Biology Workbench 2 Biology Workbench Unravels the Human Genome 5 Enhancing Structural Biology Research through MDScope 6 New Features Enhance Alpha Shapes oftware

NEW TECHNOLOGY CALVIN: A Collaborative Environment for 10 Design in Virtual Reality @AT: : User Support with an Interactive Web-Based System 12 GI CRAY Origin2000 Installed 13 netWorkPlace: Enlarging the Scope of Your Next Work Place 14 Adding Video to the Net: Video+ Mosaic= Vosaic 16 NC it Web Update 1 19

Partnership Illinois 20 CyberEducation Takes to the Road 21 Illinois's First Community Networks Conference 22 hell Oil Joins NCSA's Industrial Program 22 23

24

cover images CALVIN courtesy Ja on Leiah, EVL/UIC· Biology Workbench, court y hankar Subramaniam, C A; Vo ai , ourtesy Roy Campbell, UIUC access retro pective, in id cov r De ign d by Meadow abelko, C A

Fran Bond, editor of access from 1989- 1996, retired this pa t ummer. It has everything a molecular or structural biologist wants: databases, analysis tools, and the computational power of a supercomputer. To use it, researchers only need access to the Internet.

Listening to an exasperated Curt Jamison This should be good news. Research by Holly Korab describe the four to eight hours he used on everything from the common cold to to spend juggling DNA data between cancer is heavily dependent on sequence­ three different software packages on three structure-function studies. Sequence refers different computers, it is easy to under­ to the string of DNA that specifies the stand the love-hate relationship many order of amino acids defining a protein. biologists have with the computing hard­ Structure is the complex 3D shape that ware/software upon which their research this linear string folds into in response to is increasingly dependent. Yes, it is interactions along the string of amino ac­ opening new realms of biology, but only ids. This structure is what ultimately de­ when biologists aren't battling the soft­ fines the protein's function in the human ware. Reminiscent of John Merrick's im­ body. For instance, enzymes bind with a passioned plea in The Elephant Man, they particular substrate to catalyze metabolic declare, "I am not a computer scientist; reactions because the shape of a critical I am a biologist." "active site" on its surface complements Call it the dilemma of plenty. Since that of the substrate-like a hand and the advent of analysis tools like x-ray glove. The same holds true for antibodies, crystallography, nuclear magnetic which latch only onto specific antigens. resonance, and automated DNA By comparing a map of one protein with sequencing, the amount of sequence and sequences of proteins whose structure and structure data has exploded. The number function are known, scientists can begin of gene sequences biologists have cata­ to gauge functional relationship and loged has leapt from about a dozen to hence approach the problem of solving between 50,000 and 60,000. The number molecular diseases. of unique protein structures they've unraveled has climbed to between 500 and 600.

2 NCSA access Fall1996 The complaint biologists sometimes have with this wealth user needs to run Biology Workbench is a Web browser and of knowledge is that the databases- and the software running Internet access . them- conform to no common standards. Biology is a scientific Biplogy Workbench is clearly more than another Web tool. cottage industry with data being generated in thousands of inde­ NCSA Director Larry Smarr says it represents an entirely new pendent labs around the world, each applying its own way of thinking about software architecture. It's a model for format and syntax. There are now hundreds of biological Web-based computing. databases talking in different tongues. Not quite a Tower of "It is a radical departure from the old view of one piece of Babel, but close. software, one machine," says Smarr. "If you think of the Web as an extension of your hard drive, then the Biology Workbench is A new model the framework that ties together and leverages the software that's Until recently, two com­ already out there. You let the mon ways for scientists to get data sit on the Web machine around the incompatibilities where it makes the most among databases were to sense, you let the software sit learn every software program out on the Web machine that associated with the databases makes the most sense, then they wanted to use or to wait you grab it all in your Web days for results to return from browser. It is a twenty-first an outside lab. century approach to global In June researchers at knowledge and global integra­ NCSA offered another choice tion of data and software." with the release of Biology Workbench TM. Researchers now How it works have a platform-independent The philosophy behind interface to more than 100 Biology Workbench is illu­ public domain databases and sion. The Web interface software for sequencing DNA lets databases and tools and identifying protein struc- intemperate and appear to tures. .g~ be located on your machine . As easily as they surf the :ll In reality, however, each l5 Web, biologists can use Bioi- ~ component remains at its ogy Workbench to search ma- - remote location. jor molecular and structural ~ To demonstrate the biology databases such as GenBank, the repository of genetic power of Biology Workbench's distributed structure, Subra­ information maintained by the National Center for Biotechnol­ maniam searches across a federation of databases for the protein ogy Information. Or they can execute such software tools as pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor. This protein naturally in­ BLAST for homology searches. Best of all, because it is located hibits the enzyme trypsin, which is involved in digestion. He on NCSA's SGI POWER CHALLENGEarray, Biology Workbench selects several databases (PIR, GenBank, and PDB) and enters turns every desktop computer into a supercomputer. "We're the name of the protein in the query box. Within seconds, sets of giving the biology community access to our supercomputer for sequences appear on his computer screen. Subramaniam im­ speeding up database software," says Jim Fenton, a research ports the sequences from the remote databases to the Work­ programmer at NCSA who helped build the prototype. The bench by clicking the Import button. With another click-this workbench concept originated with Shankar Subramaniam, time on the Multiple Sequence Alignment button-the se­ NCSA computational biologist and the project's leader. Helping quences instantly align. Still another click (on MSAShade Too~ him implement it were Fenton; NCSA biophysicist Eric highlights the matches and mismatches in yellow and green. Jakobsson; research programmers Mark Stupar and Roger Because Subramaniam is interested in seeing the protein's 3D Unwin; and Curt Jamison, a former postdoctoral student in structure, he then asks the workbench to predict the secondary NCSA's Community Systems Group now with the University of structure of one of the trypsin inhibitor proteins. Maryland Department of Plant Biology. The entire process takes less than three minutes. Using existing software as building blocks, the researchers "A process like this would have taken a molecular biologist assembled a generic structure in which tools, databases, servers, months or weeks. Now it takes hours or minutes," says and compute engines based on different formats intemperate. Subramaniam. "We can think seriously now in terms of analyz­ The Web-based interface to these components works with any ing protein sequences and rationally understanding function forms-capable, standard HTML Web browser. As a result, all a mechanism and therefore targeting drug design."

NCSA access Fall1996 3 RESEARCH

Operating behind the scenes in the workbench is a dynamic database manager that integrates the databases and eliminates duplicate entries. To overcome semantic barriers, the workbench's translation libraries convert a generic query language into the query language unique to each database. Scripts residing in the background seamlessly convert databases and tools from one format to another. To keep the databases downloaded at NCSA current, the Workbench sends out an intelligent agent each night to prowl mirror sites on the Internet for updated versions of databases. (All the analysis tools sit on the NCSA server, but the only databases downloaded are those that are slow to access, such as those located overseas .) To protect the thousands of other files at NCSA, the workbench is hosted on a dedicated server that has been wrapped, a common security practice that electronically cordons off a portion of the computer as a safeguard against hacker attacks. "Someone using Biology Workbench shouldn't get access to anything else on NCSA's computing system," says Ken Rowe, NCSA's security coordinator.

Averaging 325 visitors a day Server overload is one of the issues Subramaniam will soon be addressing. The eight gigabytes of disk space reserved on the POWER CHALLENGEarray for the databases and tools is already restricting the addition of any new databases. Immediately after the debut of Biology Workbench at the meeting for Intelligent Systems in Molecular Biology, held June 12 in St. Louis, MO, schedules for purging temporary files had to be revamped to prevent filling all the available disk space. The workbench software has been licensed by the University of Illinois to AM Technologies for commercial distribution. The software is freely available to academic and governmental institutions. Biology Workbench interfaces Eli Lilly and Co.-an NCSA industrial partner-was so taken with the menu-driven tool with more than 100 public that it immediately incorporated it into its computing system. By mid-June scientists in Lilly domain databases and software. research laboratories were using the workbench. "Already we can see the benefits from better access to DNA analysis tools," says Paul Rosteck, group leader for DNA Technology Research. Anticipating many upgrades, the Lilly team wrote the communications gateway in PeriS, a modular, object-oriented programming language that is easy to update. In September collaborators from Rice University, the University of Wisconsin, and the USDA began working with Subramaniam's team at NCSA to adapt the workbench for network­ based computing. Using software developed at the University of Wisconsin, they began prototyping a system for tapping networks of idle workstations. This kind of distributed comput­ ing is a more efficient use of computing resources and is expected to speed computations for tools like the workbench, which will have more computing resources to draw upon. Future versions of Biology Workbench will include more databases and analytic tools­ such as for x-ray crystallography and electrostatic and dynamics calculations. Other likely additions are the 24 databases from the National Agriculture Library and several tools and databases specifically geared toward aiding the Human Genome Project (see facing page). An important source of ideas for further modifications will be workbench users them­ selves. "This is a tool for biologists designed by biologists, so we will be paying attention to feedback," says Subramaniam. "We want to help them spend less time on computing and more time on biology. After all, there is a biological universe of myriad complexity still to be discovered." •

Holly Korab is a science writer in the NCSA Publications Croup.

