NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20040021335: CESDIS

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by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

NAS5-32337
CESDIS ANNUAL REPORT
Year 6
JLily 1993 - June 1994
Dr. Terrence W. Pratt
Acting Director
Center of Excellence
in Space Data and -
Information Sciences
Operated by Universities Space
Research Association in cooperation
with the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration.
A CESDIS OVERVIEW
CESDIS, the Center of Excellence inSpace Data and Information Sciences was developed jointly by
NASA, Universities Space Research Association (USRA), and the University of Maryland in 1988 to
focus on the design of advanced computing techniques and data systems to support NASA Earth and
space science research programs. CESDIS is operated by USRA under contract to NASA. The
Director, Associate Director, Staff Scientists, and administrative staff are located on-site at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center inGreenbelt, Maryland.
The primary CESDIS mission isto increase the connection between computer science and engineer-
ing research programs at colleges and universities and NASA groups working with computer applica-
tions inEarth and space science. Research areas of primary interest at CESDIS include:
• High performance computing, especially software design and performance evaluation for mas-
sively parallel machines,
• Parallel input/output and data storage systems for high performance parallel computers,
• Data base and intelligent data management systems for parallel computers,
• Image processing,
• Digital libraries, and
• Data compression.
CESDIS funds multiyear projects at U. S. universities and colleges. Proposals are accepted in
response to calls for proposals and are selected onthe basis of peer reviews, Funds are provided to
support faculty and graduate students working at their home institutions. Project personnel visit
Goddard during academic recess periods to attend workshops, present seminars, and collaborate
with NASA scientists on research projects. Additionally, CESDIS takes on specific research tasks of
shorter duration for computer science research requested by NASA Goddard scientists.
The on-site staff currently consists of the Director, Associate Director, four Staff Scientists, the Senior
Administrator, and three Administrative Assistants. This group provides program direction and liaison
among the funded project personnel, NASA scieniific and administrative personnel, and USRA
accounting and contract management personnel.
CESDIS also provides programmatic and logisticalexpertise inthe form of two Program Coordina-
tors who work with NASA personnel as they implement NASA's High Performance Computing and
Communications (HPCC) program.
INTRODUCTION FROM THE ACTING DIRECTOR
The 1993-94 CESDIS year included a broad rangeof computer science research applied to NASA
problems. This reportprovidesan overview ofthese research projectsand programs as wellas a
summary ofthe various otheractivitiesof CESDIS insupport ofNASA andthe university research
community, We have hadan excitingand challengingyear.
Several major new initiatives funded by the NASA High Performance Computing and Communica-
tions (HPCC) Program form the basis for most of our new research projects. The most prominent new
program this year isthe CESDIS HPCC Basic Research Program in Parallel Computing, aprogram of
peer-reviewed research awards to universities, with ageneral focus on research ininput-output
systems, data base systems, and intelligent data management for parallel computers. We made the
announcement of this program in December 1992, collected and reviewed proposals during early
1993, and announced awards inMay 1993. Ten three-year awards were made. Work actually got
underway in Fall 1993 and we began to see the first results during this CESDIS year. This is an
exciting set of projects with potential impact beyond the HPCC program. Already we have seen
connections established between Pl's inour program and the NASA EOSDIS project, where issues of
input/output and database management on parallel machines are expected to be important.
We have also been able to build a more substantial in-house research staff during this CESDIS
year, doubling the number of CESDIS research staff from two to four through HPCC support. Dr.
Thomas Sterling, Senior Scientist, has been particularly effective in leading the CESDIS in-house
HPCC research efforts. Dr. Sterling developed the concepts for the JNNIE, Beowulf, and ESS Parallel
Benchmarks projects and worked to find the funding for these projects, in addition, he has played a
major role in the national HPCC pi'ogram, including a lead inthe Petaflops Workshop held in Febru-
ary 1994. These activities are detailed inthe sections that follow.
The CESDIS environment received amajor upgrade thisyear. Our officespace at Goddard was
completely renovated and enlarged (although we have already outgrown it!). And most of our com-
puter equipment was replaced or upgraded. We now are well-equipped, primarily with Sun worksta-
tions for researchers and high-end Macintoshes forthe rest of the staff. Our thanks to the Goddard
folks who made these changes possible.
