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Online interactive information technology

Digital Information Group (DIG)

Digital Information GroupThe Digital Information Group (DIG) provides three principal activities associated with the provision, delivery, and use of online information technology:

  1. Web-based information and user documentation
  2. Website maintenance and development
  3. Outreach, education, and information transfer


Significant accomplishments for FY1999

During the period covered by this review, DIG has advanced the state of web-based information acquisition and has provided new and innovative mechanisms for accessing this information. Two significant accomplishments are:

  1. Creation of the "blackforest" website
  2. Acquisition of new web-site authoring software to provide a higher level of service to our users -- via the UCAR Enterprise Web Service

DIG continues to pursue latest-and-best web-oriented information technology and provides SCD with a nexus for filtering web-based technologies into the mainstream of useful products that benefit our specialized community of users. Moreover, as the division has embarked upon an aggressive strategy for acquiring the next generation of shared memory "cluster" architectures for use by the atmospheric sciences community, appropriate web-based information supporting this strategy have evolved.

This shift in computer architecture paradigm has necessitated a new level of interactive, web-based documentation and information provision. As maintainers of the SCD website and providers of content for that site, we have begun an innovative series of steps to ensure that users of SCD's computing environment will have access to the most relevant and important information to accomplish their scientific objectives.


1. Online Interactive Information Technology

DIG staff continues to provide web-based interactive information on all of the computing machines maintained by the division -- particularly the main compute engines that form the nucleus of SCD's Community Computing and Climate Simulation Laboratory research environments. As the division has moved away from vector processor machines to the new cluster, shared-memory paradigm, DIG has been heavily involved in generating, verifying, and publishing information to help users rapidly migrate to these new machines.


New blackforest web page created

Working in consort with the Technical Consulting Group, DIG provided new interactive documentation for "blackforest," an IBM RS/6000 SP supercomputing cluster. This effort was particularly challenging because virtually the entire staff required training in how to effectively program blackforest, and more importantly, how to move our current user base onto the new machine as seamlessly as possible. This made the creation of the blackforest website a high priority for the group; it will serve as a major template for future machine acquisitions of the shared memory variety.


Maintenance of current interactive documentation a priority

Other information resources used by our research community that were updated and/or maintained during the review period include:

Plans were also set in motion for the creation of a second major machine website to support the acquisition of a new COMPAQ ES40 cluster, scheduled to arrive in November 1999.


DIG produces SCDzine, CUG.log, and SCDUG reportage

DIG produced two issues of SCDzine, the online magazine for NCAR users, and upgraded its graphical user interface (GUI) for improved usability. As part of DIG's ongoing evaluation of web-based information, DIG is currently re-examining the mission of SCDzine.

DIG also produced the 1999 issue of CUG.log, the web newsletter of the international Cray User Group (CUG), and provided photo coverage of the annual CUG conference, held this year in Minneapolis.

DIG was responsible for bimonthly web reportage of the SCD User Group (SCDUG) meeting, a forum for SCD to share SCD news with other NCAR divisions and in which users voice questions and concerns.


Digital imaging services offered

DIG offered scanning, digital photography, and image processing services for the division. DIG acquired a state-of-the-art Sony Mavica FD91 digital camera, trained staff in its use, and provided photo coverage of SCD computers, events, people, and the SCD Advisory Panel. Examples of some of SCD's digital photos on the web are available at:

DIG staff also established the SCD Digital Images Archives, a repository for SCD and NCAR file photos.


2. Website maintenance and development

SCD website is over 306 pages and contains 726 links

During the reporting period, SCD's website grew to over 306 digital "pages" containing 726 links, making it one of the more complex websites to administer and maintain. DIG staff work on the site on a daily basis to ensure not only the accuracy of the information that is online, but also to maintain the link integrity of the site. As more information is added to the site (e.g., through new machine acquisitions, additional services offered, and internal "staff only" materials), DIG ensures that the web interface is easy to use and that all of our users (both research and staff) can quickly and easily navigate the site to find relevant information.


Dreamweaver added to suite of DIG web authoring and maintenance tools

DIG continued to evaluate and experiment with new, emergent web-based information management technologies over the past 12 months. Indeed, DIG identified and is now using a robust visual editing software package called Dreamweaver to create and manage our websites.

