The evolution of the DARWIN system

Abstract

+1 650 604 2005 +1 650 604 1250 +1 650 604 3114 jdwalton @ arc.nasa.gov rfilman @arc.nasa.gov dkorsmeyer@ arc.nasa.gov ABSTRACT DARWIN is a web-based system for presenting the results of wind-tunnel testing and computational model analyses to aerospace designers. DARWIN captures the data, maintains the information, and manages derived knowledge (e.g. visualizations) of large quantities of aerospace data. In addition, it provides tools and an environment for distributed collaborative engineering.We are currently constructing the third version of the DARWIN software system. DARWIN's development history has, in some sense, tracked the development of web applications. The 1995 DARWIN reflected the latest web technologies--CGI scripts, Java applets and a threelayer architecture--available at that time. The 1997 version of DARWIN expanded on this base, making extensive use of a plethora of web technologies, including Java/JavaScript and Dynamic HTML. While more powerful, this multiplicity has proven to be a maintenance and development headache. The 2000 version of DARWIN will provide a more stable and uniform foundation environment, composed primarily of Java mechanisms. In this paper, we discuss this evolution, comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the various architectural approaches and describing the lessons learned about building complex web applications.

Use of e-Science Environment on CFD Education

“…The main goal of TENT is the integration of all tools which belong to the typical workflows in a computer aided engineering (CAE) environment and it allows the engineer to design, automate, control, and steer technical workflows interactively. The DARWIN (Walton et al, 2000) is a distributed analysis tool that was developed at the NASA Ames Research Center to support aeronautics design activities. By providing aircraft manufacturers with faster access to wind-tunnel data, the DARWIN system helps to shorten the aircraft design and test process.…”

Middleware and Web Services for the Collaborative Information Portal of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers Mission

“…DARWIN provided secure access to wind tunnel data, allowing researchers at remote facilities to collaboratively analyze experimental results using a standard web browser [11]. This system was implemented using Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripting and Java applet technologies to access underlying data repositories [12].…”