4 NCSA access Fall 1996 Biology Workbench Unravels the Human Genome by Holly Korab

One c?mplexity that Biology Workbench will help Knowing this scientists decipher is the genetic code that makes sequence is expected to humans human. make it easier for scien­ This summer researchers from the Institute tists to understand for Biomedical Computing at Washington genetic causes of diseases University in St. Louis selected Biology and to develop treatments. Workbench to integrate the dozens of ge­ But first scientists need to nome-related tools and massive databases decode the sequence. The emanating from the Human Genome information spilling out of Project. The institute, which is develop­ DNA sequencers amounts to an ing tools that automatically annotate unannotated stream of data. Like a the genome sequence and test its accu­ message written in an unknown lan­ racy, is teamed with Shankar guage, the sequence offers few clues Subramaniam's Computational Biology about which proteins a particular gene Group at NCSA to expand and cus­ codes for and whether or not a gene tomize the workbench's capabilities for actually codes for a protein. Some genome research. Although the institute is only genes act like punctuation in a sentence one of the 12 U.S. research institutions working to mark the beginning and end of a se­ on the Human Genome Project, the institute's direc­ quence. Others are duplicates or broken and tor, David States, believes the Biology Workbench will unusable genes. Still others have functions that prove so useful that all the other institutions will adopt it. are unknown. Biology Workbench will help tease out "Biology Workbench gives us a way to access these tools the 10 percent of genes used by a cell to build proteins; then it and data in a uniform environment and to disseminate them to will help scientists predict protein shapes and functions. others," says States, who is also associate professor of Biomedi­ Scientists also need an easy means of accessing these data, cal Computing at Washington University in St. Louis. "It something that Biology Workbench's uniform computing provides the biology community with an essential tool for environment can provide. Some experts predict that by the beginning to look at the genome data and for understanding it. " project's end in 2002 there will be enough data to fill 200 The Human Genome Project is a massive multiagency un­ volumes, each the size of the Manhattan phone book. dertaking begun in 1987 by the Department of Energy and the A less direct benefit from the workbench's inclusion in National Institutes of Health (NIH) to map the 50,000 to the Human Genome Project is its potential to expose more 1 00,000 genes that constitute the human genome. The genome scientists to this kind of Web-based technology. "If we can make is the complete set of instructions for making and maintaining a dent in this enormous amount of data, we can show the an organism. In humans, this master blueprint is organized into technology's value to every science," says Subramaniam . 24 chromosomes located in the nucleus of each of the body's "It can be a paradigm for many disciplines." • trillions of cells. The initial goal of the Human Genome Project c; t) was to map the location of genes along these chromosomes. (,) Cl) :.ci 'C) Now scientists are beginning to sequence all 3 billion or so base eCl) a: pairs of nucleotides that constitute human genes. 0 Cl)e iii 0 The Human Genome Project is sequencing all 3 billion base pairs of nucleotides c ~ Cl) that constitute the genes in the human DNA. Above, a section of a double strand t::J .!l c of DNA is depicted in green and purple, with a regulatory protein bound to one of .i.E eco ::I its base pairs. -= :::c

NCSA access Fall1996 5 To describe the value of being able to explore a molecule with MDScope appli­ cations, Klaus Schulten, UIUC professor of physics, chemistry, and biophysics and a faculty member of the Beckman Insti­ tute, uses the ana logy of an alien from Mars encountering an automobile. To understand what this object is and how it works, the Martian might first play with the easily accessed windows and doors, gradually work his way around to the engine, and eventually discover that it is hot when it runs, needs gas from the tank to fuel the combustion, and so on . Simi­ larly, a structural biologist who tries to understand a particular structure would probe the various aspects of the system under study. Aided by a structural biology computational environment, MOScope, an investigator would share the same physica l space with the model as well as view and manipulate 30 images of mol­ ecules in real time. Through MDScope, 3D images of molecules share The UIUC Beckman Institute's Theo­ the space of researchers Attila Gursoy (standing ), retical Biophysics Group (TB ), a Resource Andrew Dalke (left), and William Humphrey. for Concurrent Biological Computing Images can be explored with automatic speech and gesture recogn ition as well as with keyboard or supported by the National Institutes of mouse commands. Health, is led by Schulten. The group studies the structure and function of biopolymers and biopolymer aggregates by theoretical and computational means. Coprincipal investigators are Laximikant Kale, UIUC professor of computer sci­ ence and electrical and computer engi­ neering, and Robert Skeel, UIUC professor of computer science. A key goal

6 NCSA access Fall1996 of the TB Group is to develop high-end graphics tools that molecule, calcula­ interface with a molecular dynamics simulation code for use on tions may take from high-performance parallel computers for structural biology 1 0 to 30 seconds. research. More complex Since July 1995, the group has been distributing its changes may require interactive molecular dynamics modeling program, MDScope, up to .a minute to cal­ for large-scale and longtime simulations on serial and parallel culate. computers. At the core of MDScope are three major software The TB Group is components: well on its way to • VMD-a visualization program for the interactive display demonstrating the and animation of molecules, designed and developed by benefits of powerfu I William Humphrey, research assistant, and Andrew Dalke, and novel computa­ research programmer tional technologies, • NAMD-a parallel, distributed-memory, molecular such as MDScope, for dynamics program that is scalable, modular, and portable, structural biology. designed and developed by Mark Nelson, Humphrey, and Their discovery of a new protein structure that collects light in Robert Brunner, research assistants; Dalke; and Attila Gursoy, purple bacteria was published this springt. The protein structure, postdoctoral research associate Light-Harvesting Complex II (in photo above), collects light and • MDComm- a communications program that links VMD transfers it to reaction centers within the photosynthesis system. and NAMD over a network, designed and developed by Rick Schulten and his team are extremely excited about their discov­ Kufrin, NCSA research programmer ery. "It's beautiful, really beautiful," Schulten says of the wreath­ like ring of polypeptides, chlorophylls, and lycopenes. • MDScope creates a visual computing environment for molecular dynamics and modeling. In this environment t Jl.irgen Kopke, Xiche Hu, Cornelia Munke, Klaus Schulten, and biomolecules can be viewed and the structures of naturally Hartmut Michel. 1996. The crystal structure of the light-harvesting existing molecules can be predicted based on empirical data. Complex II (B800-850) from Rhodospirillum Molischianum. Structures, Researchers can modify and refine the model to reduce discrep­ 4:581-597. ancies between observed data and the properties of the computational model. For example, changes to a structure­ The original version of this article, written by Sarana Schell, graduate such as moving a water molecule or a sidechain-are currently student in the UIUC Department of journalism, appeared in the made with either the keyboard or a mouse. The resulting Fall/Winter 1995-96 issue (Vol. 6/No. 1) of Beckman Institute News. changes in interatomic forces are then calculated and the final jennifer Allerson, an intern in the NCSA Public Information Office and a configuration is displayed. For a small molecule of 500 to 1,000 senior in the UIUC Department of Industrial Distribution Management, atoms, calculations take less than a second . For a very large also contributed to this article.

MDScope Determining the actual mode of this binding requires highly sensitive experimental studies. The molecular dynamics in Action simulations generated by MDScope are helping the researchers by jennifer Allerson understand the mechanism that accounts for both the binding and dissociation of the avidin-biotin complex. This system con­ While the development of MDScope­ sists of the biotin molecule-a B-complex vitamin-that prefer­ the integrated set of computational entially binds to the avidin protein. The group is trying to find MDScope simulation of protein tools (VMD, NAMD, and MDComm) out which aspects of binding are the most important and when ligand adhesi on to avidin-bioti n that functions as an interactive visual they come into play. complex. computing environment for the simula- MDScope is used to view the system and to determine the tion and study of biopolymers-is still underway, its applications optimal direction of the force pulling biotin from the binding ~ are already used by the Theoretical Biophysics Group at UIUC. pocket in the avidin structure. To modify the conformation of ~- Graduate students in physics Sergei lzrailev and Manual Balsera one avidin loop, another force was sent from VMD via ] and postdoctoral research associate Sergey Stepaniants, with MDComm to NAMD, where the new loop conformation was ~ Beckman Institute faculty Yoshitsugo Oono and Klaus Schulten, then computed. ~ are using MDScope to study one of the strongest interactions The research group's findings may have numerous applica­ ~ known in biology-the binding of the protein avidin with its tions in diagnostics, targeted drug delivery, and biosensors as ~ ligand biotin. well as in other aspects of biotechnology. •

NCSA access Fall1996 7 RESEARCH New Features Enhance Alpha Shapes Software

, J~ ~

by Holly Korab Fans of Virtual Alpha Shapes Visual­ University of British Columbia wants to izer, or VAivis, the virtual reality version predict the life span of tooth implants by of NCSA's popular Alpha Shapes 30 using VAivis to model the deformation of modeling program, can now alter the jaws as people age. Industry is interested world as well as model it. This past in applications that take into account the summer, NCSA Research Program elastic nature of objects, such as a piston Manager Ping Fu-together with Jiang sliding along a cylinder in response to Qian, NCSA, and Herbert Edelsbrunner changes in pressure. and Nataraj Akkiraju, UIUC-added two Fu attributes VAivis's accuracy and new functionalities to VAivis so that flexibility, as well as its speed, to its researchers can deform objects and unique approach to modeling. Whereas The reconstructed surface of a generate smoother appearing images. other programs model only the object, motor's water cooling kernel . Both capabilities are fast, accurate, and VAivis models the object as well as its The 50,000 surface points were measured manually from photo· produce visually striking images. complement space. Without knowledge graphic records on a photogram· of the space around it, an object that metric analytical stereoplotter. Deforming deforms typically collides with itself and The first of these new features­ breaks apart at the joints when bent. This deformation-is a way of clarifying tendency of objects to violate most basic relationships between objects by altering laws of physics when deformed is symp­ their form. Similar to morphing, it gradu­ tomatic of software that has good local ally changes objects from one form or control but no global control. "This is state into another, such as from an apple one of the most difficult problems in 30 into a snail or a fist into an open hand. modeling because to have global control In the music video for Michael Jackson's the program must understand the empty song Black and White, deformation/ space around the shape," says Fu . morphing technology made people's VAivis and the Alpha Shapes faces seem to melt into each other's. program on which VAivis is based [see Fu prefers the term deformation to access, Summer 1994, page 11, and Fall A brain constructed by Alpha distinguish VAivis's highly accurate, 1995, page 8] compute shapes and Shapes from MRI data. geometrically-based images from the complement space using geometric and cartoon ish images popularly associated topological formulations that mimic the with morphing. Since VAivis's images properties of a system . More than simply comply with the laws of physics and are rendering 3 0 image snapshots of objects, scientifically sound, they are attracting these programs reconstruct the object the interest of scientists from academia and its place in space. To do this, Alpha and industry. For example, medical Shapes and VAivis define an object's researchers are using VAivis to deform a basic geometry by generating a complex damaged brain into a healthy one in of basic elements called simplices from order to identify the location and causes datapoints and their corresponding of a brain injury. A scientist at the weights.

