Features:

SC GLOBAL CHAIR KERN DESCRIBES GRID-BASED INITIATIVE
by Tim Curns, Editor

SC Global 2004, a new initiative at SC2004 this year, will link Access Grid communities from around the world to exchange ideas through highly informative talks, papers, panels and BOFs on topics of interest to attendees. HPCwire spoke with NCSA's Jackie Kern, chair of SC Global, about how SC Global's effects worldwide.

HPCwire: Describe the initiative for SC Global. What does it hope to accomplish? What technologies will be involved? Who is involved?

Jackie Kern: SC Global is a demonstration and showcase of the power of advanced collaborative environments, such as the Access Grid, grid computing, and virtual reality. It is an opportunity to share a small part of the Supercomputing conference with the rest of the world, and to allow those who cannot travel to the main conference to present their work from their own location.

The primary enabling technology for SC Global is the Access Grid, developed by the Futures Laboratory at Argonne National Laboratory; additional enabling technologies in use will include inSORS IGrid software, and Windows Media and VBrick streams provided by Internet2 Commons.

Scores of volunteers from around the world are involved with SC Global: the steering committee, Access Grid technologists and node operators, and presenters represent all corners of the world.

HPCwire: How will you personally be involved this year at SC, particularly with SC Global?

JK: This year I have a seat on the Executive Committee of SC 2004 as the Chair of SC Global itself. I have been coordinating all activities involved in SC Global.

HPCwire: What goes into producing something like SC Global? What has kept you up at night organizing this? How has your experience helped you along?

JK: There is quite a bit that goes into planning an event like this. We have to solicit proposals to present content in our sessions, organize AV equipment to work with the needs of the content providers, and lots of testing of systems prior to the show. In addition, we have to order directional signs, produce press releases to advertise the event, and set the schedule for the program. The planning process takes about a year and a half and a committee of about 15 people to organize and run this event.

HPCwire: Wow, so you've been planning this for quite some time. Let's talk about what this is all about. It says in the SC Global primer that it will be a "unique venue for artistic expression and other innovative ideas." What is meant by this? How? How many of your participants have submitted "artistic" ideas?

JK: SC Global has a history of showcasing artistic and innovative ideas. At the inaugural SC Global event in 2001, SC Global included sessions as diverse as "Dancing Beyond Boundaries" by James Oliverio of University of Florida Digital Worlds Institute and Kelly Dipple; to a panel on computational biosciences led by Raquell Holmes of Boston University and featuring Charles DeLisi, also of Boston University.

In 2004, our sessions include presentations about the MARCEL network (a global faculty in art and science led by Don Foresta of Ecole Nationale Supèrieure d'Arts - Paris/Cergy), and about Interplay: Hallucinations, a distributed performance led by Jimmy Miklavcic of University of Utah.

HPCwire: How will SC Global appeal to multinational and cultural discussions regarding HPC?

JK: SC Global is an opportunity to share perspectives among a diverse community of users of high performance computing. This year, these viewpoints will be expressed throughout the program, including a session on advancing technology in Native American communities led by Maria Williams of the Tribal Virtual Network; a panel led by Amado Gonzales of Florida International University on the Minority Serving Institution Consortium led by Stephenie McLean; and how the Access Grid was used to help combat SARS, by Steven Shiau of National Center for High-Performance Computing of Taiwan.

HPCwire: What obstacles have stood in your way while SC Global was being planned? What still hinders your progress?

JK: Planning a distributed event of the scope and size of SC Global brings enormous challenges, including testing the global network infrastructure, confronting time zone conflicts, and challenging national and cultural boundaries. We have made tremendous progress in all these areas.

The single biggest challenge for us, which continues to hinder our progress, is coping with time zones. With participating sites around the world, there is simply no convenient time for everyone.

HPCwire: How will the HPC community benefit from the SC Global initiative? How do you see things progressing from here on out? What will SCG be like 5 years from now? Are there similar innovations that will engender an entirely new vision of supercomputing?

JK: As the use of advanced collaborative environments continues to expand, we will see more and more interesting and practical uses. Rick Stevens of Argonne National Laboratory, once asked what life would be like if travel was instantaneous and free; over the coming decades we may come to better understand that question and imagine the possibilities.

HPCwire: How can people participate in SC Global?

JK: People at organizations which are hosting SC Global remote sites can participate interactively in SC Global 2004 from the Access Grid node at their institution. Others can participate as Observers from their desktop using Windows Media or VBrick. Links and instructions can be found at http://commons.internet2.edu/ag/sc2004.html. Complete information on participating is available at http://www.sc-conference.org/sc2004/scglobal.html.

HPCwire: I am sure there are many around the world involved with SC Global. Thank you for speaking with us, and good luck on the initiative!

See http://www.gridtoday.com for more information on grids and grid computing.