Satellite" data. See the four seasons of the Wasatch Front as observed by Landsat 7 at 15m resolution and watch the trees turn color in the Fall, snow come and go in the mountains and the reservoirs freeze and melt. Go back to the early weather satellite images from the 1960s and see them contrasted with the latest US and international global satellite weather movies including hurricanes & "tornadoes". See the latest visualizations of spectacular images from NASA/NOAA remote sensing missions like Terra, GOES, TRMM, SeaWiFS, Landsat 7 including new 1 - min GOES rapid scan image sequences of Nov 9th 2001 Midwest tornadic thunderstorms and have them explained. See how High-Definition Television (HDTV) is revolutionizing the way we communicate science. (In cooperation with the American Museum of Natural History in NYC) See dust storms in Africa and smoke plumes from fires in Mexico. See visualizations featured on the covers of Newsweek, TIME, National Geographic, Popular Science & on National & International Network TV. New computer software tools allow us to roam & zoom through massive global images e.g. Landsat tours of the US, and Africa, showing desert and mountain geology as well as seasonal changes in vegetation. See animations of the polar ice packs and the motion of gigantic Antarctic Icebergs from SeaWinds data. Spectacular new visualizations of the global atmosphere & oceans are shown. See vortexes and currents in the global oceans that bring up the nutrients to feed tiny algae and draw the fish, whales and fisherman. See the how the ocean blooms in response to these currents and El Nino/La Nina climate changes. See the city lights, fishing fleets, gas flares and bio-mass burning of the Earth at night observed by the "night-vision" DMSP military satellite. The demonstration is interactively driven by a SGI Octane Graphics Supercomputer with two CPUs, 4 Gigabytes of RAM and 0.5 Terabyte of disk using two projectors across a super sized panoramic 48 foot screen. In addition new HDTV technology will be demonstrated from a portable computer server.

Hasler, A. F.↗

NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) Division

High Performance Computing (HPC) has become an integral part of NASAs Aeronautics research and application endeavors. HPC requirements for Aeroscience applications are increasing by leaps and bounds as scientists and engineers increase the fidelity of the simulations and the size of the engineering databases needed for NASA missions. In this talk we present several such applications and describe how they have benefited from the use of supercomputing. We provide an overview of the resources available at NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) facility at Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, and also describe the progress in performance of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes on current and future HPC technologies. We also discuss some of the challenges in efficiently exploiting the underlying computational resources for such codes.

Mehrotra, Piyush↗

Satcom systems and technologies into the 21st century

The role of communications satellites in the domestic U.S. telecommunications market for the next 25 years is examined, the focus being on the new satellite communications systems concepts and their enabling technologies. A simple procedure for the identification of critical satellite technologies in the years 2000-2015 is described. Study results indicate that by the year 2015, satellites will find commercial applications in the distribution of space-gathered data, supercomputer network, scientific visualization to remote areas, mobile services, VSAT, broadband ISDN, and data services.

Kwan, Robert K.↗

Pre-Hardware Optimization and Implementation Of Fast Optics Closed Control Loop Algorithms

One of the main heritage tools used in scientific and engineering data spectrum analysis is the Fourier Integral Transform and its high performance digital equivalent - the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The FFT is particularly useful in two-dimensional (2-D) image processing (FFT2) within optical systems control. However, timing constraints of a fast optics closed control loop would require a supercomputer to run the software implementation of the FFT2 and its inverse, as well as other image processing representative algorithm, such as numerical image folding and fringe feature extraction. A laboratory supercomputer is not always available even for ground operations and is not feasible for a night project. However, the computationally intensive algorithms still warrant alternative implementation using reconfigurable computing technologies (RC) such as Digital Signal Processors (DSP) and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), which provide low cost compact super-computing capabilities. We present a new RC hardware implementation and utilization architecture that significantly reduces the computational complexity of a few basic image-processing algorithm, such as FFT2, image folding and phase diversity for the NASA Solar Viewing Interferometer Prototype (SVIP) using a cluster of DSPs and FPGAs. The DSP cluster utilization architecture also assures avoidance of a single point of failure, while using commercially available hardware. This, combined with the control algorithms pre-hardware optimization, or the first time allows construction of image-based 800 Hertz (Hz) optics closed control loops on-board a spacecraft, based on the SVIP ground instrument. That spacecraft is the proposed Earth Atmosphere Solar Occultation Imager (EASI) to study greenhouse gases CO2, C2H, H2O, O3, O2, N2O from Lagrange-2 point in space. This paper provides an advanced insight into a new type of science capabilities for future space exploration missions based on on-board image processing for control and for robotics missions using vision sensors. It presents a top-level description of technologies required for the design and construction of SVIP and EASI and to advance the spatial-spectral imaging and large-scale space interferometry science and engineering.

