PRAGMA — Pacific Rim Applications and Grid Middleware Assembly

PRAGMA Working Groups

Biosciences

Bioscience applications are very diverse, with different computing and data management requirements. The Biosciences Working Group aims to conduct cutting-edge scientific research using available computational resources from the PRAGMA Grid, high-performance computing clusters (such as the TeraGrid), and emerging cloud-computing resources. We collaborate across working groups, interacting with computer sci- entists to ensure that emerging technologies meet the requirements of biological applications. By engaging diverse scientific expertise to address biological problems of common interest through international partnerships, we expedite research and development activities through seminal research and development, as well as training and outreach activities in the global community.

Geosciences

The GEO Working Group is the youngest of the four current working groups in PRAGMA. The goal of the GEO Working Group is to develop a grid testbed to support geosciences and practical applications based on huge datasets of satellite imagery and GIS data, for uses such as disaster prevention and environmental monitoring. The group’s development of the testbed will be coor- dinated with other international efforts, in particular, with the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), which seeks to achieve comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained observations of the Earth system, in order to improve monitoring of the state of the Earth, increase understanding of Earth processes, and enhance prediction of behavior.

Telescience

The Telescience Working Group aims to create and develop new information technology that allows scientists to remotely use advanced tech- nology and devices and demonstrate future science on an advanced cyberinfrastructure. Examples of such devices include high-accuracy scien- tific measurement devices such as ultra-high-voltage electron microscopes, widely distributed devices such as sensors and highly sophisticated visualization facilities, such as tiled-display walls (TDWs). The working group’s activities have progressively gained in importance, expanding year by year because of the ubiquity and maturity of high-speed network technology.

Resources and Data

THE GOAL OF THE RESOURCES AND DATA WORKING GROUP is to improve the interoperability of grid middleware, as well as make grids easier for scientists to use. . During the past year, the group continued its routine-use experiments with grid applications and middleware, finalized development of VOMS—now used by the GEO Grid, and also worked on new paradigms and new technologies. The group is poised to exper- iment with Virtual Machine and Cloud Computing.