8 NCSA access Fall1996 Both of these images are of the same interior channel in gramicidin A, an antibiotic. The image above is a molecular surface with visually striking smoothness and :§ complete surface triangulation underneath, a new capability in VAivis. The image ..c: at right is a corresponding solvent accessible surface. ="' ~ '"'! ""<1" There is another view or interpretation of this complex. Much like the particle model of ~ t3 light-which appears entirely different and may be even contradictory to the wave model­ ::J ~ ~ this view looks nothing like the alpha complex. Or so it seems at first. Think of each datapoint -g u 0... -~ en u <(/) as the center of a round sphere; the spheres are allowed to overlap and interfere with each u ~ - ~ corner points. The object then may be further refined through surface triangulation so that a ::J ci. ~ .E researcher can calculate an object's properties, such as its electrostatic potential and other g :::::::: ~ force fields. Fu exploits surface triangulation for animating continuous deformations. ci. E :t:::: Copies ofVAivis and Alvis are ..c: :§ available via anonymous ftp at Smoothing ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu!Visualization/ To make the triangulated surfaces appear more realistic, Fu has incorporated another new Alpha-shape. VAivis also requires capability into VAivis. The new smooth surface feature makes images appear as if a ball has the CAVE library. been rolled along their surfaces, slightly filling in and rounding off the valleys and corners that formed when the initial surface was created. Usually this is a time-consuming process, but Fu has been able to streamline it in VAivis by combining computational steps. VAivis implicitly knows the locations of all valleys and corners; therefore, the software computes the smooth surface as it computes the shape. Fu cautions that these computations, though fast, are expensive. Each primary datapoint generates hundreds more points to construct a smooth surface. Rendering an object much larger than a half million points, for example, may exceed even a supercomputer's computa­ tional limits. "One has to weigh the benefits of prettier imaging versus more memory," says Fu. "In some applications, smooth surfaces are unnecessary. That's why we left it as a command line option." Both the deformation and smoothness features are available at present only in VAivis. However, Fu plans to eventually incorporate them into Alvis, the desktop version of Alpha Shapes, so that these capabilities will scale from the desktop to virtual reality. •

Holly Korab is a science writer in the NCSA Publications Group.

NCSA access Fall1996 9 RESEARCHERS AT EVL UNDERSTAND THE

IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION AND ARE

WORKING WITH NCSA SCIENTISTS TO DEVELOP

COLLABORATIVE TOOLS FOR VIRTUAL REALITY.

AS NETWORK SPEED AND BANDWIDTH INCREASE,

OPPORTUNITIES IMPROVE FOR INTERACTIVE

INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION-

OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN INVOLVE SCIENTISTS,

ENGINEERS, DESIGNERS, STUDENTS, AND MAN-

AGERS FROM LOCATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE .

... - ·· J . -- ,.. ~ -

Virtual environments may provide the computational scientists and engineers are spectives that result from viewing an evolv­ common ground that allows disparate groups very interested in remote VR collaboration ing design . For multiperspective collabora­ to work together successfully, giving the for rapid prototyping, distance learning, and tions, CALVIN uses a metaphor called collaborators an experience beyond that of data analysis and comprehension. EVL and mortals and deities. Some participants in the simply meeting face-to-face. Instead of try­ NCSA's history as collaborators includes scene are mortals, who view the architec­ ing to reproduce the reality of everyone joint projects on scientific visualizations, tural space as though they are standing life­ working together in the same physical virtual reality environments, and the I-WAY. size inside it. Others are deities, who view room, virtual environments have the poten­ CALVIN (Collaborative Architectural the space from above as though it were a tial to offer the participants abilities not Layout Via lmmersive Navigation) is a doll house. available to people in the real world. Con­ testbed developed by EVL to investigate Mortals and deities are represented in sider, for example, the opportunity for a technological and social challenges by the virtual environment space by avatars­ designer and an engineer to poke their implementing a shared virtual-design computer-generated personas depicted as heads into a running jet engine simulation environment. Users in a CALVIN space head, body, and hand (see above far right). to offer their expert opinions on what they can walk around the virtual space and CALVIN generates an avatar for each see. Such a scenario could not take place in manipulate objects (e.g., by moving, participant, who wears magnetic trackers on the real world. rotating, scaling) within it. A database his head and hand. The trackers let the ava­ Collaborative virtual environments contains the current state of all objects in tar mimic gestures such as pointing, waving, create technological and social challenges the scene and maintains consistency and nodding. EVL is currently investigating and opportunities over conventional between various users. A simple revision how realistic avatars need to be to suf­ workstation-based computer-supported system lets users see past designs as well as ficiently transmit social cues between cooperative work. Understanding how the current design. participants in a collaborative environment. interdisciplinary collaboration can be facili­ Mortals and deities share the tated in virtual reality (VR) to create a Mortals, deities, and avatars same space but see it from different u user-centered integration of collaborative The main collaborative work paradigm perspectives- which give different abilities. ~ VR resources is part of the mission of the emphasized by CALVIN is the support of Generally, a deity is better at gross manipu- ~- UIC's Electronic Visualization Laboratory multiple, heterogeneous perspectives. lation and seeing the overall view, while a ~ (EVL). Collaboration with NCSA provides These perspectives may consist of the differ­ mortal is better at fine manipulation and ~ EVL's innovative researchers with users ent positions used to look at a scene, the seeing how well the design works from a ~ whose applications requirements help drive different mental models designers and engi­ human perspective. ..§ technology development. For example, neers have of the same scene, or the per-

10 NCSA access Fall1996 CALVIN was next used to help design the layout for the Gil Testbed rooms at Supercomputing '95 [see access, Fall 1995, pages 14-17]. During that conference CALVIN was demonstrated in a collabora­ tive design session between the San Diego Convention Center and the Integration Testbed Prototype room at DARPA head­ quarters in Arlington, VA. Both the technology developed for CALVIN and the designs created in CALVIN are currently being used to build a collaborative education environment called GULLIVR (see image left). GULLIVR is part of the NICE (Narrative lmmersive Construc­ tionist/Collaborative Environments) Project, Scenes from the island a joint research project of EVL and UIC's where GULLIVR stories Interactive Computing Environments lab for are created. exploring the use of col laborative VR in education. Many educators believe that construc­ tionism and narrative are essential components of the learning process. Constructionism, as an educational concept, is similar to apprenticeship in that students construct their own knowledge by gathering cues from their environments. Narrative and storytelling can significantly stimulate How CALVI N works chronous Transfer Mode connection. Audio students' imaginations while learning. The Written in C++ with Openlnventor as is used to coordinate design tasks, while NICE project is actively developing virtual the underlying graphics library, CALVIN can video is used in situations where partici­ environments that combine the two be used to explore the large collection of pants may wish to negotiate face-to-face. approaches of constructionism and narra­ VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) EVL is testing various types of microphones tive in order to engage students in an objects and worlds avai Iable on the World and low-light cameras to determine educational process through story building. Wide Web. CALVIN designs spaces that can effective and unobtrusive ways to integrate be saved and easily converted to VRML [see videoconferencing into virtual environments. CALVIN's future access, Summer 1996, pages 20-22] for dis­ CALVIN's many components interact and Concurrent with the NICE project, tribution over the Web. interrelate to create a virtual space that not EVL is collaborating with industry to apply CALVIN runs in the CAVE™, on the only supports onsite collaborative work, but techniques developed from CALVIN to lmmersaDesk™, and on the Infinity Wall™ also actively encourages both formal and the areas of collaborative scientific [see access, Summer 1996, page 16]. Be­ informal remote collaboration. visualization, manufacturing design, cause each platform offers the user a differ­ rapid prototyping, and education. EVL is ent virtual experience, the choice of VR CAL VI N in action designing new VR server technology that platform affects a person's interaction with A major impetus in the creation of will provide unprecedented opportunities the virtual environment and leverages the CALVIN-and CALVIN's first real test-was for collaborative work integrating visualiza­ innate advantages of each platform. to experiment with design ideas for integrat­ tion, networking, supercomputing, and CALVIN's user interface takes wand­ ing a 12- x 9-foot, four-screen Infinity Wall massive database resource technologies directed input using the CAVE's wand, into NCSA's Numerical Lab before the within the next generation of VR applica­ gaze-directed input using a computer­ current Infinity Wall was built. Designers tions. • generated heads-up display, and speech used CALVIN to check things, such as recognition using a speaker-independent unobstructed views and space for floor A Ph.D. candidate at UIC, jason Leigh is prepar­ voice recognition system. Comparing these traffic, that would otherwise have required ing a dissertation on developing techniques for various input modalities allows developers moving actual equipment into an actual enhancing collaborative work in VR. to see which are most appropriate in a col­ room. It also allowed people at EVL in Andrew E. johnson is a postdoctoral researcher laborative design environment. Chicago to give feedback on a room at at EVL researching collaborative virtual environ­ Users communicate using both audio UIUC two hours away by car and several ments and using VR as a high-level interface to and video streamed over a high-speed Asyn- months away from construction. large scientific databases.