Kizhner, Semion↗

Integrated Vertical Bloch Line (VBL) memory

Vertical Bloch Line (VBL) Memory is a recently conceived, integrated, solid state, block access, VLSI memory which offers the potential of 1 Gbit/sq cm areal storage density, data rates of hundreds of megabits/sec, and submillisecond average access time simultaneously at relatively low mass, volume, and power values when compared to alternative technologies. VBLs are micromagnetic structures within magnetic domain walls which can be manipulated using magnetic fields from integrated conductors. The presence or absence of BVL pairs are used to store binary information. At present, efforts are being directed at developing a single chip memory using 25 Mbit/sq cm technology in magnetic garnet material which integrates, at a single operating point, the writing, storage, reading, and amplification functions needed in a memory. The current design architecture, functional elements, and supercomputer simulation results are described which are used to assist the design process.

Katti, R. R.↗

Technology for national asset storage systems

An industry-led collaborative project, called the National Storage Laboratory, was organized to investigate technology for storage systems that will be the future repositories for our national information assets. Industry participants are IBM Federal Systems Company, Ampex Recording Systems Corporation, General Atomics DISCOS Division, IBM ADSTAR, Maximum Strategy Corporation, Network Systems Corporation, and Zitel Corporation. Industry members of the collaborative project are funding their own participation. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory through its National Energy Research Supercomputer Center (NERSC) will participate in the project as the operational site and the provider of applications. The expected result is an evaluation of a high performance storage architecture assembled from commercially available hardware and software, with some software enhancements to meet the project's goals. It is anticipated that the integrated testbed system will represent a significant advance in the technology for distributed storage systems capable of handling gigabyte class files at gigabit-per-second data rates. The National Storage Laboratory was officially launched on 27 May 1992.

Coyne, Robert A.↗

Vertical bloch line memory

Vertical Bloch Line (VBL) memory is a recently conceived, integrated, solid-state, block-access, VLSI memory which offers the potential of 1Gbit/sq cm real storage density, gigabit per second data rates, and sub-millisecond average access times simultaneously at relatively low mass, volume, and power values when compared to alternative technologies. VBL's are micromagnetic structures within magnetic domain walls which can be manipulated using magnetic fields from integrated conductors. The presence or absence of VBL pairs are used to store binary information. At present, efforts are being directed at developing a single-chip memory using 25Mbit/sq cm technology in magnetic garnet material which integrates, at a single operating point, the writing, storage, reading, and amplification functions needed in a memory. This paper describes the current design architecture, functional elements, and supercomputer simulation results which are used to assist the design process. The current design architecture uses three metal layers, two ion implantation steps for modulating the thickness of the magnetic layer, one ion implantation step for assisting propagation in the major line track, one NiFe soft magnetic layer, one CoPt hard magnetic layer, and one reflective Cr layer for facilitating magneto-optic observation of magnetic structure. Data are stored in a series of elongated magnetic domains, called stripes, which serve as storage sites for arrays of VBL pairs. The ends of these stripes are placed near conductors which serve as VBL read/write gates. A major line track is present to provide a source and propagation path for magnetic bubbles. Writing and reading, respectively, are achieved by converting magnetic bubbles to VBL's and vice versa. The output function is effected by stretching a magnetic bubble and detecting it magnetoresistively. Experimental results from the past design cycle created four design goals for the current design cycle. First, the bias field ranges for the stripes and the major line needed to be matched. Second, the magnetic field barrier between the stripe and the read/write gates needed to be reduced. Third, current conductor routing needed to be improved to reduce occurrences of open-circuiting, short-circuiting, and eddy-current shielding. Fourth, a modified Co-alloy was needed with an increased coercivity and controlled magnetization to allow VBL stabilization to occur without affecting stripe stability.

Katti, R.↗

Modeling Molecules

The molecule modeling method known as Multibody Order (N) Dynamics, or MBO(N)D, was developed by Moldyn, Inc. at Goddard Space Flight Center through funding provided by the SBIR program. The software can model the dynamics of molecules through technology which stimulates low-frequency molecular motions and properties, such as movements among a molecule's constituent parts. With MBO(N)D, a molecule is substructured into a set of interconnected rigid and flexible bodies. These bodies replace the computation burden of mapping individual atoms. Moldyn's technology cuts computation time while increasing accuracy. The MBO(N)D technology is available as Insight II 97.0 from Molecular Simulations, Inc. Currently the technology is used to account for forces on spacecraft parts and to perform molecular analyses for pharmaceutical purposes. It permits the solution of molecular dynamics problems on a moderate workstation, as opposed to on a supercomputer.

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