Paola Grosso

Addressing big data issues in Scientific Data Infrastructure

Big Data are becoming a new technology focus both in science and in industry. This paper discusses the challenges that are imposed by Big Data on the modern and future Scientific Data Infrastructure (SDI). The paper discusses a nature and definition of Big Data that include such features as Volume, Velocity, Variety, Value and Veracity. The paper refers to different scientific communities to define requirements on data management, access control and security. The paper introduces the Scientific Data Lifecycle Management (SDLM) model that includes all the major stages and reflects specifics in data management in modern e-Science. The paper proposes the SDI generic architecture model that provides a basis for building interoperable data or project centric SDI using modern technologies and best practices. The paper explains how the proposed models SDLM and SDI can be naturally implemented using modern cloud based infrastructure services provisioning model and suggests the major infrastructure components for Big Data.

Addressing Big Data challenges for Scientific Data Infrastructure

This paper discusses the challenges that are imposed by Big Data Science on the modern and future Scientific Data Infrastructure (SDI). The paper refers to different scientific communities to define requirements on data management, access control and security. The paper introduces the Scientific Data Lifecycle Management (SDLM) model that includes all the major stages and reflects specifics in data management in modern e-Science. The paper proposes the SDI generic architecture model that provides a basis for building interoperable data or project centric SDI using modern technologies and best practices. The paper explains how the proposed models SDLM and SDI can be naturally implemented using modern cloud based infrastructure services provisioning model.

A distributed topology information system for optical networks based on the semantic web

The research networking community has embraced novel network architectures to provide e-Science applications with dedicated connections instead of shared links. IP and optical services converge in these new infrastructures to form hybrid networks. Lightpaths are the services offered to clients in the optical portion of the network. They are chosen because they guarantee the appropriate QoS in terms of bandwidth and latency. NDL-the Network Description Language-is a data model offering users and providers of lightpaths with a common ontology to describe topology information of hybrid optical networks. The strength of NDL is that it supports a wide range of applications, including pathfinding, visualisation and asset management, via the definition of a common data model to exchange network descriptions. Since NDL is based on the Semantic Web techniques, it is straightforward to relate NDL with application-specific ontologies. In this paper we present the current status of the NDL schemas and its use in several applications.

Towards an Infrastructure Description Language for Modeling Computing Infrastructures

This paper describes the Infrastructure and Network Description Language (INDL). The aim of INDL is to provide technology independent descriptions of computing infrastructures. These descriptions include the physical resources and the network infrastructure that connects these resources. The description language also provides the necessary vocabulary to describe virtualization of resources and the services offered by these resources. Furthermore, the language can be easily extended to describe federation of different existing computing infrastructures, specific types of (optical) equipment and also behavioral aspects of resources, for example, their energy consumption. Before we introduce INDL we first discuss a number of modeling efforts that have lead to the development of INDL, namely the Network Description Language, the Network Markup Language and the CineGrid Description Language. We also show current applications of INDL in two EU-FP7 projects: NOVI and GEYSERS. We demonstrate the flexibility and extensibility of INDL to cater the specific needs of these two projects.

A semantic-web approach for modeling computing infrastructures

This paper describes our approach to modeling computing infrastructures. Our main contribution is the Infrastructure and Network Description Language (INDL) ontology. The aim of INDL is to provide technology independent descriptions of computing infrastructures, consisting of processing and storage resources and the network topology that connects these resources. INDL also provides descriptions for virtualization of resources and the services offered by resources. We build our infrastructure model upon the Network Markup Language (NML). Although INDL is a stand-alone model, it can be easily connected with the NML model. In this paper we show how INDL and NML are used as a basis for models used in three different applications: the CineGrid infrastructure, the Logical Infrastructure Composition Layer in the GEYSERS EU-FP7 project and the NOVI federation platform. Furthermore, we show the use of INDL for monitoring energy aspects of computing infrastructures and its application for workflow planning on computing infrastructures.

Simulating the Universe on an Intercontinental Grid

The computational requirements of simulating a sector of the universe led an international team of researchers to try concurrent processing on two supercomputers half a world apart. Data traveled nearly 27,000 km in 0.277 second, crisscrossing two oceans to go from Amsterdam to Tokyo and back.

A multi-layer network model based on ITU-T G.805

In recent years, dynamic multi-layer networks have emerged. Unlike regular networks these multi-layer networks allow users and other networks to interface on different technology layers. While path finding on a single layer is currently well understood, path finding on multi-layer networks is far from trivial. Even the constraints (the possible incompatibilities) are not always clear. This paper proposes a model for multi-layer circuit-switched computer networks, based on ITU-T G.805 and GMPLS standards. Furthermore, it defines a simple algebra that can be used to verify the validity of network connections through such networks. The most important contribution of our model and algebra is that they are technology independent: they can describe any circuit-switched network technology without modifications or tuning to the model and algebra. The model and algebra have been implemented in a syntax and network tool, which are briefly discussed.

A path finding implementation for multi-layer networks

The goal of the OptIPuter project is to tightly couple research applications with dynamically allocated paths. Since OptIPuter is a multi-disciplinary project, the paths through the network often span multiple network domains, and the applications are challenged to find valid network connections through these domains. The challenge arises if the different network domains use different technologies. In this case, we have a multi-layer path finding problem. We will show that there are situations where algorithms as used in single layer networks, such as BGP, SS7 and OSPF-TE, cannot find the shortest path. A shortest path in a multi-layer network can contain loops, and a segment of a shortest path may not be a shortest path in itself. To solve this problem, both a multi-layer network representation as well as new path finding algorithms need to be developed. An additional challenge is to make a generic path finding algorithm that is technology-independent, and does not need to be modified as new technologies emerge. We show that it is possible to create solutions for all three problems. Using RDF-based techniques, we model multi-layer networks and describe incompatibilities for the path finding algorithm in technology-independent way. We also present a path finding algorithm that is able to use this information to find valid paths.

Energy-Efficient Networking Solutions in Cloud-Based Environments: A Systematic Literature Review

The energy consumed by data centers hosting cloud services is increasing enormously. This brings the need to reduce energy consumption of different components in data centers. In this work, we focus on energy efficiency of the networking component. However, how different networking solutions impact energy consumption is still an open question. We investigate the state of the art in energy-efficient networking solutions in cloud-based environments. We follow a systematic literature review method to select primary studies. We create a metamodel based on the codes extracted from our primary studies using the Coding analytical method. Our findings show three abstraction levels of the proposed networking solutions to achieve energy efficiency in cloud-based environments: Strategy, Solution, and Technology. We study the historical trends in the investigated solutions and conclude that the emerging and most widely adopted one is the Decision framework.

A lightweight communication library for distributed computing

We present MPWide, a platform-independent communication library for performing message passing between computers. Our library allows coupling of several local message passing interface (MPI) applications through a long-distance network and is specifically optimized for such communications. The implementation is deliberately kept lightweight and platform independent, and the library can be installed and used without administrative privileges. The only requirements are a C++ compiler and at least one open port to a wide-area network on each site. In this paper we present the library, describe the user interface, present performance tests and apply MPWide in a large-scale cosmological N-body simulation on a network of two computers, one in Amsterdam and the other in Tokyo.