NCSA access Fall1996 11 NEW TECHNOLOGY

@ATS: User @ATS™ (ASSISTED TECHNICAL SUPPORT) WAS SUPPOSED TO SOLVE ONLY ONE SMALL, Support with THOUGH CERTAINLY COMPELLING, PROB- an Interactive LEM-HELPING NCSA MOSAIC SOFTWARE SUPPORT CONSULTANTS OFFER QUICKER AND

Web-Based System BETTER ANSWERS TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF

EMAIL QUERIES THAT COME TO THEM EVERY by Will Ridenour DAY. BUT, AS JOHN TOWNS SAYS, "IT GREW

TO BE MUCH MORE THAN INTENDED."

~ · •~ : ' I I

Towns is Technicc.l Program Manager Graduate student and consultant Ben assigns a few keywords to each entry. The for Consulting Services at NCSA. When Johnson volunteered to tackle the problem. Document Structuring System (DSS) then Mosaic consultants were moved from the A 1994 St. Olaf College graduate, Johnson formats the text into a standard structure Software Development Division to Consult­ had worked at NCSA since August 1994 and generates a table of contents for all the ing Services in early 1995, the problem of while studying for a masters in computer entries in a document. AskMe, the search how to handle all the Mosaic email fell to science at UIUC. With lots of input, com­ engine, uses a thesaurus of keywords and his group. ments, and discussion with Towns and the synonyms to find possible answers to Tools and methods that worked for a consulting group, Johnson wrote all of the questions posed in natural language, such reasonable flow of questions weren't work­ code for ®ATS. Version 1.0, written in Peri as "How do I configure Mosaic to use ing anymore. The consultants had been with some C, was finished in August 1995. different image viewers than the default?" reading the mail with Elm, a respected mail The end result is that when a consult­ reader that was just not designed for mul­ A Web-based system ant sits down to answer a question, ®ATS tiple users. Assigning and routing mail, The result was an interactive Web­ automatically presents a choice of possible keeping documentation updated and orga­ based system with three basic components: answers. The consultant can select those nized, and training and supervising new a document management system to orga­ answers that work by clicking on associated consultants all took time away from answer­ nize and maintain lists of frequently asked check boxes, use AskMe to look for other ing email. And the delay between the ques­ questions (FAQs) and other documents; a possibilities, and edit the results into a tions and their answers was too long and search engine, called AskMe, for searching finished reply. growing longer. that information; and the Electronic ®ATS is a success at solving the prob­ Hotline, which uses the other two sub­ lem it was designed for. Consultants for the systems to automatically propose answers X Window System, Macintosh, and MS to incoming mail. Windows versions of Mosaic are now an­ It works like this. Information is en­ swering as many as 300 email queries a tered into the system in small, discrete por­ day, at least twice what they could handle tions of HTML-coded text, like one before ®ATS. paragraph of a document or one question " It has also turned out to be a great and its answer from a FAQ. The author then learning tool," says Towns. He explains that

~~ ~ w ,___ T_ o_ ~------~--·--~------~-~-

12 NCSA access Fall1996 when new consultants come into the group, new information to the DSS, authors can searching, online browsing, and, when the they may not know all the answers, but concentrate on content and leave all of the output code is finished, for sending to the they do have the background to recognize structural issues to ®ATS. Because new typesetter. NCSA is currently exploring the the right answers when they see them. With questions and answers can be added almost use of ®ATS for its first user guide produced experience, consultants have more answers as easily as they can be retrieved, FAQs online. and more information resources at hand for very nearly assemble themselves. The auto­ the answers they don't have. Many of the matic handling of standard features also Future plans Mosaic consultants are students, working makes the system useful for generating and Ben johnson finished his masters in just a few hours a week, often for only a organizing presentation slides. May 1996 and, after giving a poster presen­ semester or two. The experience they Several NCSA groups (for example, tation on ®ATS at the Fifth International gather has to be gathered quickly. ®ATS Technology Management and HDF support) World Wide Web Conference in Paris this makes it possible for new consultants to are now using ®ATS to manage their Web spring, went to work for incNet in Eden start out a mouse click or two away from all pages. ®ATS automates structure and style Prairie, MN, as an Internet applications of the experience and expertise that went elements and provides other useful features developer. The system was at version 1 .2 .3 into the documents in the first place. such as built-in navigation buttons and when johnson reluctantly stopped working context-sensitive help. on it. "There are several more things I The sum of its parts With the addition of code to provide would have liked to do," he said. If that were the end of the story, ®ATS ASCI I, LaTeX, and PostScript output from "®ATS has been very useful," says would still be a useful and elegant solution the HTML source-now in its early stages Towns. "We definitely plan to continue to a problem that is not unique to Mosaic of development-®ATS looks promising as working on it." consultants. Although it was not designed a solution to the problems of maintaining According to Towns, ®ATS will be to be a full help-desk package-it has no technical documentation in both printed available without charge for use by govern­ problem-tracking functions, for example­ and online forms. Because the procedures ment and academic institutions and by ®ATS could be useful in all kinds of sup­ for producing printed documents have the commercial organizations for internal use. port operations, perhaps as a front-end to weight of history behind them, online docu­ (Redistribution will not be allowed without such a package. mentation often begins in a format ready for a royalty agreement.) Final distribution ar­ But as consultants began to use the the printed page. With ®ATS, technical rangements are expected later this fall. • system, more and more possible uses be­ documentation can be written and edited came apparent. ®ATS has several features using the familiar tools and advantages of Will Ridenour is a freelance writer with a special that make it ideal as a general technical the World Wide Web. When the document interest in emerging technologies. document management system. In adding is complete, it is available immediately for

SGI CRAY Origin2000 "Origin is a major step forward in the integration of hardware and software technolo­ Installed gies for large-scale computing systems from Cray Research with the microprocessor SMP technology from Silicon Graphics in an excit- On October 7 NCSA received a top-of- ing new scalable architecture," said Forest the-line 128-processor Silicon Graphics CRAY Baskett, SGI chief technology officer. "We are Origin2000 high-performance server for its looking to NCSA's national leading-edge facil- computational science and engineering users. The NCSA Director larry Smarr poses in front of the ity to provide critical early-performance data supercomputer is the first 128-processor system to new hardware. on a broad range of applications optimized for be delivered by SGI. The 128 processors initially ------this new architecture." will be configured as four 32-processor systems. With mid-year avail- The CRAY Origin2000 system is a shared-memory system ability of the Meta Router-an extended capability of the new Craylink based on SGI's new S2MP architecture and is configured with 32 interconnect technology-the four systems will be integrated into a gigabytes of memory. Whether they program with a message-pass- single system. NCSA is committed to doubling its Origin2000 system to ing paradigm or with a shared-memory programming model, users 256 processors within 12 months. will be able to easily move to the CRAY Origin2000 system from a "The Origin system's scalable shared-memory architecture com- wide range of other machines. The system uses the same MIPS bines the ease of programming found on shared-memory multiproces- R10000 processor, shared-memory programming model, and oper- sors (SMP) with the scalability found on massively parallel processors," ating system that are currently used in the POWER CHALLENGE said larry Smarr. platforms. As a result, third-party application software packages NCSA has provided access to high-performance computers from currently running on CHALLENGE servers become available im- Cray Research and Silicon Graphics for more than 10 years. The CRAY mediately. The architecture is compatible. with today's SGI work- Origin2000 system represents the first joint product from Silicon Graph- stations. Users can develop and debug codes on their desktops ics and Cray Research following the merger of the two companies. Its and then execute large simulation production runs on NCSA's installation opens a new chapter in that relationship as NCSA begins leading-edge machines. Codes do not have to be rewritten or its final assault on the teraflop goal with scalable shared-memory recompiled. As the number of processors increase, researchers can architectures. focus on adding complexity, not starting over. •

NCSA access Fall1996 13 YOU CAN RELAX. NCSA'S INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY GROUP (lTG) HAS NOT REPLACED

WORKERS AND THEIR WORKPLACE. THEY'VE

CREATED A COLLABORATIVE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT

ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB FOR GEOGRAPHICALLY

SEPARATED TEAMS TO WORK TOGETHER ON

COMMON PROBLEMS.