A number of research projects were completed thisyear. The most prominent of these was the
Duke University project indata compression, headed by Professor John Reif;which ended inSep-
tember, 1993. This was one of the first peer-reviewed projects funded by CESDIS, and it produced a
steady stream of significant research publications during itsfive-year term. CESDIS also managed
fourteen projects for the NASA Applied Information Systems Research Program for two years, most
of which ended inJuly 1994.
Aseminar series during Fall 1993 on Future Earth Remote Sensing Missions was ably developed
and run by Dr. Jacqueline Le Moigne of CESDIS, tothe benefit of Goddard scientists. During Spring
1994, we brought the New York University Center for Digital Multimedia to Goddard for aseries of ten
hands-on seminars on the development of multimedia presentations for Earth and space science. A
number of Goddard science groups participated anddeveloped prototype presentations.
Finally,InotewithregrettheretiremenotfDr.RayMillerasCESDISDirectoarttheendofSeptem-
ber1993.CESDISbenefitedgreatlyfromRay'sleadershipduringitsfirstfiveyearsofoperationA.
SearchCommitteeh,eadedbyDr.HaroldStoneoftheCESDISScienceCouncili,sleadingthe
searchforapermanenCtESDISDirector.
TerrenceW.Pratt
ActingDirector
July1994
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A CESDIS Overview ....................................................................................................................
Introduction from the Acting Director ...................................................................................... iii
USRA and the CESDIS Science Council ............................................................................... vii
Acting Director's Activities ........................................................................................................ 1
Research Activities: CESDIS Research Staff
Task 28: Image Analysis Usingthe Wavelet Theory
Jacqueline Le Moigne...................... ....................................................................... 6
Task 31: High Performance Computing (HPC) SystemsEvaluation forthe ESS Project
Thomas Sterling, PhilipMerkey.............................................................................. 14
Task 38: HPCC/ESS GOPS WorkstationSystemSoftware Environment
Donald Becker...................................................................................................... 30
Task 43: High Performance Fortran
Terrence Pratt ...................................................................................................... 32
Research Activities: Peer Reviewed Projects
Task 14: Parallel Knowledge DiscoveryFrom LargeComplex Databases,
UniversityofTexas................................................................................................ 34
Task 15: Paradise--A Parallel InformationSystem forEOSDIS,
UniversityofWisconsin......................................................................................... 43
Task 16: Parallel Input/Output Evaluation, George Washington University.................................... 46
Task 17: High Performance Input/Output Systems forHigh Performance
and Four-dimensional Data Assimilation,Syracuse University.................................. 51
Task 18: High Performance Parallel I/0 Support forMultidimensional Range
Searches, University of Virginia.............................................................................. 54
Task 19: Distributed Search Structures, University of Florida ....................................................... 59
Task 20: High Performance Input/Output for Parallel Computing Systems,
Clemson University ............................................................................................... 61
Task 21: A Visual Database System for Image Analysis onParallel Compeers-
and its Application to the EOSRAM Project, University of Washington ...................... 65
Task 22: High Performance Input/Output Systems for Parallel Computers,
University of Illinois................................................................................................ 77
Task 23: Fast I/0 for Massively Parallel Applications, University of Minnesota ................................ 83
Task 25: Image Compression: Algorithms and Architectures, Duke University .............................. 85
Research Activities: Peer Reviewed Projects, Applied Information Systems Research
Task 12: Development ofa Tool-setfor Simultaneous,Multi-site
Observations of Astronomical Objects, Boston University ........................................ 94
Task 10: High Performance Compression of Science Data, Brandeis University ............................ 94
Task 34: Multivariate Statistical Analysis Software Technologies for
Astrophysical Research Involving Large Data Bases,
California Institute of Technology .....-...................................................................... 94
Task 4: Advanced Data Visualization and Sensor Fusion,
Hughes Applied Information Systems .................................................................... 95
Task 35: The Grid Analysis and Display Systems (GRADS),
Institute of Global Environment and Society............................................................ 95
Task 9: Topography from Shading and Stereo, MIT................................................................... 95
Task 37: Interactive Interface for NCAR Graphics, NCAR ............................................................. 96
Research Activities: Peer Reviewed Projects, Applied Information Systems Research
(continued)
Task 11: SAVS: A Space Analysis and Visualization System, SAIC ............................................. 96
Task 2: Data Reduction Expert Assistant, Space Telescope Science Institute ............................. 97
Task 3: An Interactive Environment for the Analysis of Large Earth
Observation and Model Data Sets, Texas A&M University ........................................ 97
