DS4: Stage 6 Plan

This plan is based upon the presentations and discussions at the Edinburgh meeting, Oct 8-11, 2007.

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Task List

Reports

No	Task	Who
T01	VODesktop release	Astrogrid
T02	TopCat development and support	Astrogrid
T03	AR, PLASTIC development and support	Astrogrid
T04	Cross-match	CDS
T05	Instrument footprints	CDS
T06	Common interface to CDS services	CDS
T07	Facilitate use of PLASTIC helper applications from Aladin	CDS
T08	Second User Tools Prototype Release to DS2	ESO+ALL
T09	IVOA 2nd generation data access	ESO
T10	SED building	ESO
T11	TVO DBs and Web Portals	INAF
T12	TVO Processing on demand	INAF
T13	TVO Tools and IVOA standards	INAF
T14	TVO Dissemination activity	INAF

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Description of Tasks

T01 VODesktop

VODesktop incl. VOExplorer etc: beta release in November/December 2007; final release c. April 2008.

T02 TopCat

general development and support; see DS6 report for specific features.

T03 AR, PLASTIC

continued development and support (q.v. DS3 plans).

T04 Cross-match

• Cross-match web service
• Robustify
• First public release in coming months
• Benchmarking on typical use cases
• Provide UWS for REST interface using Cyril's library
• Study how to adapt algorithm to cross-match efficiently VizieR catalogues

T05 Instrument footprints

• Finalize implementation of new format in Aladin
• Improve footprint editor
• More shapes (polygons, pickles, labels)
• Allow user to set color and transparency level
• Increase number of default footprints in Aladin

T06 Common interface to CDS services

• Collect use cases requiring threaded access to different CDS services
• Links with workflow activity (AndreSchaaff, DS3)
• Links with DS5 (Automatic tagging of VizieR tables with VOcabulary, mapping between Simbad object types and VOcabulary)
• Possible hiring of 1 FTE on this development

T07 Facilitate use of PLASTIC helper applications from Aladin

• Use case : "I have queried an SSAP service, and would like to fire up a spectrum visualizer to display selected spectra"
  • --> find an application supporting loadSpectra message, launch it, and send the spectrum via PLASTIC
• Need a descriptive list of PLASTICized applications (supported messages, launch command line, etc)
• Links with applications software metadata in Registry

T08 Second User Tools Prototype Release

The Second User Tools Prototype Release to DS2 is a contractual delivery due in March 2008. Tools and components specific to DS4 need to be isolated and indexed similar to the 1st prototype release.

T09 IVOA 2nd generation data access

The IVOA 2nd generation protocols for data access are starting to take shape. The need for improved capabilities was recently layed out in the IVOA roadmap and the DS4 study report. Contributing to the early design and prototyping phase as well as the international coordination of related acitivities are subject of this task. In particular, support of data cubes and multi file data sets and features such as staging, authentication and regional search are part of an effort to remedy limitations of SIA and SSA version 1. This will result in an IVOA internal working draft.

T10 SED building

The next step towards spectral energy distribution (SED) building capabilities entails:

• Provide RESTful access to filter service
• Output of transmission curves as VOTable (input to spectral data model)
• Provide ESO filters through service
• Provide most used filters from other observatories through service
• Input to spectral data model development
• Flux conversion service kept as is and available for all filters in the filter service.

T11 TVO DBs and Web Portals

• Continuing DBs enrichment with other cosmological data populating all three levels (also producing data through SNAP and the GRID infrastructure), new data from FLASH simulations
• Populating the DB for stellar evolution simulations and possibility of storing the new simulation produced on demand with new input parameters, also using GRID infrastructure (in conjunction with EURO-VO DCA WP5)
• Portal enrichment: online user guide for application deployment
• Investigate the possibility to attach a virtual telescope as a tool (Chandra simulator telescope).
• Query services: SQL query via WS.
• VOTable:
  • for every level of theory data
  • adding UCD when they are ready

T12 TVO Processing on demand

• Extend the creation on-the-fly profiles for redshift >­ 0
• a web service for the on-the-fly creation of profiles (now accessible via web site)
• simulation discovery service (via Web Service like Aladin prototype, in future implemented for VisIVO) using an IVOA Registry
• Randomizer service for GADGET, FLY
• Cutout also for Gadget files
• cut-out of simulated snapshots via SNAP using the GRID infrastructure, now implemented via web-service

T13 TVO Tools and IVOA standards

• Contribute to develop the SNAP and theory Data Model documents from the current draft version and ask for new UCD for theoretical data
• Development of a PLASTIC enabled client application or PLASTIC aware Web Pages in the portal
• Finding a way to registry the theoretical data and the services inside the IVOA Registry defining a standard way to do that

T14 TVO Dissemination activity

• VO school October 2007 Vilnius, Lithuania
• Winter School Theory for observers & Observations for theorists 2-8 December 2007 P.so del Tonale, Italy
• Interoperability IVOA Meeting 18-23 May 2008, Trieste (Italy)

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Gap Analysis

DS plans should include some kind of "gap analysis" so that for S7 and S8 we can come up with a good completion plan.
-- quote of Chairperson of VOTECH Board

Therefore, it is recommended that partners consider the

1. recommendations in the DS4 study report section no. 9 and
2. the IVOA roadmap 2007 ...

...when preparing plans for stage 7 and 8. A number of currently missing capabilities are subject of task IVOA 2nd generation data access.

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DS4 Contact Persons

Astrogrid	KeithNoddle
CDS	ThomasBoch
ESO	MarkusDolensky
INAF	PatriziaManzato

-- MarkusDolensky - 21 Oct 2007