The netWork Place team clockwise from upper left: Jennie File, Duane Moore, Colleen Bushell, and Alan Craig.

lTG has succeeded in taking its first access to a document library, shared calen­ Chatter, banter, and discussion step in changing the World Wide Web dars, discussion and chat spaces, and a One aspect of telecommuting that has paradigm from an "online brochure stand" variety of other tools that aid in group been criticized is the absence of the type of to a place where work is done collabora­ collaboration. casual contact and conversation that occurs tively with members of an online work netWorkPiace's interface employs an while waiting for the elevator. Realizing the team, regardless of geographic location, office metaphor, combining familiar termi­ value of such discussion to the collaborative time frame, and computer platform of indi­ nology with a clearly defined structure. The process, lTC incorporated opportunities for vidual team members. This prototypical en­ office building Web page (see page 15) is more casual interaction in netWorkPiace. For vironment, called netWorkPiace™, offers a structured with a public first floor where example, at the watercooler users who viable way of telecommuting, or working anyone browsing the Web can view items choose to write down their thoughts can remotely from one's physical office. such as documents in the News Room. A instantly communicate with the whole group By attempting to harness the fluidity of receptionist for the entire building answers at once and have a record of the conversa­ the Web, netWorkPiace has laid the frame­ specific questions, and public information tions in one spot. All users have access to the work for a new suite of tools that facilitate space provides general information. The watercooler and are able to read the mes­ collaborative working and learning. The next floor-the mezzanine-is shared by all sages at a personally convenient time. lessons learned from this prototype environ­ the teams in the building and includes con­ ment and other projects such as NCSA ference rooms and casual discussion areas, Collaborating on collaborative Habanero will be applied to create the next such as a cafe. Each team has its own floor, environments generation of NCSA collaborative software. and members can restrict access for the netWorkPiace began developing entire floor or for just certain sections. when lTG, a part of NCSA's Education and Office supplies Alan Craig, lTG manager; Jennie File, Outreach Division, was approached by the netWorkPiace can be thought of as a multimedia developer; Colleen Bushell, National Performance Review (NPR) team combination of different pieces of technol­ lead architect and designer; and a team of from U.S. Vice President Gore's office. NPR's ogy all brought together in one location and UIUC undergraduates including Duane request for assistance in updating their Web viewed with Web browser software. The Moore combined their efforts to enhance site fostered the creation of the prototypical office environment provides a framework this interface with scripts. These scripts aid environment to be used by the state of integrating many preexisting collaborative in integrating tools and, combined with a Oregon. tools currently available on the Web with navigation scheme that is coherent and "At Oregon we are using netWorkPiace newly created tools-such as a collabora­ easy to use, transform the concept of tele­ as a tool to support weekly conference calls tive calendar-in a coherent fashion. Within commuting into a true, interactive office between federal agencies and their partners the environment, team members have environment. at the state and local level, for preparing and tuning the agenda beforehand, and for

14 NCSA access Fall1996 First Floor • r azzan"ne Di ectOJy Shared Floor Search

Calendar Con1erenc& 7Jd.r• F1oor ~=~"'7 ~r{;b~t; Office oo.f.fio• • conter•nc• RooMs: • Li brary

s.co.. noor ,..,....,,..,.,....,,..,..,....., ~r1i;11a;1e Office • o..tt1.cr • Confi'renc'e Roott1s OLibra.1·1 ...., __ Lcf- , ,.,,, ~.. 1 1 ~ c n ""' L "' 1 , tWzzani»( Shared Floor ) • CQ.f• -o Shar~ (:on.flirence Rooms • Bilild1.nq Cale-ndar

First F1oor Firs t Floor( Public Floor ) +Entra.ncJ? o Receopt.ioni.!"t iJ219rJ61 : 00 Al'I 'Wltil2/9Jn Welcome to your new~ Conl«'': lMvfdMMiwu .i (m l tlorr.Uttlha..uii.K.«b.J

:=¥Feb=ruory==:::;;..,,=:l Sun Mon r.. Wtd I 9 •I

;:' ~1996;:::;:~·::::1 4 10 Floor components for the Oregon Option are shown on this image I Display Selection J II 12 13 14 IS l b 17 map: the mezzanine level (top left); the floor plans for each level in the office (right); the shared calendar (bottom middle). Each navigation panel is color keyed . ...,... , .._ ...... ,._, e

NCSA access Fall 1996 15 WORLD WIDE WEB BROWSERS HAVE BEEN

ENORMOUSLY SUCCESSFUL IN DELIVERING TEXT,

IMAGES, AND-WITH SUFFICIENT TIME AND DISK

SPACE-PRERECORDED AUDIO CLIPS AND VIDEO

SEQUENCES. THE COMING TREND IS STREAMING

VIDEO AND AUDIO-REAL-TIME DELIVERY OF

VIDEOS THAT MAY BE LARGER THAN THE CLIENT'S

DISK STORAGE.

Streaming video and audio develop­ video. The team has since developed ment could drastically change the way the plug-ins that work with other browsers from Web is used for education, research, enter­ Netscape and Spyglass; the Vosaic video tainment, and business. But efforts to use server is available for the Windows 95 and browsers to deliver real-time audiovisual NT platforms, the Macintosh Power PC materials have, until recently, been platform, and for various flavors of UNIX. hampered by the Internet's variable low bandwidth capacity. The standard TCP A new protocol (Transmission Control Protocol) deals with TCP copes with variable low band­ this problem by resending packets of infor­ width capacity by retransmitting dropped mation that get lost-a great solution for packets, a strategy which, when applied to static data or images, but disastrous for real­ continuous streams of video and audio, time videos. results in congestion on the Web. More­ Roy Campbell, UIUC professor of over, TCP transmission often destroys the computer science and senior research sci­ temporal relations between video frames entist at NCSA, along with UIUC graduate and audio packets. students Zhigang Chen and See-Mong Tan, Vosaic transmits video and audio over David Raila, UIUC programmer in com­ the Internet using a new network-friendly puter sciences, and Dong Zie, a student at protocol called VDP (Video Datagram Pro­ the University of Norway, have solved the tocol), which transmits 40 times faster than problem with Vosaic (short for Video TCP or IP (Internet Protocol). VDP evaluates Mosaic), which easily delivers audiovisual both the bandwidth and the latency be­ materials even at peak Internet traffic times. tween the server and the client. "If the Campbell and his colleagues created server is sending video packets," explains Vosaic, starting with video embedded in Campbell, "and it doesn't believe it can Mosaic, using- NCSA's Mosaic and HTTPd send a packet in time to be received and (HTML server) source codes. The video displayed in sequence by the client, it server cooperates with the HTTPd server to won't do it; it just skips and goes on to the provide a user-friendly HTML interface for next packet."

16 NCSA access Fall1996 Because dropped audio packets are a lot more Although Vosaic's optimum transmission noticeable than dropped video frames, VDP assigns rate over telephone lines is only about 12 frames­ audio streams a higher priority. " If a video picture per-second (standard video uses 30 frames-per­ jerks a bit, you don't notice it, but if the audio jerks, second) using a 28.8 modem, it is adequate for HO E you can't understand it," he adds. The minimum advertising or educational purposes, according to bandwidth needed to transmit Vosaic over a tele­ Campbell. As networks improve, so will transmis­ phone line, Campbell says, is about 28.8 K bits-per­ sion rates . "We're making some enhancements on second. the protocol side," said Campbell, "and different Using VDP, Vosaic does away with time­ coding schemes for audio," both of which should consuming downloading: the viewer can watch a improve the quality of the movies. movie as it's transmitted. Because the video isn't Last June, the University of Illinois signed a downloaded, it doesn't take up disk space. licensing agreement with Digital Video Communi­ In addition to viewing video as it comes across cations, based in Chicago and Los Angeles, to 'COAIPO RATE the Internet, the user can pause, fast-forward, market and sell Vosaic; the university will own INFO rewind, or even click on HTML links embedded ooe-third of the new company and receive a share within the video to view related text or another of the royalties. movie. The video may even be detached from the The public can download a free 60-day browser window and scaled up to fill the entire evaluation copy ofVosaic (see URL below right). monitor. It's been possible to do this with down­ The Vosaic plug-ins (for browers that support loaded videos for years, but Vosaic lets users stream them) are free to the academic community, and video directly, so they can see the first frames as the server software is discounted for universities, soon as they click. says Campbell. Nonacademic users can purchase Vosaic by accessing the Web site. Applications in education, VIDE.O research, and entertainment Vosaic-on the move II.ISR RV There are a host of potential applications, of Vosaic servers worldwide include a number course. A professor teaching a course on atmo­ in Taiwan, Norway, and Great Britain. The UIUC spheric science, for example, might use Vosaic to Vosaic server is an NCSA HP200 workstation. put a tornado activity lecture online. Students could Vosaic servers must handle unusually large loads: watch the hour-long lecture straight through, pause the server software must manage large video and while they clicked on embedded links, search for audio files; support fast-forward, pause, and related homework problems, or rewind the video to rewinding capabilities; and handle Vosaic's review a concept in the lecture. "This would be a adaptive network protocols. Jeff Terstriep, techni­ tremendous way of creating video materials for a cal program manager of NCSA's Distributed TEC INFO virtual university," says Campbell. Information Systems Group, believes Vosaic could A Grand Challenge researcher might use Vosaic be a valuable multimedia asset management tool. to deliver a simulation to a collaborator in another "If you look at the way the Web works right now," state. NCSA software developers are investigating he says, "you essentially deliver files out of your the possibility of embedding Vosaic into collabora­ file system . There's very little you can do as far as tive software such as Habanera, making it possible managing and searching. We want to be able to to conduct Web-based videoconferences. use a database that will provide a little more NCSA has begun using Vosaic to communicate sophisticated front-end to this system so that you with the public. "You'll be able to read an article in can do queries against the database to find the our online version of access," says John Melchi, for­ videos you might be interested in." OFTWAAfE II UPPOIRl merly NCSA's public information officer, "and then "With Vosaic, we're creating a participatory hyperlink to a related video. By incorporating Vosaic video experience," says Campbell, "where view­ E 0 into our communications program, we'll be in a ers can be involved in a variety of different ways: (.) c.) good position to push the technology even further." just choosing what videos to play through hotlinks ·u;

