AG-SAG - Full Meeting #11

Date and Location: UCL, London: 5 Feb 2007, 10.00-16.00

Supporting Paperwork:

The 2007.1 Release of the workbench can be downloaded from here

Please note: For a period of two weeks following the release of 2007.1, the Launch link will launch the previous stable version Workbench. To use the 2007.1 version, you need to download and install the kit found at the above URL. This is to allow users the choice of which version of Workbench they run immediately following the announcement of a new verison, something not possible if we update the Launch link immediately.

Agenda

Present:

• NicholasWalton (NW) (AstroGrid)
• JeremyYates (JY)
• JonathanTedds (JAT) (AstroGrid)
• AndrewJaffe (AJ)
• Dugan Wetherick (UCL e-learning PDRF)
• AnitaRichards (from c. 1130)
• GuyRixon (GR; AstroGrid)
• SilviaDalla (SD) (AstroGrid)
• Steve Maddox (SM)
• Christian Knigge (CK)

Apologies

• SebOliver (SO) - Two lecture courses and a lab that day - sorry.
• Carlton Baugh (CB)
• Tom Marsh (TM)
• Nial Tanvir (NT)
• BillChaplin (BC)
• Lyndsay Fletcher (LF)
• KeithNoddle (KN) (Astrogrid)
• Mike Pinnock (MP)

Notes of Meeting

• Minutes of SAG-FM10 approved.
• For items below see also Project Scientist slides

SAG Membership

A new STP person is needed to replace Mike Pinnock, who is not able to continue - Action AJ: Email SAG asking for names of STP people for SAG. Action for next SAG meeting: discuss SAG membership and role for the future.

Oversight Committee Meeting

AJ will take part by phone.

• AG papers to AGOC09 - Feb 07 [.pdf]. Include hardware plan - goal of 100 simultaneous users. More disk space available.

AG3 proposal

PPRP meeting took place in September 06, visiting panel in November 06. Science Committee took place a few days ago, with PPRP panel chair presentation.

FP7 infrastructure calls

• May 2007 deadline - planning within Euro-VO is taking place. Probable DCA led bid. In 2008 larger research infrastructure call.
• JY: Suggests that SAG should give example use cases requiring big compute - it would be good for AG to try and provide big compute capabilities.

Cycle 5 tools call

• Next consortium meeting 21-22 June - Edinburgh - Reps from the 3 supported programmes will be invited.
• Issue a 2007 tool call in May 2007 for start around July.
• Euro-VO call will be issued soon - encourage current programmes to take part.
• See project scientist slides for update on 2006 tool calls.
• NW - as part of the IPHAS tool, a web based access will be developed, where one can get IPHAS data by simply typing in an ra and dec.
• CK - supports the idea of having ultra-easy access to some of the AG resources, via eg a simple web page. In a way access via workbench is too difficult for some users. A simple web access would then make people want to do more complex things using workbench. More people would be using AG and get to know what it can do.
• Possible way in which this simpleweb page access could work - simple drop down box, listing about 10 major surveys (cone service only), box for ra and dec, choice for output format. One could limit the radius of the search. GR: this needs some runtime protection to avoid problems at the data centers. May need hardcoding of the cone search.
• Page should be prominent in www.astrogrid.org The page would also point to workbench and extra things one can do from workbench.
• Action GR and NW - organise development of this simple web page.
• GR: better registry entries are needed to tell the user what they need to select from task launcher.
• It would be good to have feedback from the survey before we put out the Tools call.

Update on AG status (NW)

• Taverna work is progressing
• Meeting at Caltech coming up (See: AgCaltechSdscFeb06)
• NW discusses latest improvements in workbench and services (see slides).
• CK - it would be useful to have tools for comparison of data with models. AMSR gives an update on work done by Mark Taylor on these lines, regarding stellar spectra and modelling. It includes minimisation routines. Action AMSR: liaise with CK on further test cases for this tool.

Tools call 2

AJ: We should aim to announce this at NAM. Also publicise user survey. Formulate the call so that it is more oriented towards applications than data.

Technical update (GR)

• Workflow developments: transition to Taverna is going on.
• We will provide better installer tools, to make it easier to publish data or applications.
• Work is going on interacting with Grid computing services, so that applications can be sent to grid computing nodes. First priority is Montage (as part of Caltech workshop).
• IVOA standard for applications is UWS
• Table access protocol is a new standard in IVOA that will be very useful.

user survey

• Draft survey at http://www.astrogrid.org/survey
• SAG suggests a survey of sysadmin and data center staff that have installed AG software. *Action AJ*- contact Ian Steele AGDAG chair and Nic on sysadmin survey.

Expenses

Claims for expenses can be made on the Leicester Expenses Claim Form (pdf). Please download, fill in, attach receipts (Leics will reject claims without receipts unless 'no receipt' is explicitly stated against an item), and send to:

Janet Bee
University of Leicester,
Dept of Physics & Astronomy,
University Road,
Leicester
LE1 7RH

Please mark the Claim as 'AstroGrid: Science Advisory Group Meeting'

Travel and Accomodation

Getting to UCL http://www-server.bcc.ac.uk/UCL-Info/AboutUCL/Transport.html

E1 is on the Ground Floor of the Physics and Astronomy Department (see http://www.ucl.ac.uk/about-ucl/images/image_bank/maps/general_area_colour_2005_mid)

If you require accommodation, please email/telephone Kate Heyworth (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/star/personnel/people/heyworth.htm) who will recommend/book accommodation to you.

Wireless and Network Connections

We will be using visinet. Please say if you need it by Thursday 25th January.

-- NicholasWalton - 04 Jan 2007 -- JeremyYates - 22 Jan 2007