Collaborative visualization for supporting joint researches in ITBL project

Summary form only given. In order to discuss experimental results or simulation results in the joint research between remote locations, it is indispensable to share visualization results (collaborative visualization). The Center for Promotion of Computational Science and Engineering of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (CCSE/JAERI) has performed the research and development of the visualization system having such a function in the Information-Technology-Based Laboratory (ITBL) project. The ITBL project aims to construct the virtual research environment which shares intellectual resources such as the remote computers, the programs and data in Japanese research institutions and supports joint researches between remote locations. Six institutions have joined as initial project members: National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Physical and Chemical Research Institute (RIKEN), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). In this project, CCSE/JAERI has developed the ITBL infrastructure software. An environment for operating the infrastructure software is composed of user terminals, ITBL servers and supercomputers. The infrastructure software offers a communication and security service, an application development service, etc. In the communication and security service, the communication function which can coexist with a firewall has been constructed using HTTPS protocol. Moreover, in the application development service, various services to share intellectual resources and support joint researches are constructed. The visualization system is positioned as one of these services. CCSE has developed two visualization systems: the parallel tracking steering (Patras) ZITBL and the application visualization system (AVS)/ITBL.