Dreamweaver is a state-of-the-art professional visual editor that provides us with many capabilities: site management, browser-specific content generation, "drag-and-drop" hypertext linking, dynamic HTML, link checking, and seamless formatting of tables, forms, and other HTML-intensive page components.

A principal advantage obtained via Dreamweaver is its ability to determine the browser level (version) of the client. This in turn gives DIG an unprecedented opportunity to author sites that can take full advantage of the latest HTML standard, Java, JavaScript, and Cascading Style Sheets and to author sites that exactly meet the capabilities of the client's browser.

This frees us from a major website authoring conundrum: what does the site look like on older version browsers? Put another way, SCD users who have the latest browser version will see a sophisticated, fully functional site on their browsers. Users who have lower version browsers with fewer capabilities, will see sites tuned to their browser capabilities. In short, SCD looks professional and competent on any browser anywhere on the Internet.


New SCD home page created

A new SCD home page was developed and deployed during this time period. The new home page is decidedly more "user-centric" than the previous division-centric version. It allows users to more rapidly access information on specific computers, related documentation and consulting assistance. Information about the division has been relegated to a separate subsite, linked under the "About Us" heading.


Evaluation of web-based services underway

DIG also identified a unique product called Teraweb (produced by Network Computing Services out of Minneapolis, Minnesota) that provides a browser-based GUI for high-performance computing (HPC) systems.

Teraweb provides users with a complete set of tools for preparing, submitting, and monitoring work and visualizing results using a standard web browser. We would like to incorporate Teraweb into our suite of web-based services and a test site will be set up for evaluation purposes. More information on Teraweb may be found at:

http://fido.networkcs.com/teraweb/quickStart.html


DIG helps define a UCAR Enterprise Web Service

During the review period, DIG embarked upon an important investigation and research effort (from March to June, 1999) to identify and acquire the next generation of hardware and software for what will eventually become a UCAR-wide Enterprise Web Service. The current sever hardware was over four years old, consisting of older, slower workstations that had been pressed into service when the initial SCD and NCAR web sites were initiated in 1994. The time had come to purchase new web-server hardware before the older system went into hard failure mode.

Working with other members of the SCD and the UCAR ITC Web Advisory Group, DIG helped identify the major hardware and site-authoring tools required to meet all divisional and UCAR web services for the next three to five years. With funds from UCAR's Information Technology Committee (ITC), a new system was purchased and will be phased in during the latter quarter of 1999. Figure 1 below illustrates the physical hardware installation for our new PWS.


Overview of hardware components for the UCAR Enterprise Web Service


3. Outreach, Education and Information Transfer

Web authoring and HTML classes offered by DIG staff

DIG staff continued to provide training and assistance for all interested UCAR staff by offering classes in areas such as HTML, website design, and developing online, interactive webzines. The HTML classes were incorporated into the UCAR Staff Training series and included offerings in beginning, intermediate, and advanced HTML. They were very well attended and served to raise the general level of staff understanding about how to use HTML to create websites.


DIG on call for consulting and mentoring

The staff also consulted on several smaller web projects in other divisions (e.g.; a new home page for Climate and Global Dynamics). Several DIG staff members served as mentors for the UCAR SOARS program, continuing their involvement in this important and worthwhile program. As mentors, they worked closely with individual SOARS students to help them develop sound writing and editing skills which contribute so strongly to a well grounded scientific perspective.


Staying abreast with web technology

DIG staff also participated in a week long Web Design and Development conference in July of 1999. This annual conference brings together thousands of individuals to meet, share, and learn the latest in web-based technologies and site authoring tools. Exposure to Dreamweaver at this conference, for example, was one of many tangible benefits that accrued to DIG staff ; benefits that DIG brought back to SCD and incorporated in our web development activities.


DIG provides high-level support for divisional front offices

Finally, DIG staff continue to provide a high level of writing/editing and web publishing skills for SCD's administration, particularly in the areas of policy statements, research proposals, presentations, responses to various advisory committees and groups, and documents required or requested by the National Science Foundation on a periodic basis.

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