e-Viz
• Towards an Adaptive Framework for Visualization on the Grid
http://www.eviz.org/
e-Vizzers
UW Swansea
UW Bangor
U Manchester
U Leeds
• e-Viz is a three year joint research project funded by UK EPSRC
• Four partner universities:– University of Leeds– (Ken Brodlie, Jason Wood)
– University of Manchester – (John Brooke, Mark Riding)
– University of Wales, Bangor (Nigel John, Chris Hughes)
– University of Wales, Swansea– (Min Chen, David Chisnall, Mark
Jones, Nicolas Roard)
http://www.eviz.org/
What problem are we trying to solve?
DataChoose
Visualization Algorithm
ChooseSoftware toImplementAlgorithm
ChooseHardwareto run on
Which areapplicable to
the data?
Which isthe mostsuitable?
What’sfastest?
Availability?
Domain Scientist Visualization Specialist e-Scientist
http://www.eviz.org/
Why are we trying to solve this?
• Because not all potential Grid visualization users are experts in visualization and Grid technologies.
http://www.eviz.org/
Why are we trying to solve this?
Visualization Experience
Grid Experience
Application Scientists
Visualization Specialists
Grid & Visualization Developers
e-Scientists
http://www.eviz.org/
Putting Visualization on the Grid
• Can the Grid help? – it’s supposed to be:– heterogeneous in architecture– seamless and transparent in use– fault tolerant in operation – capable of adapting to the changing environment in
order to provide the best service.
http://www.eviz.org/
What can the Grid offer?
• Heterogeneity: architectures
SMP
NUMA
Desktop
Specialised
Computation Rendering
Cluster
http://www.eviz.org/
What can the Grid offer?
• Heterogeneity: operating systems
Linux Irix AIX
Solaris BSD HP/UX
Windows MacOS
http://www.eviz.org/
What can the Grid offer?
• Heterogeneity: visualization software
AVS IRIS Explorer OpenDX
VTK rtrt Simian
Volumizer Matlab
http://www.eviz.org/
What can the Grid offer?
• Heterogeneity: Implications
– There are a wide variety of architectures, operating systems and software applications used in visualization.
– Each has it’s own particular rewards and benefits, but we can’t expect every Grid user to be knowledgeable and proficient with each, or even to know which is the most appropriate for a given task.
– Want to be able to offer the power afforded by each application to all potential users of visualization.
http://www.eviz.org/
What can the Grid offer?
• Seamlessness and transparency: Implications
– End users should only have to learn one interface, but still be able to benefit from the features offered by a wide range of applications.
– But each visualization application has it’s own user interface…
– … and every operating system looks and behaves differently
http://www.eviz.org/
What can the Grid offer?
• Fault tolerance: Implications
– “A distributed system is one in which the failure of a computer you didn’t even know existed can render your own computer unusable” – Leslie Lamport
– “A Grid system is one in which the failure of a computer you didn’t even know existed goes by unnoticed”
– Users should be able to rely on the Grid
http://www.eviz.org/
What can the Grid offer?
• Fault Tolerance - User Scenario… keyboard,
please
http://www.eviz.org/
What can the Grid offer?
• Adaptation: Implications
– The world is dynamic and ever changing; so is the Grid.– Network loads and status– Queues on HPC machines– Runtime limits on HPC machines– CPU loading, both remotely and locally– A Grid system should adapt to cope with changes
http://www.eviz.org/
How can we solve this problem?
http://www.eviz.org/
What is Visualization?
VisualizationData Image
http://www.eviz.org/
What is Visualization?
Filter Map RenderData Image
http://www.eviz.org/
What is Visualization?
Filter Map RenderData Image
Controls
http://www.eviz.org/
What is Visualization?