Task 6: ALand-Surface Testbed for EOSDIS, University of Colorado ...:..................................... 98
Task 13: Experimenter's Laboratory for Visualized Interactive Science,
University of Colorado ........................................................................................... 98
Task 5: ADistributed Analysis and Visualization System for Model
and Observational Data, University of Illinois............................................................ 99
Task 8: VIEWCACHE, University of Maryland ............................................................................ 99
Task 7: Planetary Data Analysis and Display System, University of Wisconsin ............................ 100
Research Activities: Additional Tasks
Task 24: Implementation Status ofAlibi and Performance Analysis ofthe
Central FileManager at NASA'sCenter for Computationa/Sciences,
UniversityofMaryland, Baltimore County.............................................................. 102
Task 32: Software Support Laboratory, UniversityofColorado .................................................. 118
Task 40: Distributed IntelligentData Management inComputer VisionSystems,
UniversityofNebraska......................................................................................... 119
Task 44: Unsupervised Robust Estimation-based ClusteringOfMultispectral Images,
UniversityofMaryland ......................................................................................... 120
Consultants
Task 29: Ron Rymon.......................................................................................... -................... 124
Task 30: MargoBerg............ :................................................................................................. 124
Task 39: Hans Mark................................... •................................................................... 125
Fellowships ............................................................................................. i.............................. 128
Other CESDIS Activities
3O
Task 27: HPCC Program Coordination ..................................................................................... 1
Task 1: Conferences and Seminars .................................................... _....:- ........................... 133
Task 1: Science Council ....................................................................................................... 135
Task 41: Workshop on Multimedia Presentation Production ...................................................... 135
Task 32: NRA Peer Review Support ........................................................................................ 136
Task 33: MU-SPIN .................................................................................................................. 136
- Task 36: Earth Science Data Operations Facility Support ......................................... i................. 137
Task 26
&29: Digital Libraries......................................................................................................... 138
Appendices
A: Future Earth Remote Sensing Missions Seminar Series ....................................................... 140
B: Data Compression Conference ........................................................................................... 148
C: Technical Report Series ..................................................................................................... 160
D: Dissertation Series............................................................................................................. 200
E: CESDIS Personnel ............................................................................................................ 206
vi
USRA AND THE CESDIS SCIENCE COUNCIL
The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) operates CESDIS under acontract with
NASA. USRA isa consortium of colleges and universities, currently numbering over 75, with
graduate research programs in space sciences or related areas. USRA also operates research
centers and programs at other NASA centers, including the Institute for Computer Applications in
Science and Engineering (ICASE) at the NASA Langley Research Center and the Research
Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) at the NASA Ames Research Center. USRA is
governed by itsmember institutions through a Council of Institutions and a Board ofTrustees and is
led by its President, Dr. Paul J. Coleman, Professor of Space Physics at UCLA, and its Executive
Director, Dr. W. David Cummings.
Each USRA institute or program isoverseen bya Science Council thatserves, ineffect, as a
scientificboard ofdirectors. Science Councilmembersare appointed by the USRA Boardof
Trustees andtypicallyserve three year terms. Members ofthe CESDIS Science Council during
1993-94 were:
• Dr. Lawrence Snyder (Convenor) • Dr. Patricia Selinger
University of Washington IBM Almaden Research Center
• Dr. David DeWitt • Dr. Harold S. Stone
University of Wisconsin IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center
• Dr. S. Lennart Johnsson • Dr. Michael R. Stonebraker
Thinking Machines Corporation University of California at Berkeley
• Dr. Michael O'Donnell • Dr. Satish K. Tr_ath]
University of Chicago University of Maryland
• Dr. Theodosios Pavlidis
State University of New York at Stony Brook
The CESDIS Science Council typically meets twice during each year at Goddard to review
ongoing CESDIS research programs and future plans. The Science Council met this year on
January 10-11 and on July 7, 1994.
vii
viii
(Tasks 1and 26)
ACTING DIRECTOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ACTIVITIES
Terrence W. Pratt
With the retirement of Raymond Miller as CESDIS Director, Associate Director Terry Pratt as-
sumed the role of Acting Director on October 1. Hewill serve in this capacity until a new Director is
selected while continuing to perform as many of the functions of the Associate Director as possible.