NCSA access Fall1996 17 The goals of FIRST are to foster coop­ eration among information technology constituents in the effective prevention of, detection of, and recovery from computer security incidents; to provide a means to communicate alert and advisory informa­ tion on potential threats and emerging incidents; to facilitate the actions and activities of the FIRST members, including research and operational activities; and to facilitate the sharing of security-related information, tools, and techniques. As a FIRST member, NCSA will provide other members with expertise on security issues relating to supercomputing technologies and Web-based technology products (e.g., NCSA Mosaic and NCSA Habanero). In return, NCSA will have access to encrypted mailing lists that provide FIRST members with exclusive technology and security updates; voting rights at FIRST general meetings; and, in light of the sensitive nature of NCSA-industrial partner relationships, a means to share security concerns with a trusted set of security experts. •

NCSA HTML Beginner's Guide Highlighting Advances Video Press Release Available Noted Nationally Perhaps you check the NCSA Home on Web Dave Farrell, author of the nationally Page (see URL left) on a regular basis. NCSA's first video press release (see syndicated newspaper column Roadside Perhaps not. Beginning in June 1996, NCSA URL right) was made available on the Web Attractions Along the Information Highway, has offered a good reason to check its home in June. Created to experiment with new recently referenced the NCSA Beginner's page at least every two weeks. Vosaic technology (see page 16), the video Guide to HTML as" ... one of the best The home page sidebar changes bi­ discusses the development of NCSA's Biol­ primers I've found for beginning HTMLers." weekly with a focus on new projects, soft­ ogy Workbench-a new paradigm in com­ Farrell goes on to say that he highly recom­ ware, or information. The sidebars link to puting (see page 2). Other video press mends NCSA's guide for newbies who want additional information on the topic. releases, dubbed Spin TV™, are anticipated to learn how to build Web pages but don't Part of the new home page designed in late 1996. know where to start. this spring by Carlton Bruett of NCSA, the According to John Melchi, formerly of The guide (also referred to as the sidebars are created by Tyler Munson of the the Public Information Office, NCSA plans NCSA Primer) was originally written by webmaster team. Webmaster Cordelia Baron to emphasize ubiquitous video-streaming Marc Andreessen, developer of NCSA Geiken oversees the selection of the sidebar technology in the second half of 1996. Mosaic and cofounder of Netscape Com­ images and information and ensures that "One way to do that," he noted "is to use munications Corporation. The NCSA Publi­ information is rotated regularly. • the Web to distribute audio and video infor­ cations Group assumed responsibility for mation about NCSA to its public. We want the guide several years ago. Ginny Hudak­ NCSA Joins Fl RST to have a library of video information ready David recently completed a major revision NCSA was formally accepted as a for the public when the technology ma­ to the guide (version 2.0 released in April member of the Forum of Incident Response tures." 1996). Tom Magliery of SOD provided tech­ and Security Teams (F IRST) in July 1996. Melchi and Jay Rosenstein, NCSA nical comments and suggestions. FIRST is an international consortium of video producer, directed the pilot project. The Beginner's Guide, which is the computer incident response and security Other collaborators from the Media Tech­ second most frequently requested file on teams that handles computer security inci­ nology Resources Group include Tony NCSA's Web server, may be purchased us­ dents and promotes preventive activities. Baylis, Jeff Carpenter, Doug Fein, Steve ing the NCSA Technical Resources Catalog Currently, FIRST has approximately 50 Kleinvehn, Juhan Son in, and Rob Stein. • (TRC). For the online version of the guide members from government, law enforce­ and the TRC, see the U Rls left. • ment, academia, and the private sector.

'18 NCSA access Fall1996 Silicon Graphics-Chicago SGI Systems Applications Engineer Kumaran Kalyanasundaram, who is based in Chicago, manages a Silicon Graphics­ Urbana page that offers important Web resources to SGI users both at NCSA and at other sites running SGI HPCC systems. The four main categories-who we are, cool stuff, help, and enter the vault­ are updated regularly by webmaster Robert Stein, a UIUC senior in computer engineer­ ing. Of particular interest to NCSA users are the Web files devoted to supercomputing and parallel computing. Kalyanasundaram and Stein define this section as offering a "list of resources intended as a data reposi­ tory for applications developers and users." It includes links to training materials, sites running SGI POWER CHALLENGE systems, general resources, and other institutions. Check here for up-to-date information about SGI's new R1 0000 architecture (in­ cluding a Web-based training module on performance tuning by SGI's Jeff Fier), Mon­ goose compilers, and the R8000 systems. While most documents are in HTML format, some are provided as SGI Showcase slides and some are in PostScript. •

Alliance and User Group chance to exchange information and tips NCSA H OF on the Web Meetings Held informally. If you use NCSA Hierarchical Data John Towns, NCSA Alliance Programs The Exemplar and Power Grid Alliance Format (HDF)-a platform-independent Coordinator, issued calls for participation in programs, coordinated by NCSA, represent data format for storing and exchanging sci­ . ] two meetings held this fall: the Second SGI an international coalition of corporate, gov­ entific data-for your high-performance .s:::. · c 0 POWER CHALLENGEarray User's Group ernment, and academic sites running SGI or computing, check out the HDF Group's . -~ · ::I Meeting held in September at NCSA and HP-Convex systems. Meetings provide open Web site. More to the point, if you don't O"l · 1§ the HP-Convex Exemplar Alliance Fall '96 forums for discussion of the issues related to use HDF, perhaps now is the time to learn 0 ~ . Q) Meeting held in early October in San Di­ support and use of these systems. Institu­ more about it. E • ctl ego, CA. tional membership information is available You'll find links to general information z tl" " ~ The POWER CHALLENGEarray User's on the Alliance Web site (see URL right). • on HDF and its uses, the names of some co . :::::::. u .:.tt. Group meeting, hosted by NCSA, was a projects currently using HDF (for example, ~ - .g_ -U· S;(/) u Q) chance for representatives from sites run­ NCSA Upgrades POWER the U.S. Global Change Research Program), O... · c: :c en ning POWER CHALLENGEarray systems CHALLENGEarray links to NCSA's FTP server with the source en . c: ~ - ~ to meet and discuss their successes and To expand the resources available to code for the HDF library, and a partial list :::1(/) . c:(/) c: 0 O · U challenges. Towns noted that sessions on our user community, NCSA upgraded the of HDF tools. u ~ . =~ .... Q) the work and experiences of array users SGI POWER CHALLENGEarray in late sum­ HDF documentation is available in a Q) . c: c: Q) were the key to the successful meeting. SGI mer. The original configuration consisted variety of formats (PostScript, MIF, PDF). Q) . (.!) ~ . :g- staff gave presentations and collected feed­ of a 12-processor R4400 (150 MHz) Chal­ The HOF Reference Manual is available -c Q) ~ . u (.) :::1 back from the users who represented sites lenge machine, and six 16-processor R8000 online in HTML. Other manuals, such as .:! . ·::; ~ . cci across the U.S. (90 MHz) POWER CHALLENGE machines. The HOF User's Guide, can be downloaded ctl (/) The Exemplar Alliance meeting was This upgrade included installation of the via FTP. The HDF Group doesn't stop there. ~ j jointly hosted by The Scripps Research In­ lrix 6.2 operating system on all SGI systems, Their newsletter-with fixes, patches, and -:--:::1 : ~c.. stitute and the NRaD Command and Con­ conversion of two 8-processor R8000 sys­ bug reports-is online too. Hard copy of g- · 1§ trol High Performance Computing Research tems to R1 0000 systems, and the addition the user's guide can be ordered through the .s:::. . c Facility. Representatives from sites running of two R1 0000 systems. A new suite of NCSA Technical Resources Catalog (see ~ - a: ~ · -8 HP-Convex Exemplar systems discussed compilers-MIPSpro 7.0-is available URL page 18). =. e :::E . c.en their efforts and heard presentations by and under IRIX 6.2 on the R4400, R8000, and For a summary of the HDF project, see < ::I (I) . - (,.) (,:, offered feedback to HP-Convex staff. Birds­ R1 0000 processors. Current status of the access, Spring 1996, pages 14-16. • z . cn of-a-feather meetings gave attendees a upgrade is available from the URL at right. •

