VisPortal: Increasing Scientific Productivity by Simplifying Access to and Use of Remote Computational Resources

Our goal is to simplify and streamline the process of using remotely located visual data analysis software tools. This discussion presents an example of an easy-to-use interface that mediates access to and use of diverse and powerful visual data analysis resources. The interface is presented via a standard web browser, which is ubiquitous and a part of every researchers work environment. Through the web interface, a few mouse clicks are all that is needed to take advantage of powerful, remotely located software resources. The VisPortal project is the software that provides diverse services to remotely located users through their web browser. Using standard Globus-grid middleware and off-the-shelf web automation, the VisPortal hides the underlying complexity of resource selection and distributed application management. The portal automates complex workflows that would otherwise require a substantial amount of manual effort on the part of the researcher. With a few mouse clicks, a researcher can quickly perform complex tasks like creating MPEG movies, scheduling file transfers, launching components of a distributed application, and accessing specialized resources