VisualizationData Image
Controls
http://www.eviz.org/
Common Abstract Interface
VisualizationData Image
Controls
http://www.eviz.org/
Common Abstract Interface
VisualizationData Image
Controls
ComputationalSteering
FrameTransport
FormatConversion
http://www.eviz.org/
Common Abstract Interface
VTKData Image
Controls
ComputationalSteering
FrameTransport
FormatConversion AVS/ExpressIRIS Explorer
http://www.eviz.org/
Common Abstract Interface
Data Image
Controls
ComputationalSteering
FrameTransport
FormatConversion VTK rtrtAVS Simian
http://www.eviz.org/
Common Abstract Interface
• Feasibility– can we create equivalent visualizations using different
software packages?
http://www.eviz.org/
Equivalent Visualizations?
http://www.eviz.org/
Equivalent Visualizations?
http://www.eviz.org/
Abstraction
• Need to describe the pipeline itself – need an abstract visualization description language– gViz project gives us skML
Visualization
ComputationalSteering
FrameTransport
FormatConversion
http://www.eviz.org/
Abstraction
• Format Conversion– Most visualization software applications can already
read a wide range of data formats
Visualization
ComputationalSteering
FrameTransport
FormatConversion
http://www.eviz.org/
Abstraction
• Computational Steering
Visualization
ComputationalSteering
FrameTransport
FormatConversion
http://www.eviz.org/
Abstraction
• Computational Steering– RealityGrid or gViz APIs can be used to control a
running pipeline– Visualization applications must be instrumented to
expose their steerable pipeline parameters– Currently instrumented VTK and RTRT (real time ray
tracer)
– GUI created, which is really a specialised Computational Steering client
- Reads in a pipeline description and dynamically configures itself to show appropriate widgets
http://www.eviz.org/
Abstraction
• Frame Transport
Visualization
ComputationalSteering
FrameTransport
FormatConversion
http://www.eviz.org/
Abstraction
• Frame Transport– Images can be rendered locally or remotely – in either
case, they need to be displayed on the user’s own machine, as well as any collaborators
– Have created a library to compress remote images and transport them back to the client for display. Visualization applications can be modified to use the library
– Range of image compression codecs– Local rendering supported via a rendering overlay– Linux and Windows clients
http://www.eviz.org/
What do we still need?
• Decision making– What visualizations are applicable for a given input data
type– Which of the available hardware and software is most
suitable to implement such a pipeline– User may not know the answer to these questions –
provide assistance
http://www.eviz.org/
Architecture
Software Store
Client Broker
Data Store
HPV Machine HPV Machine HPV Machine HPV MachineHPV Machine
WSRF
Globus
gViz
e-Viz
http://www.eviz.org/
Architecture (Current)
Client Broker
HPV Machine HPV Machine HPV Machine HPV MachineHPV Machine
Software StoreData Store
WSRF
Globus
gViz
e-Viz
http://www.eviz.org/
Demonstration 1
• gViz Pollution Demonstrator - shows– Active simulations as a data source– Computational steering of an active visualization– Common interface to servers
http://www.eviz.org/
Demonstration 1
http://www.eviz.org/
Demonstration 2
• Volume Render Demonstrator – shows– Heterogeneous access to multiple servers– (Almost) seamless switching between servers– Fault tolerance through redundancy
http://www.eviz.org/
Demonstration 2
http://www.eviz.org/
The Knowledge Gap
• The Broker has a knowledgebase which it will use to make informed decisions on pipeline choices.
• It’s empty!
http://www.eviz.org/
How to Distribute?
Filter Map RenderData Image
http://www.eviz.org/
How to Distribute?
Filter Map RenderData Image
http://www.eviz.org/
How to Distribute?
Filter Map Render
Data Image
http://www.eviz.org/
How to Distribute?
Filter Map Render
Data Image
http://www.eviz.org/
How to Distribute?
Filter Map Render
Data Image
http://www.eviz.org/
When to Distribute?
• Depends on– Where the dataset resides– How big the dataset is– Network bandwidth– Available machines– Chosen algorithm– Queue status– CPU capabilities– Graphical capabilities– …..
http://www.eviz.org/
Other problems
• Single point of failure in the broker
http://www.eviz.org/
Conclusions
• e-Viz has created a framework for visualization on the Grid that is:– Heterogeneous in architecture– Seamless and transparent in use– Fault tolerant– Adaptive (potentially)
• But much more to be done! (project runs another 16 months)
http://www.eviz.org/
For more information
• See a live demo:– Tuesday 22nd, 14:00-16:30, White Rose Grid stand
• Project Web Site:– http://www.eviz.org
• email:– [email protected]