NCSA access Fall1996 19 OUTREACH

Partnership Illinois

by Amy Whitaker

Educators from six states-representing grade levels from outreach programs, NCSA projects are touching the lives elementary school to community college-spent two weeks in July of Illinois residents. with NCSA staff and scientists learning how virtual reality (VR) can Partnership Illinois, a UIUC initiative, seeks to make be used in education. "It is the first time virtual reality technology sure that Illinois citizens are aware of the outreach training has been directed toward education," said Umesh offered by numerous university departments. By commu­ Thakkar, E&O program coordinator. nicating about its partnerships with the state, UIUC The summer session began a yearlong effort to make NCSA's hopes to create new relationships between the university virtual environment resources available to educators at all grade and Illinois citizens and to strengthen existing programs. levels. Groups from NCSA and UIUC will provide consulting and " Part of Partnership Illinois is to inform ourselves technological support to the teachers as they create VR projects about what we are doing [in order] to avoid overlap and specific to their classroom needs. duplication," says Carol Menaker, director of communi­ The Virtual Reality and Education Program for Educators is cations, UIUC Office of Public Affairs. "It is also a way of only one example of how NCSA brings technology into the creating dialog across the state to help us rethink and classroom . Other NCSA E&O programs-many in collaboration reconfigure our programs to meet specific needs. " with other UIUC units-help to bring leading-edge technology UIUC launched Partnership Illinois beginning with a into communities across Illinois. Like hundreds of UIUC preview exhibit tent at the Illinois State Fair on August 9. Early this September, the university celebrated its out- u § reach programs by inviting faculty, advocates, and recipi- >- ents to recognize those partnerships and to establish ~ 8 UIUC as a central figure in the state's economic develop- e: ment. Governor Jim Edgar proclaimed September 9 Part- § E nership Illinois Day. ~ Partnership Illinois consists of programs in thirteen 8 areas: food and fiber production; manufacturing and service industries; business management and economic development; social welfare; health and wellness, aging, and disabilities; environment; culture and arts; lifelong learning; local and state government; sports and athletics; K- 12 education; technology transfer; and infor­ mation technology. NCSA's outreach efforts fall into the last three categories. Several activities coordinated by NCSA's E&O Division are part of Partnership Illinois. Those activities include helping establish Champaign County Network Through its E&O Division, NCSA works with many schools statewide to enhance educational opportunities (CCNet) and the Champaign County Web site [see at all levels. access, Spring 1996, page 13], conducting research on the impact of community networking, and presenting educational and business conferences and workshops "Partnership Illinois is a way of creating (see pages 21 and 22 for a few examples). NCSA also works with school districts and colleges dialog across the state to help us rethink in Illinois, including those in Bloomington, Champaign, Charleston, Chicago, Danville, Decatur, Edwardsville, and reconfigure our programs to meet Elgin, Fisher, Springfield, Rantoul, Teutopolis, and Urbana. •

specific needs," says Carol Menaker. Amy Whitaker; a senior in journalism at UIUC is a student intern in the NCSA Public Information Office, Marketing Communica tions Division.

20 NCSA access Fall1996 CyberEducation Takes to the Road by Holly Korab

.g: connectivity, training, and Internet access teachers were still using the Internet in ~ were donated by the Mil ken Family Foun­ spurts for isolated projects rather than inte­ ~ dation, William G. McGowan Charitable grating it into the total learning experience. Fund Inc., Corning Inc., DSC Communica- An exception was Du Sable High School in >- ] tions Corp., and Microsoft Corp. The Chicago where the teachers had integrated ~ project was organized by TECH CORPS™, the Internet into almost every class and cur­ w hich recruits volunteers from corporations ricul um. They had embraced the technol­ and universities to help integrate technol­ ogy as a means to multiply their resources ogy into the classroom. The Illinois program and customize teaching for students with

CyberEd's roving ambassador, ~Ed," brought state-of­ is coordinated by NCSA [see access, Fall different learning styles. "I learned from the-art technology training to the neediest schools in 1995, page 21]. their example that it takes proactive teach­ the U.S. On its sides was the slogan ~ CyberEd - Driving After its Apri I 1996 kick-off at the ers with a vision for the Internet in order for the Vision of 21st Century Education. " White House, the CyberEd truck traveled to it to become a useful tool in the class­ The 18-wheeler that pulled into towns the federal empowerment zones shown room," says Bievenue. around the country this past summer was below. Schools within the zones were To encourage more teachers, adminis­ not hauling freight. It was carrying a vision selected, based on need and commitment, trators, and parents to craft visions for the of education for the twenty-first century. by the National Education Foundation, Internet, the CyberEd project will be The bright yellow CyberEd truck, Washington, DC. fol lowed up with a national drive to link called the "Bookmobile for the Digital Age" The truck parked in each empower­ schools with local chapters of TECH by U.S. Vice President AI Gore, was bring­ ment zone for two to five days. Each day CORPS. In preparation for that drive, each ing the latest information technology to the was packed with three training sessions. stop on the CyberEd tour included a nation's inner-city classrooms and rural During these whirlwind sessions, as many roundtable discussion with local leaders on communities. For five months, this elec­ as 12 people at a time were introduced to how they would like to interact with the tronic classroom on wheels traveled thou­ technological tools and curriculum ideas. corps. sands of miles, reaching 400 schools in 15 Morning and afternoons sessions were usu­ As Bievenue says, the goal of CyberEd federally designated empowerment zones ally reserved for teachers and administrators was not to try to teach schools everything to train teachers and community leaders in selected by the local school districts. This they needed to know about technology but the latest information technology. Though group was given a thick stack of resources, to motivate them to learn more. "The big­ privately funded, it was founded to support such as where to apply for grants and how gest technology issue in all schools is staff a White House initiative to make all chil­ to obtain professional development. Eve­ development," says Bievenue. "They can dren technologically literate by the start of nings and Saturdays were open to parents, get grants for computers, software, and the twenty-first century. Through educating families, and others. even connectivity, but teacher education the educators, the program hoped to assure During Bievenue's two-and-a-half-month gets left out. We are trying to change that." • that all students partake in the benefits of stint on the truck, she got a firsthand look at information technology. how teachers were incorporating Web tech­ Holly Korab is a science writer in the NCSA "Administrators know their schools nology into their curricula. At most schools Publications Group. need to use Internet technology, but they just aren't sure how to use it-CyberEd was there to help show them how," says Lisa Bievenue, NCSA specialist in education, E&O. Bievenue, along with Stan Silverman from the New York Institute of Technology, New York coordinated the content for the training Camden/ Philadelphia sessions and led nearly a quarter of them. Baltimore The CyberEd truck was outfitted with six personal computers on a local area net­ work with ISDN Internet connectivity and Los Angeles CO-ROMs. Another room was equipped for video playback and videoconferencing. The state-of-the-art classroom was donated by

MCI Communications Corporation, which Locations of CyberEd's 15 also initiated the project. Hardware, empowerment zones. Rio Grande Valley

NCSA access Fall1996 21 OUTREACH

Illinois's First Community Networl{s Conference

by jennifer Allerson N -o"' 0 "Computers are teaching us ~ <: Illinois's first conference on commu­ L.L."' to use our imaginations in nity networks, "Moving Your Community >- ~ Online," came to the UIUC Levis Faculty u0 ways we have never seen Center on June 26. This one-day conference, before," says Frank Odasz. organized by E&O's Alaina Kanfer, provided a forum for civic, educational, and state leaders in Illinois to learn and exchange A majority of conference attendees information about community networks as requested a follow-up conference, a communities around the nation increasingly Web site of the conference, a listserv, become electronically connected to the rest and a printed newsletter to continue of the world via the Internet. conversations. An overflow audience of more than Sponsors of the conference included 225 attendees heard several speakers networking models for bringing people Illinois Lt. Governor Bob Kustra, NCSA, address a variety of issues. Speakers in­ together, highlighting their potential for UIUC, Champaign County Network cluded Larry Smarr, NCSA director; Frank enhancing communication and problem (CCNet), Prairienet, UIUC Cooperative Ex­ Odasz, founder and director of Big Sky solving within and between communities tension Service, Lincoln Trail Libraries Sys­ Telegraph community network, Western ranging from global to local. Following the tem, Illinois State Board of Education, and Montana College of the University of keynote address, Amiot discussed various the Office of the Secretary of State/Illinois Montana, and senior advisor on community alternative means of connecting a commu­ State Library. • networks for the Morino Institute; and Larry nity to the Internet and providing informa­ Amiot, Argonne National Laboratory. tion services. Other program sessions jennifer Allerson is an NCSA intern in the NCSA Smarr emphasized the benefits of focused on effective technology, building Marketing Communications Division and a community networks and the current status community support, public institutions and senior in the UIUC Department of Industrial of evolving technology. In his keynote FreeNets, private service providers, and Distribution Management. address, Odasz presented community state agencies' resources.

Shell Oil Joins NCSA's Industrial Program

Shell Oil Company joined NCSA's Industrial Program in October. Shell Oil Company, based in Houston, TX, is one of the largest petroleum refiners and crude oil and natural gas producers in the U.S. "Shell Oil has been a leader in using super­ computer technology to do seismic research," said Director Larry Smarr "NCSA will help them apply many of the evolving leading-edge high performance com­ puting and information technologies to their expanding Illinois Speaker Daniels visits NCSA need to extract more knowledge from their huge data­ bases in all aspects of their businesses." During a fall tour of the Beckman Institute, Representative Lee Daniels (center), Merle Bone, General Auditor and Chief Informa­ speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, offered his continued support tion Officer, commented "We believe NCSA's leading to research underway at NCSA. The tour was lead by University of Illinois edge technology base and directions will aid our President Jim Stukel (left) and NCSA Director Larry Smarr (right). current growth objectives. Areas of special interest include shared memory supercomputing architectures, The tour included a demo of the CAVE (inset). Inside the virtual environment, data visualization and analysis, and network center Speaker Daniels, decked out in 3D glasses, asked if it would be possible to fill computing structures. the place with Democrats.

