WS-VLAM Requirements list known as the WS-VLAM wishlist

WS-VLAM Requirements list known as the WS-VLAM wishlist System and Network Engineering group Institute of informatics University of Amsterdam

Introduction • This presentation contains information requirements that have been driving the development of the WSVLAM workflow • The presentation summarize a long discussion sessions, we have had a couple of years ago (around 2004) with a number of application developers in VL-e. • NOTE: Thanks for taking some of your time to read about the WS-VLAM work, any comments are more than welcome WS-VLAM developers gvlam-dev@lists. vl-e. nl Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Needed background … • To be able to follow the content of this presentation you will need to know about: GVLAM= workflow management system developed in the previous project. • Details on the WS-VLAM can be found in the section of publication of the WS-VLAM home page Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Objective of this presentation… • Why you should be interested in this presentations? This presentation will give you an idea on the requirements, how they have been categorized, and how the support of these requirements have progressed from GVLAM to WSVLAM Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Outline

The Requirements • • Functionality and Capability User interface characteristics Run time capabilities Software engineering aspects Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Functionality and Capability - (1) 1. Encapsulate complex procedures/in-house developed software for novice users GVLAM: using the PFT and implemented using DBMS WS-VLAM: same idea re-implemented Semantics & Ontologies 2. Enforce people to work in a certain way (“best practice”) GVLAM: using the PFT and implemented using DBMS WS-VLAM: same idea re-implemented Semantics & Ontologies 3. Access to DBMS; a service on(/from) which a workflow entity can store(/retrieve) data GVLAM: using the PFT Viewer & VIMCO WS-VLAM: Workflow can be semantically annotated and stored as complex services in a repository Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Functionality and Capability - (2) 4. Access to databases from workflow (storage/retrieval/querying) GVLAM: using the PFT and implemented using a DBMS, WS-VLAM: Not supported at this moment 5. Domain independent (biology, medical, etc. ) GVLAM: the PFT Editor & VIMCO are used for all the VL-e applications WS-VLAM: Engine and the composer as well as the extensions are designed independently of any specific application 6. Platform independent (Linux, Windows, etc) GVLAM: Workflow editing is platform independent, the workflow execution is only on Linux WS-VLAM: workflow composer is platform independent, the workflow execution is only on Linux Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Functionality and Capability - (3) 7. Language independent (Python, C, C++, Java, etc. ); GVLAM: has interface for Python, C, C++, Java WS-VLAM: has interface for Python, C, C++, Java 8. Integration of 3 rd party software in a workflow (R, Matlab, VTK, ITK, FSL, etc. ) GVLAM: no support for wrapping Legacy applications WS-VLAM: supports the execution of Legacy applications 9. Access to existing 3 rd web-services GVLAM: can be added if needed (planned for VL-e) WS-VLAM: can automatically parse RPC Style WSDL and create workflow components Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Functionality and Capability - (4) 10. Typing mechanism for input/output data; GVLAM: at composition exact match of the data type is required WS-VLAM: implements a hierarchical data typing mechanisms, semantic annotation can be added to allow semantic data type checking 11. Fan-in (the input data can come from multiple entities) & fan-out (the output can be passed to multiple entities) GVLAM: Fan-out supported, Fan-in not supported WS-VLAM: Fan-out supported, can be support when REO connector will be implemented Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

User interface characteristics – (1) 12. User friendly (graphical, wizards etc. ) GVLAM: GUI requires improvement WS-VLAM: More stable and completely decoupled from the execution, allow monitoring etc. 13. Encapsulation; the ability to create hierarchies of workflow) GVLAM: Planned Half way implemented WS-VLAM: support hierarchical workflow composition and distributed execution 14. Capture workflow, “provenance” GVLAM: not automated, the user has to specify it. WS-VLAM: Planned Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Run time capabilities - (1) 15. Execution of workflow, controlled (e. g. stepwise; useful in debugging) GVLAM: Not supported WS-VLAM: Not supported 16. Distributed execution (e. g. across a Grid of systems) GVLAM: using GT 2. 4, and the gvlam-library WS-VLAM: Using GT 4, make use of standards services (delegation services, notification mechanises, etc) 17. Interactive, dynamic execution of workflow, Dynamic workflow GVLAM: interaction is possible via the parameters at runtime. No for the dynamic execution of the workflow. WS-VLAM: interaction is possible via the parameters at runtime. No for the dynamic execution of the workflow. Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Run time capabilities - (2) 18. Monitoring execution of workflow, gathering information on execution of workflow (metadata) (also from “inside” a workflow) GVLAM: long term plan, to be developed WS-VLAM: support monitoring using GT 4 notification framework (WSRF notification) 19. Maintain history/log of executed workflow for later scrutiny Reproduction of experiment GVLAM: not automated, the user has to specify it WS-VLAM: not automated, the user has to specify it 20. Maintain intermediate results? GVLAM: not automated, the user has to specify it. WS-VLAM: not automated, the user has to specify it Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Run time capabilities - (3) 21. Checkpointing; both data and process GVLAM: Not supported WS-VLAM: Not supported 22. “nohup” execution (being able to execute a workflow “in the background”, without having to be logged in all the time) GVLAM: long term plan WS-VLAM: supported using Detach/re-attach feature using GT 4 returned EPRs 23. Control flow (while/for/if-then-else, parallel/sequential/recursion) GVLAM: Not supported WS-VLAM: Not supported, can be support when REO connector will be implemented Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Run time capabilities - (4) 24. Job Farming and parameter Sweep GVLAM : Only for one workflow element via Nimord WS-VLAM: Under development 25. High performance execution GVLAM : workflow can be distributed all over the Grid nodes and allow data streaming. WS-VLAM: workflow can be distributed all over the Grid nodes and allow data streaming 26. Resource brokering; given the description of resources required by a workflow entity and the description of abilities provided by a resource: the (automatic) brokering of and entity onto a resource GVLAM: limited WS-VLAM: limited Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Software engineering aspects – (1) 27. Compliance to standards on all levels GVLAM: Partially WS-VLAM: WSRF standards 28. Based on well-established standards (i. e. Grid software, easy to install, maintain) GVLAM: Partially WS-VLAM: WSRF standards 29. Quality-of-Service: fault tolerant, stable, high availability, dependable GVLAM: limited WS-VLAM: limited Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Software engineering aspects – (1) 30. Software engineering: maintainability of dependency on 3 rd party software GVLAM: Rudimentary WS-VLAM: Rudimentary 31. Open source GVLAM : Database is not open source, it can be replaced WS-VLAM: uses only Open source software 32. OWL/Ontology, semantic annotation GVLAM: Not supported WS-VLAM: semantic extensions are being tested at this time Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

Summary • The whish list contains 31 whishes, the GVLAM and WS-VLAM scores: GVLAM (13 Yes) GVLAM (11 No) GVLAM (7 partially) WS-VLAM (21 Yes) WS-VLAM (5 No) WS-VLAM (5 partially) • Ongoing activities WS-VLAM will probably need to support 4 other requirements (requirements number 4, 11, 14 , and 30) Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation

http: //www. vl-e. nl/ Uv. A, Amsterdam June 2007 WS-VLAM Introduction presentation