ALMASW .nbsp;MNGPUB .nbsp;2003-12-31 (edit)
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_Because of the holiday season for December we only have group and personal activity reports (HowToEnterYourActivityReport). You might also want to check on [[Open Actions]]._ Early report this month as it is the alleged festive season. Continued with the tasks for UserTest1. For me this was mainly getting the display of SchedulingBlocks and ObsUnitSets to a sufficient level to give testers the feel of what things will be like in the long run - and for them to give us feeback on how they think it could be improved. I had numerous issues with the Java garbage collector being rather too enthusiastic about collecting SBs, as the XML model of referring to entities via entity ids rather than direct links didn't translate into Java terribly well. To do in the next month: * Consider how and when entities are retrieved from the archive * Schema modifications to support user properties on objects and making names persistent. * Look into making out Java wrapper classes more system wide rather than just an ObsPrep set of classes - if you have any thoughts or requirements on this then please let me know. * Sleep for a fortnight whilst on vacation (20th Dec - 4th Jan inclusive) ---++++ Main.FannyCorsetCosson ---++++ Main.LindseyDavis * completed port of ICD/PIPELINE to ACS3.0 * completed port of PIPELINE code to ACS3.0 * completed port of PIPELINE tests to ACS3.0 and ARCHIVE_20031215 * completed testing existing protopipeline code against the new /aips++/protopipe branch * began testing the new autoflag component * completed automation of the demo micropipeline script * acquired 4 GRB test data sets and began work on the GRB python scripts ---++++ Main.AllenFarris * Scheduling * Held contact meeting on recent activity on the scheduling subsystem. * Created scheduling TWiki web page. * Submitted an abstract to SPIE on the scheduling simulator. * Worked on internal changes to the planning mode simulator to make the scheduler and dynamic scheduling algorithm more compatible with the real mode software. * Partially completed conversion of ICD document to TWiki format. * HLA * Wrote comments on the ALMA data model. * Assisted offline data reduction on designing VOTables for the export data format. * Arranged for trip to ESO to work on the ALMA data model. ---++++ Main.SimonFarrow * Sorted out some issues with the lt;nopgt;XmlStore implementation * Finished initial development of Archive Browser/Managment Software ---++++ Main.DavidFugate * lots of minor issues from ACS TWIKI task list completed. * all(?) ACS GUIs print out the time in ISO8601 format. * designed an administrative interface for the NC API. * preliminary design of a Python component simulator. * lots of work on ACS modular tests...much more deterministic. * finished Python XML Error System integration with Bogdan. * tons of ACS Support. * Vacation ---++++ Main.BrianGlendenning * Spent some time looking into licensing issues. * Some discussions about whether we need to support high resolution correlator modes in which the lags come out of more than one quadrant (I think we do, but we can wait until COTS equipment makes it feasible). * Started doing contact meetings in a new way: http://almasw.hq.eso.org/almasw/bin/view/MNGPUB/ContactMeetings * Participated in several job interviews * With Gianni wrote our quarterly and other reports (e.g., bi-weekly) for the JAO, and wrote the North American bi-monthly report (see a trend?) * Participated in startup meetings for the new PMCS (project management control system). Impact on us is still not clear. * Discussed with Gianni slipping CDR2 by a quarter and we made a proposal to the JAO. This is not yet accepted, but the discussions have been positive. * (Finally) prepared a management summary of the Santa Fe meeting: http://almasw.hq.eso.org/almasw/bin/view/MNGPUB/DesignMeetingSantaFeNovember2003 * Discussed how to minimize the amount of work by subsystem in the ALMA Systems Design Review (Summary: Brian, Debra, Gianni, Joe Schwarz, and Robert will try to do most of it). ---++++ Main.PrebenGrosbol * adding documentation to the Executive TWiki * preliminary layout of lt;nopgt;ExecMaster configuration file * testing of Executive software with ACS-3.0 ---++++ Main.DongshanGuo * Off-line Targets During December * Investgated other plotting tools for improving aips++ msplot tool. * Conducted a survey of the plotting tools used in other major observatories. * Installed and ran Mirage, Ptplot, Topcat, Voplot, Grace, ppgplot and WIP plotting tools on my machine for comparison. * Protopipeline Targets During December * Implemented AIPS++ component MesurementSet, continued to add new methods to the "ms" distributed component. * Continued developing a python script and a glish script for testing the ms implemantation. The