Evolving the Web-based distributed SI/PDO architecture for high-performance visualization

Abstract

i%e Simulation IntranetLProductDatabase Operator (SI.DO) project has developed Web-based distributed object architecturefor highpe~ormance scientlj7c simulation. A Web-basedJava inte~ace guihs &signers through the akrign andaiudysis cycle via solid and analytical moa%ling,meshing, jinite element simulation, andvariousforms of visualization. l%e SILPDOarchitecture has evolved insteps towmu?rsati&ying Sandia's Iong-term goal of providing an end-to-end set of services for high jidelityjldlphysics simulations in a high-peq+ormance,distributed and distance computing environment. Zhispaper &scribes the continuing evolution of the architecture toprovih high-peq40nnance visualization services. Extensions to the SIPDO architecture allow web access to w"sualizationtools that run on MP systems. l%is architecture makes these tools more easily accessible by providing web-based interfaces and by shielding the user~om the a%taiisof these computing environments. Tile &m"gnis a multi-tier architecture, where the Java-based GU7 tier runs on a web browser andprovides image display and control jmctions. l%e competition tier runs on A@ machines. The micililetiersprovide custom communication with MP machines, remotefile selection, remote Iaunching of services, load balancing, and machine selection. 7he architecture allows mialileware of various types (CORBA, COM, R.&U, sockets, etc) to connect the tiers using ahpters. The system allows for aaliing and removing of tiers depending upon the situm"on. Testing of constantly developing visualization tools can be done in an environment where there are only twotiers which both run on desktop machines. Z%isahwsft esting turnaround and &es not use compute cycles on high-pe~onnance machines. Once the code and inte~aces are tested they are moved to highperfiormance machines, and new tiers are aalied to handle the problems of using these machines. Uniform inte~aces are used throughout the tiers to allow this~exibility. &pen.ments test the appropriate level of interface: either a large set of specl~cfinction cd[s or a small set of generic function calls. I%isarchitecture is basedon the goals and constrm%tsof our environment: huge &ta volumes (ttit cannot be easily moved), use of multiple micililewareprotocols, MPpiafonn portability, rapid development of the visualization took, distributed resource management (of MP resources), and the use of existing visualization tools. Thisworkis supported by SandiaNational Laboratories, a multi-program laboratory operated by SandiaCorporation (a Loakheed Martin r.mm-md fnrtheTT.itwl .Stntw 11-mmtm.-nt of17nPT.N 11.Aw rmttm.tIW-A

A Web-based isosurface extraction system for heterogeneous clients

“…on clusters of PC [9], and supporting the interaction with a variety of clients, from powerful workstations to diskless wireless PDAs. This approach seems to us even more promising if we consider the size of volumetric data sets that may be of some gigabytes and continues to grow.…”

A self manageable infrastructure for supporting web-based simulations

“…Holmes et. al [5] proposed a multi-tier architecture to allow web access to visualization tools running on MP systems. Belfore and Chitithoti [1] described multiuser extensions of the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) that integrate a database interface to create web based simulation environments.…”