Ahmet Sayar

Integrating AJAX Approach into GIS Visualization Web Services

As the Web platform continues to mature, we see an increasing number of amazing technologies that take Geographic Information Systems (GIS) visualization applications to new levels of power and usability. By integrating new powerful technologies into GIS systems, we get higher performance results with additional functionalities. The most recent development capturing the attention of the browser based application developers is AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML). In this paper we present a generic and performance efficient framework for integrating AJAX models into the browser based GIS Visualization Web Services systems.

iSERVO: Implementing the International Solid Earth Research Virtual Observatory by Integrating Computational Grid and Geographical Information Web Services

We describe the goals and initial implementation of the International Solid Earth Virtual Observatory (iSERVO). This system is built using a Web Services approach to Grid computing infrastructure and is accessed via a component-based Web portal user interface. We describe our implementations of services used by this system, including Geographical Information System (GIS)-based data grid services for accessing remote data repositories and job management services for controlling multiple execution steps. iSERVO is an example of a larger trend to build globally scalable scientific computing infrastructures using the Service Oriented Architecture approach. Adoption of this approach raises a number of research challenges in millisecond-latency message systems suitable for internet-enabled scientific applications. We review our research in these areas.

Real Time Streaming Data Grid Applications

We review several aspects of building real-time streaming data Grid applications. Building on general purpose messaging system software (NaradaBrokering) and generalized collaboration services (GlobalMMCS), we are developing a diverse set of interoperable capabilities. These include dynamic information systems for managing short-lived collaborative service collections (“gaggles”), stream filters to support the integration of Geographical Information Systems services with data analysis applications, streaming video to support collaborative geospatial maps with time-dependent data, and video stream playback and annotation services to enable scientific collaboration.

Grids for real time data applications

We describe our work in building support for streaming data services for Geographical Information System Grid services. We examine how streaming approaches may be used to increase data service performance for transporting XML messages. Similarly, streaming versions of traditional static map services may be combined with general audio/video session management capabilities to build collaborative, annotatable shared maps. Distributed services linked through messaging substrates require information and broker management capabilities, and we describe our research here. Finally, we discuss efficient XML representation techniques that can be used to increase performance of Web Services and support Web enabled devices.

Building Sensor Filter Grids: Information Architecture for the Data Deluge

We discuss a general architectural approach to knowledge and information management and delivery in distributed systems. Our approach is based on the recognition that time-stamped, streaming information message units form the core of seemingly disparate systems that range from online sensors and scientific instruments to Web information retrieval. Globally distributable grid services manage these information streams. Geographical information system services provide exemplary realizations of this picture and may be used as a model for other scientific domains. With this unified architecture in place, we may begin to consider the problems of information integration as equivalent to sensor federation.