DS6 Stage06 Plan

Introduction

For the main part, the DS6 plan for Stage06 centres on continuation of activities started in Stage05 (or before), but one notable exception is the launch of a Gap Analysis activity, which will identify tasks which should be undertaken between now and the end of the project.

Stage06 Task List

Number	Title	Who
T01	Testbed science scenario: Kernel Density Estimation	AstroGrid
T02	Gap Analysis	All
T03	Scripted access to TOPCAT graphics	AstroGrid
T04	PaperScope	AstroGrid
T05	SDSS-specific version of VisIVO	INAF
T06	New technical features in VisIVO	INAF
T07	Porting VisIVO to use MAF 2.2	INAF
T08	VisIVO and TVO	INAF
T09	Testing and publishing VisIVO	INAF
T10	Characterisation/Observation Data Model standards	CDS
T11	DAL standards	CDS
T12	PLASTIC and SAMP	CDS, AstroGrid
T13	Further development of VO-neural	INAF

Stage 06 Task Descriptions

T01: Testbed science scenario

This is a continuation of the work started in Stage05. The basic workflow for the project is working, but further development and testing is required to validate it against the previous work of Richards et al (2004) and then apply it to an expanded dataset. The ultimate aims are: (i) a paper publishable in an astronomy journal on the science; (ii) a comparison with the similar work being undertaken in Napoli with VO-neural, for inclusion in the DS6 Study Report; and (iii) a report on the problems encountered in running the project, possibly for inclusion in the DS6 Study Report, but definitely for internal consumption by the partners, and for posting on the DS6 wiki pages.

T02: Gap Analysis

This is a new activity, for all partners to undertake. The aim is to take a step back and assess what should be done during the final two stages of the project's lifetime, both from the perspective of what things we said we'd do but haven't, and, with the benefit of what we have done so far, what the best things to do now, in preparation for future Euro-VO work. A wiki page has been set up Ds6GapAnalysis^? on which people can record their thoughts about this and what is recorded there will be folded into preparation for the Stage07 plan.

T03: Scripted access to TOPCAT graphics

This task has two stages: (i) assess what can be done with a reasonable amount of effort to provide scripted access to some of the graphical functionality in TOPCAT, in the manner that STILTS does for the core data manipulation functionality; and (ii) undertake deployment and testing of such a server-side system at a data centre, probably ROE.

T04: PaperScope

This task is to bring PaperScope to a state of maturity and robustness that it requires only maintenance. To do this requires defining the set of core functionality that PaperScope should have and then implementing and documenting that.

T05: SDSS-specific version of VisIVO

This task is to customise a version of VisIVO for the visualization of the large tables in the SDSS.

T06: New technical features in VisIVO

Several new technical features will be added to VisIVO during Stage06, for inter-array data operation, optimisation of volume rendering and improving multi-resolution capabilities.

T07: Porting VisIVO to MAF 2.2

VisIVO relies on MAF, the Multimod Application Framework. A new version of the MAF is now available, and porting VisIVO to use it will enhance what VisIVO can do: e.g. it will allow porting of VisIVO to work on MACs.

T08: VisIVO and TVO

VisIVO's utility for the Theoretical VO community will be enhanced by providing it with database connectivity capabilities and making it understand the SNAP protocol.

T09: Testing and publishing VisIVO

Further testing of the current beta version (v1.3) will continue, working towards release of v2 in summer 2008. Related work will include the upgrading of the VisIVO documentation and website.

T10: Characterisation/Observational Data Model standards

Further work on these standards will include aiding the deployment of services implementing these standards, defining use cases for the furture development of the standards, and applying the Characterisation data model to CDS workflows.

T11: DAL standards

Work on DAL standards during Stage06 will centre on contributions to the development of the SIA2 standard, taking account of concepts from TAP, and also include completion of the use of the DAL extension mechanism in the Aladin server.

T12: PLASTIC and SAMP

The DS6 team will contribute to the development of the proposed SAMP messaging protocol, based on PLASTIC.

T13: Further development of VO-neural

Following the successful deployment of Astroneural's Multi-Level Perceptron algorithm within the AstroGrid infrastructure, the same procedure will be applied to further algorithms, to extend the functionality of VO-neural.

-- BobMann - 26 Sep 2007