ALMA SSR Committee Phone Meeting 2003-05-14

Connection Details

• Call date: 2003-05-14 (Wednesday)
• Call time: 15:00 UT
• Duration: 1 hr
• USA Toll Free Number: 888-795-6990
• Toll Number: +1-484-630-4370
• Passcode: 99640
• Leader: Robert Lucas

Attendance

Minutes

1. Subsystem Scientist Activities (all)
   
   
   • Jeff Mangum -- Control
     ATF activities, as you are well aware. Quite a bit of relevant work on real-time data acquisition and information flow on the VertexRSI prototype antenna computing system.
     
   • John Richer -- Telescope Calibration
     My subsystem PS report is as last time - attended one telecon.
     
   • Peter Schilke -- Data Reduction User Interface
     Since based on the results of the PDR, the DRUI development has been suspended, I have no activities to report. Please keep this activity report for the next 20 or so telecons as well.
     
   • Steve Scott -- Correlator
     Reviewed PDR comments on atmospheric phase correction with respect to the design document. In general the design seems correct, although some minor clarifications were suggested.
     
   • Debra Shepherd -- Off-Line Analysis
     
     Continue to work with Kumar Golap to develop a testing plan for the Offline subsystem. During the week of 12may03, AIPS++ should provide a list of what capabilities will be available by September so we can finalize the offline development & testing plan.
     Generalized the offline testing plan to include all subsystems. Presented this draft to the ALMA Software Leads. Received written comments from Gianni Raffi as well as comments from several people in the meeting. I am now revising the testing plan to include their comments.
     Reviewed the benchmarking plan written by Raymond Rusk & Kumar Golap - sent comments to Raymond; met with them to discuss how the SSR should be involved in the benchmarking effort. This should be discussed and agreed upon by the SSR this month.
     Continued to test AIPS++ using high frequency, spectral line, fast switching data from the VLA (an NH3 observation that is 4.2 GB in size). Working with George Moellenbrock to resolve some issues on applying the calibration from one frequency setup to another.
     I've been talking with Bryan Glendenning about taking the ALMA SSR staff position.
     
   • Leonardo Testi -- Observing Program Preparation
     The OT team had one telecon and one face to face meeting, which I attended for 2 days. We discussed several items, including response to the PDR comments, SimLite, Test Plan, the OT GUI and features for R1.0 in October. See also the items posted for discussion.
     
   • Francois Viallefond -- Archive
     The Archive team had a telecon, May 7. Two items are closely related with the SSR activity:
     1/ There was a presentation of a first draft of an ALMA Science Archive Requirements document. These requirements form a detailed version of SSR requirements. The SSR will need to look at this document when the archive subsystem group will be satisfied with it. I am looking into it just now.
     2/ Andreas is proposing that at least 3 reference observing projects should be defined to be used as a reference for the implementation of the various subsystems and also for the definition of the XML schemata to be used throughout the data flow. This would be an end-to-end approach starting from the details in the SBs to perform the observations. In practice this requires to write use-cases for few cases, these being driven by science goals. I'll work on this with Andreas in the coming weeks.
     
   • Chris Wilson -- Pipeline
     (none so far)
     
   • Mel Wright -- Scheduling
     1. I plan to run my old dynamic scheduling program. with some ALMA atmospheric data and a mix of observations, to answer some of the questions about long/intermadiate term performance. Need to get an ascii file of opacity and seeing versus time from alma site monitor.
     2. Discussions with Allen about operational issues for scheduling.
   
   
   
2. SSR Membership (R. Lucas) As announced a few days ago by Brian, Debra Shepherd is now filling the SSR "staff scientist" position at NRAO. She will continue as a member of the SSR committee and as subsystem scientist for the offline subsystem. We all welcome Debra in her new duties in the SSR.
   
   
3. PDR Action List (R. Lucas) A list of actions, following the PDR panel report and the response to it by the computing IPT management (not yet released by the project), will be circulated soon; some of its implications have already discussed inside the computing subsystems. Among them some involve the SSR, in particular the definition of standard modes for interim science operations, and, at a later stage, the implications of the Design Reference Mission (on which the Science IPT is working) on the observing modes for interim science. We will also have to work on auditing AIPS++ with respect to the pipeline science requirements (one of them, performance, will need some input from us), and on defining the AIPS++ benchmarks (not new to this group). We also note the proposition not to implement the SimLite at this stage, and to the postponement of the DRUI by two years. We support a full implementation of the automatic scheduler and the need to really assess and monitor the performance of AIPS++, in particular with respect to packages currently used with millimeter instruments.
   
   
4. SimLite status (L. Testi)
   (See Leodardo's message to the list on Mon, 12 May). His advice is to postpone decision to implement SimLite for about two years. At this time we can reconsider whether there is a real need for a direct access to simulation features inside the OT and at which level of functionality. The full simulator may be actually sufficient if its usability is satisfactory, even outside the OT. The proposition is accepted by the SSR.
   
   
5. AIPS++ news (B. Glendenning)
   Brian gave us a short report on AIPS++ project status: NRAO has withdrawn fro the consortium, but will fully contribute to the ALMA DRP, which has first priority, this will be based on AIPS++ classes and on the planned new framework.
   
   
6. General Testing Plans (D. Shepherd)
   Debra has generalized her testing plans to other subsystems than the Off-Line (see last month's meeting). Her proposition has been submitted to Computing management and Subsystem leads (you are welcome to ask her for a copy). The actual way to put the plans into application will obviously vary from subsystem to subsystem, as e.g. some have prominent user interfaces, other more automatic behavior. All input / contributions from Subsystem scientists will be valuable there.
   
   
7. AIPS++ Benchmarking Plans (F. Viallefond, D. Shepherd)
   Debra has recently circulated the benchmarking plan of the OffLine subsystem (document by K. Golap and R. Rusk). We need to propose the first test cases (for 2003-08-22). The proposed ones are the PhaseIII data set (GGTau extended to 64 antennas, to be compared with Gildas) and VLA continuum & polarized emission in the gravitational lens 0957+561 at 6cm wavelength, to be compared with AIPS and (possibly) MIRIAD. The SSR must provide these data along with reduction procedures and scripts no later than mid-August. Benchmarking will occur after each monthly stable release of AIPS++.
   It was also proposed that a test mosaic data set be added to the benchmark cases. As mosaicing is more complex (methods differ in different packages), the inclusion of a mosaicing case will be deferred for now. After the benchmark plan has been implemented and the first several results have been posted on the web, the SSR will evaluate the process and results and determine at that time whether the mosaic data set should be included. Since releases are monthly, the timescale for this process could be rather short if needed.
   
   
8. Date of next phone meeting According to the schedule the following one will be on: 2003, June 11th 15:00 UT. We should also consider propositions for the next face-to-face meeting (date and venue).