table lock problem of running the python script has influenced the progress. * Spent some time for building ACS-3.0 and protopipe in a VMWare virtual machine with RH7.2 on the top of my RH9.0. * Spent some time to modify my code and environment to adapt the changes of the AIPS++ code branch for the protopipeline. ---++++ Main.BirgerGustafsson * No activity for ALMA ---++++ Main.HeikoHafok ---++++ Main.BogdanJeram ---++++ Main.JeffKern * Began production of sufficient AMBSI1s and AMBSI2s to meet the forseeable need for integration. AMBSI1 documentation updated to reflect current design and standards. Developed capability to program and test AMBSI1s. * Successful firmware upgrade of Optical Point Telescope as ATF * Continued implementation of AMB interface under RTAI. The system was redesigned late in the month to allow a better interaction between the AMB and the CDB. Pending projects: * Complete the AMB interface and document for porting TICS software to new system * Program new AMBSI1s. * Return to the delay tracking software and the CORBAlt;-gt;CALC interface. ---++++ Main.RobertLucas * One more interview for SSR NN2 position * Studied data rate Design Science Reference Projects: merged all SSR input in a single spreadsheet. * SSR meeting * Tel Cal Contact meeting * Operations telecon on December 20th * Spent also some time at the ATF on antenna testing. * IRAM workshop (three days) ---++++ Main.JohnLightfoot ---++++ Main.KohIchiroMorita ---++++ Main.RalphMarson ---++++ Main.JosephMcMullin * Coordination of targets for SS4 (CDR/TST1); update of target lists, distribution, etc. Provide test sheets for internal work. Tracking table for data sets, defects and distribution targets related to TST1. Numerous meetings associated with this to bring in more internal testers from within the observatory. Some evaluation of our testing process by Brian and Debra. * Reduction of NGC 7538 dataset; script and cookbook comments. * Work with ATNF outlining collaboration strategy and communications. * Work outlining the scopeamp;responsibilities for the data capture process; work with Heiko outlining priorities/long term plan for data flow - Heiko took over very quickly! Initial sequence diagram (with Ralph) and planning. * Updates to project pages based on initial NAUG verification tests. * Submitted ADASS poster as manuscript * Work on hiring for SO2481, culling list; phone interview with top candidate. Initial contact with two others. * Planning sessions on visualization xyplots and viewer. * Some down-time (9 days vacation and Christmas holiday) ---++++ Main.HolgerMeuss * Migration of lt;nopgt;MonitorStore to ACS 3.0 * Minor improvements in lt;nopgt;BulkStore implementation * Migrated and improved tests for lt;nopgt;BulkStore and lt;nopgt;MonitorStore to ACS 3.0 * Put discussion document and lt;nopgt;BulkStore release notes on Twiki * Christmas holidays ---++++ Main.DirkMuders Continued with heuristics sequence diagrams for the standard interferometry and single dish reductions. On this level, the sequence mainly looks like this: * fetch calibration data from archive * determine calibration strategy depending on goals * calibrate * fetch science data * determine gridding / imaging strategy * grid * image The real heuristics is in the "strategy" steps. Next I will look into the detailed use cases about single field data reduction to fill in those details. But in principle this will be of the kind "Use a number of predefined input parameters and calculate a probability for each of the known calibration / gridding / imaging options. Apply the one with the highest rank." The astronomical expert knowledge is needed to calculate the probabilities. It looks like one could apply a neural network to this problem. I identified 4 major sources of input for the heuristics decisions: 1.) Science goals 2.) Source properties (geometrical (e.g. outflow) / velocity (e.g. gradients)) 3.) Observation properties (environmental conditions, Tsys, TelCal Results, etc.) 4.) Intermediate data reduction properties (RMS, SNR, etc.) 1.) and 2.) are defined by the observer in the Observing Program. 3.) comes from the meta data and TelCal. 