22 NCSA access Fall1996 Interactive Lesson by Julie Wurth

El aine Westbrook wants to virtual reality modeling lan­ take her students wading through guage-free software that allows the waters of the Mississippi River. them to use VR techniques on a Michael Hinton wants his stu­ desktop computer. "This is dents to experience an electrically something they can do right charged field, up close and personal. now," said Thakkar. Not in reality, of course. In vir­ Other 30 modeling soft­ tual reality (VR). ware is available, but it's more The two high school teachers expensive, said Kevin Mackie, are taking part in a training pro­ UIUC student working with gram at NCSA, learning how to Thakkar. "You are more im­ use VR in the classroom. Hinton, mersed in VRML. It's more a physics teacher at Urbana High interactive," he said. "The data School, has a specific plan in surround you." VRML also is mind. Other teachers came with designed for the Internet, which virtually no idea at all. throughout the year, said Umesh Thakkar, means the images can be sent anywhere on "I'm here to learn from the experts," E&O program coordinator at NCSA. The the World Wide Web, he said. Other 30 said Jane Leggett, a middle school teacher teachers will get together for follow-up software is designed mostly for expensive from Moline, IL. "I'm just excited to be seminars in the fall and again in the spring. high-end computers, so users can 't easily here. This is the premier place to be for They also have their own site on the World distribute what they create. virtual reality." Wide Web, where they can collaborate Hinton hopes to use VR to teach his What is virtual reality? A 30, interac­ throughout the year, Thakkar said. physics students about electrostatics, a tive, immersive computer display-with the One program highlight was trying out difficult concept to illustrate. He envisions a emphasis on immersive, said senior re­ the CAVE™ (Cave Automatic Virtual Envi­ walk-through visualization of an electrical search programmer Bill Sherman, who ronment), the cave-like VR room at UIUC's field in space, showing where the field is heads the virtual reality lab at NCSA. "It Beckman Institute. In the dark of the CAVE, weaker and where it is stronger. displays the world from the user's point of teachers donned special goggles to view Westbrook wants to incorporate VR view," he said. "If you move, the virtual virtual reality computer programs that make into her integrated science class, which she world moves with you." images come to 30 life. They saw-almost teaches to 150 students at a magnet high To date, VR techniques have been felt-animated fish swim through their legs. school in Omaha, NE. She has in mind used mostly in medicine and science, and They peeked inside a childlike drawing of a a river project she's been using to help in the design of new business products. house in "crayonland." Through satellite students appreciate water as an important Researchers would like to transfer its ben­ photos, they viewed the Earth 's surface from but limited resource. Westbrook would love efits to the classroom . "We're starting to get different heights and angles, mistaking the to take her students for a swim in the at the threshold where hardware is cheap U.S. for Australia. Some even felt their nearby Mississippi River but can 't. enough," Sherman said. Once it is cheap stomachs flip-flop when they jumped three "We could take them there virtually," enough, someone has to figure out how to stories off a huge transparent staircase. she said. "I have a lot of inner-city kids. A make it useful to teachers, he said. The "You could conceive of educational lot of them are turned off to school. I'm training program will give NCSA research­ spaces that kids could walk through and hoping this is one way to get them back." • ers valuable feedback, he said. "You need explore," said Alan Craig, manager of the technology, but you also need the NCSA's Information Technology Group. people who know what they want the tech­ Not every classroom can have a CAVE. Reproduced by permission ofThe Champaign­ nology to do." Thakkar said NCSA hopes to find funding Urbana News-Gazette. Permission does not Twelve educators from six states spent for a lower-cost VR system that could travel imply endorsement by the newspaper. julie two weeks in July (see page 20) learning to schools. Special glasses connected to the Wurth is a News-Gazette staff writer. how VR works and how to apply it to their computer terminal create sensations similar own classroom projects. NCSA researchers to the CAVE's, Sherman safd. In the mean­ will continue working with the teachers time, the teachers are learning VRML, or

NCSA access Fall1996 23 Allocations Education & Outreach Division Orders for Publications, http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Generai/AIIocations/ApplyTop.html http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/edu/EduHome.html NCSA Software, and Multimedia Radha Nandkumar John Ziebarth, Associate Director http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Pubs/ 217-244-0650 217-244-1961 TechResCatalog!TRC.TOC.html allocations®ncsa.uiuc.edu ziebarth®ncsa.uiuc.edu Debbie Shirley orders @ncsa.uiuc.edu Applications Division/Faculty Program Education http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Apps/Appslntro.html Scott Lathrop Public Information Office Melanie Loots, Associate Director 217-244-1099 http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/ 217-244-2921 P!0/1'-lCS.A.!nfa.htm! [email protected] Tony Baylis, acting Outreach 217-244-1996 Allison Clark (information) Alaina Kanfer 217-244-8195 fax 217-244-0768 217-244-0876 tba y I is@n csa .u i uc. ed u aclark®ncsa.uiuc.edu [email protected] Publications Group Visitors Program Training http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Pubs/ Jean Soliday http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/ Pubslntro.html 217-244-1972 Trainingltraining_homepage.html Melissa Johnson jsoliday®ncsa .uiuc.edu Mary Bea Walker 217-244-0645 217-244-9883 melissaj @ncsa.uiuc.edu Computing & Communications Division [email protected] http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Generai/COCCHome.html Software Development Division Charles Catlett, Associate Director Industrial Program Joseph Hardin, Associate Director 217-333-1163 http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/lndusProgl 217-244-7802 [email protected] lndProg.html [email protected] John Stevenson, Corporate Officer Ken Sartain (information) 217-244-0474 Jae Allen (information) 217-244-0103 [email protected] 217-244-3364 sartain®ncsa.uiuc.edu [email protected] Marketing Communications Division Consulting Services http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Generai/MarComm/ Staff Resource Center http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/ MarComm.html http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Business/ Consu lti ng!Consu lti ngServices. htm I Maxine Brown, Associate Director SROncsasrc.html 217-244-1144 217-244-7255 recruiting, staffing, employment 8:30 a.m.-5 :00p.m. Central Time [email protected] 217-244-0634 consult®ncsa.uiuc.edu [email protected] Media Technology Resources Networking http://fantasia. ncsa. u i uc.edu/medi a/ Virtual Environments Graphics Division network®ncsa.uiuc.edu Tony Baylis http://www.ncsa.uiuc.eduNEG/ 217-244-1996 Tom DeFanti, Associate Director Technology Management Group [email protected] 217-333-1527 Ken Sartain, acting [email protected] (services) [email protected] 217-244-0103 sartain®ncsa.u i uc.edu 217-244-0710 (services/help) help ® ncsa . uiuc.ed~.,J

NCSA Home Page Mailing Address NCSA Receptionist http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/ NCSA 217-244-0072 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 217-244-1987 fax 605 East Springfield Avenue Champaign IL 61820-5518

24 NCSA access Fall1996 For Further Information

Documentation Orders Articles in this access may refer to items that are available through the NCSA Technical general abbreviations Resources Catalog. To receive a hard copy of the catalog, send your request to Orders for CTC Cornell Theory Center Publications, NCSA Software, and Multimedia [see NCSA Contacts, page 24]. To view the catalog online, access the URL: http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Pubs!TechResCatalog/ DARPA Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency TRC.TOC.html. To obtain the catalog from anonymous ftp, see instructions below. The EVL Electronic Visualization Laboratory catalog is in the /ncsapubs!TechResCatalog directory. HPCC High Performance Computing and Communications

Accessing NCSA's Servers NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration Many NCSA publications (e.g., user guides, access, technical reports) as well as soft­ ware are available via the Internet on one of two NCSA servers: anonymous FTP or the NCAR National Center for Atmospheric Research World Wide Web. If you are connected to the Internet, we encourage you to take advan­ NCSA National Center for Supercomputing Appl ications tage of the easy-to-use servers to copy or view files. Nil National Information Infrastructure

Anonymous FTP address: ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu NSF National Science Foundation

PSC Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center NCSA Web Home Page: http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/ SDSC San Diego Supercomputer Center NOTE: References in access to a URL refer to the server address and file location SGI Silicon Graphics Inc. information used by Web-browser software to retrieve documents. TMC Thinking Machines Corp. If you have any questions about accessing the servers, contact your local system ad­ UIC University of Illinois at Chicago ministrator or network expert. Instructions for accessing the anonymous FTP server follow. UIUC University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

URL Uniform Resource Locator Downloading from Anonymous FTP Server A number of NCSA publications are installed on the NCSA anonymous FTP server. VR Virtua l Reality If you are connected to the Internet, you can download NCSA publications by following Web World Wide Web the procedures be low. If you have any questions regarding the connection or procedure, consult your local system administrator or network expert.

1. Log on to a host at your site that is connected to the Internet and running software supporting the ftp command. NCSA abbreviations 2. Invoke FTP by entering the ftp command and the Internet address of the server: Apps Applications Division ftp ftp . ncsa.uiuc.edu 3. Log on using anonymous for the name. CAVE Cave Automatic Virtual Environment 4. Enter your local login name and address (e.g., [email protected]) C&C Computing and Communications Division for the password. 5. Enter get README . FIRST to transfer the ASCII instruction to your local host. E&O Education and Outreach Division 6. Enter quit to exit FTP and return to your local host. F&A Finance and Administration Division 7. Th e NCSA publications are located in the/ncsapubs directory. IP Industrial Program

MarComm Marketing Communications Division

SDD Software Development Division

VEG Virtual Environments Graphics Division