AstroGrid: VO service for the UK

到2007年底，AstroGrid项目将完成运行虚拟天文台（VO）系统所需的所有核心基础设施软件组件的开发，并将具有建立和运行原型工作系统的经验。利用AstroGrid软件产品和关键数据中心工作人员的技能，我们建议为英国天文学家构建一个全面可操作和可持续的VO服务。这将涉及几个领域的工作。(i)在每个数据中心站点建立核心VO服务——注册表、作业执行服务、MySpace和社区认证。（ii）根据VO标准和VO接口发布商定的特定主要数据服务和应用程序清单。（iii）与天文学界合作，利用VO优化主要任务的科学回报，包括用户指南、帮助台和培训讲习班。（iv）与英国所有部门的系统管理员和工具编写者合作，提供培训研讨会，提供他们希望部署的任何组件的自动化和可靠的自动安装版本，以及任何语言的工具与VO服务交互的简单方法。维持核心软件产品并将其升级至工程标准。随着IVOA和其他电子科学领域的标准逐渐成熟，新的功能将被添加，重新设计将是必要的。紧跟不断变化的技术格局，评估新技术和构建可能的新基础设施组成部分的原型。这项服务将为英国的所有天文学家提供服务，但它的服务主要集中在少数几个关键中心。该联盟由参与构建AstroGrid产品的机构组成，这些机构密切参与了未来十年预期的所有关键数据库的交付，例如XMM， WFCAM， VISTA， SDO, Planck， GAIA， ALMA和WFMOS（更多任务……）。确保这些数据库可以通过VO接口使用是这个项目的主要目的。在建造每一个这些设施或特派团方面都进行了大量投资，并且已经或即将在这些特派团的基本数据管理方面进行大量投资- -数据的流水线和存档。将所有这些数据集集成到VO基础设施中，并建立和运营核心VO服务，如数据发现、工作流、社区存储、单点登录和工具互操作性，将以相对较少的资金大大提高科学水平。大部分成本是安装、维护和改进服务所需的人员，用于运行核心服务和改进网络的硬件投资很少。

By the end of 2007, the AstroGrid project will have completed development all of the core infrastructure software components needed for an operational Virtual Observatory (VO) system, and will have had experience setting up and running a prototype working system. Using both the AstroGrid software product, and the skills of key data centre staff, we propose to construct a fully operational and sustainable VO service for UK astronomers. This will involve several areas of work. (i) Setting up core VO services at each data centre site - Registry, Job Execution Service, MySpace, and Community Authentication. (ii) Publishing an agreed list of specific prime data services and applications, to VO standards and with VO interfaces. (iii) Working with the astronomy community to optimise science return from key missions, using the VO - including user guides, helpdesk, and training workshops. (iv) Working with system administrators and tools writers across all UK departments, providing training workshops, automated and reliable auto-install versions of any components they wish to deploy, and easy methods for tools in any language to interact with VO services. (v) Maintaining and upgrading the core software product to engineering standards. New functionality will be added, and re-engineering will be necessary as the standards emerging from the IVOA and the rest of the e-Science world mature. (vi) Keeping abreast of the changing technology landscape, assessing new technologies and constructing prototypes of possible new infrastructure components. The service will be run for the benefit of all astronomers in the UK, but its delivery is centred on a handful of key centres. The consortium consists of institutions which were involved in constructing the AstroGrid product, and which are closely involved in the delivery in just about all of the key databases expected over the next decade - such as XMM, WFCAM, VISTA, SDO, Planck, GAIA, ALMA, and WFMOS (more missions ...). Ensuring that these databases are available through VO interfaces is the main aim of this project. Huge investment has been made in building each of these facilities or missions, and substantial investment has been or will soon be made in the basic data management for these missions - pipelining and archiving the data. Integrating all these datasets into the VO infrastructure, and setting up and operating core VO services such as data discovery, workflow, community storage, single sign on, and tool interoperability, will add substantially improved science for relatively little money. Most of the cost is in the staff required to install, maintain, and improve services, with a small hardware investment for running core services and improved networking.