4.) is calculated by the heuristics / pipeline. Had a heuristics telecon on 12/11. Major results / Action Items were: * Dirk shall collect the currently known details about Science Goals and Source Parameters for use in the Observing Tool. After an iteration within the heuristics group this list will be sent to Alan Bridger as the first draft of items to be exposed in the OT. * Debra shall ask about the ALMA Calibration Plan. This already happened and we now have a version that is close to current. The Plan is to be studied be the heuristics to find out if there are major impacts on its design. * The heuristics input parameters shall be defined for R1.1 as far as they can be forseen now. ---++++ Main.JuanPardo ---++++ Main.MorenoPasquato * Period: 25 Nov 2003 - 18 Dec 2003 * ITS * Created script ChangeEnv to change ACS environment variables * Built tools on te20/20 for Linux 7.2/7.3 * Update Intlist Release Notes * Posted a FAQ in FAQOMATIC for changing environment variables * Written the first Java template for using JUnit in unit tests * SE * Alma Software and Hardware document updated * Created page in Twiki for Document Identification * Created page in Twiki for documenting the ASB scripts * Created graphs as required by Brian Glendenning for R1 * ASB_checker script: added new feature (not report spr creted 7 days before the ASB) * Created an xsl style sheet file for adding java coding standards error figures in the xml Jtest output * First investigation for Doxygen man pages generation. Ongoing * Modify a Sybase slq query, in a perl script, to create a graph with more than 16 plots on it. * Update the EditorMessangers file for the new XMLSpy key license released to customers * Created the first draft for automatic creation of ICD document via doxygen ---++++ Main.JesusPerez * Worked on software necessary for prototype correlator delivery to AOC including changes to GUI that provides storage of lags/spectra generated by the CDP for offline manipulations * Moved to new facilities ---++++ Main.AlainPerrigouard * Raster capabilities added in the ticsAntMount Python gui. ---++++ Main.JimPisano * Tested and debugged many aspects of the ATF 0.1 software. * Moved our offices and lab to the new building (NRAO-NTC) ---++++ Main.MartinPokorny * Created focus-scan observing script for ATF. * Partially rationalized observing mode functions at ATF; that is, fewer observing modes are truly distinct as a result of including more options into the remaining modes. (Most of this is not visible from the user's perspective, but it reduces code size and increases code flexibility.) * Caught up on latest FTS and system design documentation, and started thinking about LO and fringe tracking software design. ---++++ Main.GianniRaffi * Input and interactions with Ops Group, to support Ops Plan preparation * Input to Site about OSF buildings * TWiki Communications page (COMMs) established. This page has access limited to the Computing Comms team, so that commercial information can be entered (e.g. equipment ordered). * Calendar of Computing Milestones on TWiki and other admin items * Draft of OSF building/Computing ICD prepared ---++++ Main.KenRamey ---++++ Main.ScottRankin * ITS * Progress * Found a candidate to fill the ITS position. Coordinated work related to hiring this candidate. * Started collecting data for the ITS "Model Test Systems" project - see ITS TWiki. * Started collecting data for the Python portion of the Subsystem Test Examples. * Issues * Finding a candidate to fill the vacant ITS position has consumed a lot of time from other activities. * This position has been filled, so this issue should be resolved. * Activities * Create Subsystem Test Examples in Python. * Help the new ITS person, Thomas Powers, be productive. * Correlator * Progress * Ported a small subset of CORR code delivered for R1 to ACS 3.0. * Issues * The CORR code port to ACS 3.0 is due by the end of December, 2003. This was not completed, due to time required for ITS and SE assignments. * Jim Pisano and Rodrigo Amestica have taken over the remaining ACS 3.0 port work. * Activities * I no longer work on the Correlator subsystem. * SE * Progress * Sifted many resumes for the vacant SE position. * Conducted telephone interviews for potential SE candidates. * Scheduled on site interviews for two SE candidates. * Created and documented a CVS module to be used by ALMA Software developers to gain experience with CVS without putting their development code at risk. Announced this CVS practice area and docs to ALMA Software Developers. * Issues * Finding a candidate to fill the vacant SE position has consumed a lot of time from other activities. * Activities * Continue searching for candidates for the vacant SE position. * Publish Java GUI guidelines. * Other * Progress * Moved activity reports to ALMA Software TWiki. * Consulted with Control subsystem developers on plans for hardware diagnostic software. * Consulted with Control subsystem developers on some simple tools to eliminate the need to be logged in as root for RTAI software development. * Read ACS 3.1 Development plans, provided feedback as requested. * Issues * None * Activities * None -- Main.ScottRankin - 22 Dec 2003 ---++++ Main.SohailaRoberts * Finished porting SCHEDULING to ACS 3.0. * Wrote test clients for the notification channel wrapper classes that are now in ACS. Checked those into ACS/LGPL/CommonSoftware/jcontnc/test in CVS. * Wrote a section on the notification channel wrapper classes for the notification channel tutorial. * Worked with Simon to