ACTING DIRECTOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ACTIVITIES
Biographical Sketch
CESDIS was undergoing profound changes during 1993-94. Through
Dr. Pratt earned B.A., September 1993, Dr. Raymond Miller continued as CESDIS Director,
with Dr. Terrence Pratt serving as Associate Director. Dr. Miller retired
M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in
from his CESDIS position at the end of September 1993. From October
mathematics andcomputer
1993 through June 1994 Dr. Pratt served as Acting Director while a
science at the University of
search was made for a new permanent Director. This section was
Texas at Austin. Prior to
written by Dr. Pratt.
joining CESDIS, he held
teaching and research
From July through September 1993, we were primarily concerned
positions at Michigan State
with two major CESDIS initiatives. The first was the startup of the ten
University in East Lansing,
new university projects inthe areas of parallel input/output, parallel
the University of Texas at
database management systems, and intelligent data management that
Austin, and the University of
had been chosen for awards under the CESDIS HPCC Basic Research
Virginia in Charlottesville. At
the latter he wasone of the Program in Parallel Computing. The first annual reports from these ten
founders of the Institute for projects appear elsewhere inthis report.
Parallel Computation and
An important part of the Associate Director's job is to manage and
served as its first director.
facilitate the research collaborations between NASA researchers and
the university projects funded by this program. To this end CESDIS
During the 1980s, Dr.
Pratt worked with ICASE hosted visits by most of the Pl's of these projects to Goddard during the
year and also visited some of the Pl's at their home institutions.
and NASA Langley scien-
tists on the development of
The second major initiative during this period was the support by
languages and environ-
CESDIS of the peer review process needed by NASA for the hundreds
ments for parallel comput-
ers. He is the author of two of proposals submitted inresponse to the Applied Information Systems
Research Program NRA 93-OSSA-09. We advised Dr. Glenn Mucklow
books: Programming
of NASA Headquarters concerning the number and size of the review
Languages: Design and
• panels, the proposals to be assigned to each panel, and the member-
Implementation (Prentice-
ship of each panel. We also assisted insoliciting mail reviews and in
Hall, 2d edition, 1984); and,
Pascal: A New Introduction tabulating the results. Awards were made by NASA under this program
in late Fall 1993. Unlike the previous round of awards under this pro-
to Computer Science
gram, the administrative management of these new awards will not be
(Prentice-Hall, 1990).
handled by CESDIS.
Dr. Pratt _samember of
During the period from October 1993 through_April 1994, CESDIS
the Association of Comput-
saw rapid growth in its scientific and technical staff. We added two
ing Machinery, the IEEE,
and SIAM. In 1972-73 he permanent Staff Scientists and a Program Coordinator, doubling the
staff inthese positions. A third temporary Staff Scientist position was
served as anACM National
also added from November 1993 through June 1994.
Lecturer, and in 1977-78 a
SIAM Visiting Lecturer. His
research interests include The 1993-94 CESDIS year saw the development of the Digital
Libraries Technology program within the Space Data and Computing
parallel computation,
Division at Goddard. This program is part of the HPCC/IITA program at
programming languages,
NASA. Inpreparation for a CESDIS Poleinthis program as it develops
and the theory of program-
over the next several years, we participated in numerous meetings and
ming.
discussions during the year as to the shape and organization of this
program.
During the period July 1993 through November 1993, we pursued the
possibility of a project with Hughes Applied Information Systems, the
holders of the master contract for the EOSDIS.Core System, to build a
program of collaborations between Hughes and university computer
science researchers. Although ultimately unsuccessful incompleting this