Introduction to EXPReS - Beyond production e-VLBI services

1. Introduction to EXPReS- Beyond production e-VLBI services T. Charles Yun Program Manager EXPReS Project, JIVE

2. Presentation Overview EXPReS Presentation in Two Parts 1) Hayo Hase, BKG, UdeC-TIGO, Chile 2) T. Charles Yun, EXPReS Project, JIVE, the Netherlands Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile

3. Introduction to EXPReS What is EXPReS? • EXPReS = Express Production Real-time e-VLBI Service The overall objective of EXPReS is to create a production-level, real-time, “electronic” VLBI (e-VLBI) service, in which the radio telescopes are reliably connected to the central supercomputer at JIVE in the Netherlands, via a high-speed optical-fibre communication network... - or - Make e-VLBI routine, reliable and realistic for astronomers Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile

4. Introduction to EXPReS EXPReS Details • EXPReS is made possible by the European Commission (DG-INFSO), Sixth Framework Programme, Contract #026642 • Project Details • Three year, started March 2006 • International collaboration • Funded at 3.9 million EUR • Means: high-speed communication networks operating in real-time and connecting some of the largest and most sensitive radio telescopes on the planet Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile

5. Introduction to EXPReS EXPReS Partners 19 partners, 21 telescopes, 6 continents, 7500 km longest baseline Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile

6. Introduction to EXPReS EXPReS Partners • Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (coordinator), the Netherlands • AARNET Pty Ltd., Australia • ASTRON, the Netherlands • Centro Nacional de Informacion Geografica, Spain • Chalmers Tekniska Hoegskola Aktiebolag, Sweden • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia • Cornell University, USA • Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe Ltd. (DANTE), UK • Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Italy • Instytut Chemii Bioorganicznej PAN, Poland • Max Planck Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V., Germany • National Research Foundation, South Africa • Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China • SURFNet b.v., The Netherlands • Teknillinen Korkeakoulu, Finland • The University of Manchester, UK • Universidad de Concepcion, Chile • Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika, Poland • Ventspils Augstskola, Latvia Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile

7. e-VLBI Primer e-VLBI and Correlation • Source of data is celestial. Data is recorded by multiple telescopes at very high data rates. All the data must be sent to the same location to be processed (correlated) simultaneously. • The quality of the image increases with increased data collection rates, additional telescopes and the distance between telescopes. • The EVN MkIV data correlator at JIVE is a dedicated, purpose designed/built hardware (a super computer; ~100 T ops/sec). Synthesis imaging simulates a very large telescope by measuring Fourier components of sky brightness on each baseline pair. Input data is 1 Gb/s max. Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile

8. Introduction to VLBI Once upon a time... • Everything was slow • Telescopes collected data on tapes… heavy and bulky… • Sent via postal mail… sorting tapes when they arrive… tapes were lost/damaged… • Hard drive arrays slightly improved the situation... • It was not unusual for the time between experiment to the beginning of correlation to be multiple weeks. • The entire cycle could easily require 6+months CFP -> approval -> experiment -> correlation -> processing -> publication • Today, you can transport the data over the network and expedite all stages of the process e-VLBI - electronic VLBI Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile

9. Introduction to VLBI Why transport data over the network? • Using the network to transport data improves science • Eliminating the need to move physical objects enables: • Real time analysis • Ability to identify minor problems in data collection • Hybrid observations • Responsiveness to transient events • Automated observation (hands-off observing) • Networked data supports flexible analysis • Hayo’s talk addresses a specific example of observations possible only with e-VLBI Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile

10. Introduction to Correlation Why “Grid-ify” correlation? • Grid computing offers promising possibilities: • keep up with input (e.g., LOFAR on BlueGene) • Higher precision and new applications • Better sensitivity, interference mitigation, spacecraft navigation • Can CPU cycles be found on the Grid? • From 16 antenna @ 1Gb/s (eVLBI) To 1000s at 100 Gb/s (SKA) Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile

11. Reflection Where we are now, Lessons Learned EXPReS is moving into its second year as a project with additional sites obtaining connectivity and participating in e-VLBI. • International networking is coordination • EXPReS participants on 6 continents working towards a coherent, single, international facility. • Networking assumes connectivity • Several sites are now connected at Gbps, many have significantly improved connectivity, however… • “Last mile” issues continue and will require cooperation across multiple projects Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile

12. Conclusion Questions/Answers • Contact information T. Charles Yun Project Manager EXPReS (JIVE) tcyun \at\ jive dot nl • Additional Information http://expres-eu.org/ [note: only one “s”] http://www.jive.nl/ • EXPReS is made possible through the support of the European Commission (DG-INFSO), Sixth Framework Programme, Contract #026642 Internetworking 2006- Santiago, Chile