test the archive * Started a GUI for scheduling?s interactive mode. ---++++ Main.RaymondRusk lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;Off-line and Protopipeline Targets Worked on During December lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;Implement AIPS++ components (images/tables) lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;I continued to add new methods to the "image" distributed component. The large number of methods and the complexity of their parameters has kept progress slow.lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;I have begun work on the Tables distributed object in parallel with work on images. The Tables skeleton code is now in the C'ville CVS repository. Since there is no DOtables the scope of work required to implement the tables methods is unclear.lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;I also spent some time building my laptop with RH9.0, AIPS++ and ACS. During the process I took a quick look at Darrell Schiebel's new AIPS++ rpms.lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;The AIPS++ code branch for the protopipeline was updated so I had to spend some time bringing the AIPS++ build environment on my two workstations and laptop back into sync with it.lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;While on vacation I spent about one and a half days getting ACS-3.0 to run with reasonable reliability within a RH7.2 VMWare guest OS on my RH9 laptop. I also spent about half a day working on the "images" distributed object. I hope to spend two or three more days working on "images" while I am holidays but from today (Dec 26) until Jan 5, I probably will not have internet access for email and to check-in code updates.lt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;Sampler design for simulator lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;Not startedlt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;ALMA TST1 testing - n7538 lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;Read some of the background material. Not sure when I can fit this in. I wasn't able to get to it before Christmas so it looks like early January now.lt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;Automatically web publish benchmark results lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;The Grav Lens benchmark results are now available online. Kumar is to provide a template for a Benchmark #1 summary page.lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;I haven't had time yet to build the latest AIPS++ stable on the benchmarking machine using the recently introduced RCS-to-CVS migration procedure; I probably will not migrate the benchmarking machine to CVS until after the holidays. At that point a decision on whether it is upgraded from RH8.0 to RH9.0 also needs to be made.lt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;Benchmark script preparation lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;The AIPS++, AIPS and MIRIAD scripts for the Pseudo Grav Lens 0957+561 benchmark are in place. Scripts are viewable online at http://shiraz.drao.nrc.ca:8080/AlmaDRPBenchmarks/results/Testcases/PseudoGravLens0957+561/.lt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;Benchmark web page development lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;The Grav Lens 0957_561 benchmark results for AIPS++, AIPS and MIRIAD are available at http://shiraz.drao.nrc.ca:8080/AlmaDRPBenchmarks/results/Testcases/PseudoGravLens0957+561/.lt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;Benchmark: re-format web numbers lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;Kumar is still working on the scripts and a template of how the numbers for the Pseudo Grav-Lens case should be displayed. I can't complete this task without that information.lt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;/ligt; lt;ligt;Canadian ALMA Software Hirings lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;I spent about 5 or 6 days reviewing resumes, developing a short-list of candidates, preparing interview questions and participating in candidate interviews for the two new University of Calgary ALMA SW positions.lt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;Other Non-target activities lt;ulgt; lt;ligt;Dec 3-4 - Standard First Aid/CPR Course, DRAOlt;/ligt; lt;ligt;Dec 17-Jan 5 - Christmas breaklt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; lt;/ligt; lt;/ulgt; ---++++ Main.DarrellSchiebel ---++++ Main.MarcusSchilling * OBSPREP + EXEC + ACS * Refactored lt;nopgt;AcsCommandCenter to be utilizable from OBSPREP lt;nopgt;ObservingTool and EXEC lt;nopgt;ExecMaster * Wrote script for silent and sync'd ACS startup (see Twiki ACS FAQs) * Investigated problems when using 2 Orbs within 1 JVM * EXEC * Ported to Acs3.0 * Ported to new Archive API * Researched Event Processing Languages: Evalutated GEM * Updated the TAT tests * OBSPREP * lt;nopgt;ObservingTool Web Start * Ported OBSPREP and ICD/OBSPREP to ACS3.0 * Set up lt;nopgt;ObservingTool Web Start * Reworked resource loading mechanism * Updated Web Start OT version to ACS3.0.1 * lt;nopgt;ProjectRepository * Ported it to new Archive API * Gave it its own CDB * Re-introduced interface translator code to optimize xml-storage performance * ACS * Investigated cpp-Container output problems ---++++ Main.JosephSchwarz * Worked with Heiko S. on generation of XML schemas, Java code, and html documentation from skeleton of ALMA Data Model expressed in UML (using Rose), with help from Markus Voelter. * Finished and submitted written version of talk given at ADASS XIII, entitled "The ALMA Software System." * Commented on successive drafts of ALMA Operations Plan. ---++++ Main.DebraShepherd * Continued to write the user cookbook for the Jan04 ALMA user test for the Offline subsystem. * Tested several datasets in aips++. Submitted bug reports or enhancement requests when necessary. Supported internal testing in preparation for the Jan04 external test. * Verified aips++ functionality for: * ms.split (split out calibrated data), * cal.opacity (apply opacity and gain corrections), * im.moments channel selection (easier channel selection to create moment maps), * im.continuumsub (image plane continuum subtraction), * ms.uvlsf (uv continuum subtraction), * BPOLY (polynomial fits for bandpass solutions), * GSPLINE (spline fits for time-dependent gain solutions) * Attended Pipeline heuristics meeting with Dirk, Lindsey, John Lightfoot. Worked out with Dirk what kind of information the offline subsystem tests can provide for heuristics development. * Attended the SSR meeting - action: must decide by 14jan04 on the next Benchmark dataset: MFS single-field or mosaicing. * Met with Chris Wilson to draft pipeline test criteria and testing plan. Gave the proposal to Lindsey Davis for review. * Attended two AIPS++ meetings/week to track development plans along with the monthly NRAO software testing group meetings. ---++++ Main.PaolaSivera * ICD integration and test * tat-eccs merged documentation prepared; still to be made public in a suitable place * preparation of Twiki pages for subsystem tests templates * preparation of C++ Unit test template ---++++ Main.HeikoSommer * fixed bug (xmlidl) that prevented generation of helper classes with certain IDL constructs used * investigated Castor namespace alias generation ("ns1:") and possible version upgrade, stirred by query problems reported from the archive; issue was finally resolved by the unexpected capability of Xindice to deal with such namespace aliases correctly... * started to use b+m generator framework for ALMA data model, with Markus V. and Joe * discussion and support about lt;nopgt;TATJUnitRunner * some vacations ---++++ Main.FritzStauffer ---++++ Main.AlastairStirling ---++++ Main.KenTatematsu * Attended SSR telecon on Dec 10 * Worked on ALMA-Japan computing hardware plan for 2007-2011 * Worked on ALMA-Japan RSC operation plan for 2005- * Worked on VO pipeline prototype ---++++ Main.FrancoisViallefond ---++++ Main.AndreasWicenec * Finished and submitted ADASS poster paper (available on Twiki). * Attended meeting with Joe and Heiko about Code Generation. * Fixed a problem with Archive machine after a power outage at ESO. * Tests of new version of BSD XML DB. * Investigation of Sybase capabilities. ---++++ Main.MicheleZamparelli * 2 half days of leave, one day of sick leave * Explained TWiki to Gianni * installed ACS-3.0 on sqa0, used static account for alma * Rose installation for Joe (minor) * NRI: * config file on the web * better semaphoring * Sinners List completed, sinner notification on hold until holiday * HTML layout changed * complete dynamic log on the web * remaining processes snapshots on the web * Java CS violations (SUN's) now archived * problem with JTest violations detected and unsolved as of now * Partial Porting to ACS-3.0 reflected in NRI's daily builds * TWiki, little mishap caused by me, suffered by KohIchiro * finally confirmed that TWiki locking works as expected * Bug in Makefile discovered thanks to Marcus Schilling * lost awful lot of time because of JTest behaviour with DISPLAY, after sqa0 reboot due to power failure * worked on Xvfb to finally solve long-standing problem of JTest (CS for Java and other stuff) * unplanned activity: support to TICS with CVS, problems dating back to CMM to CVS transition period only discovered now * investigation of CVS Problem with large files (minor, psivera) * learning XML and XSD * some discussions about Embedded Software Standards with Fabio and Andrea * some interaction with Scott about SE hiring, reading resumes (minor) -- Main.BrianGlendenning - 09 Dec 2003
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