Relational Grid Information Services Research Group (RGIS-RG)

This is a research group of the Global Grid Forum under the recently merged Information Systems and Performance Area.

Purpose

The RGIS research group serves researchers who are exploring approaches based on data models such as the relational data model for defining, communicating, recording, and querying static and dynamic Grid information. It is expected that a working group or groups will be formed to create standards for interoperability.

Related Global Grid Forum Groups outside the ISP area

RGIS-RG is a research group. RGIS-RG is exploring areas for further work concerning databases, especially when databases are used as part of the grid infrastructure itself. The Database Access and Integration Services (DAIS) group is producing a specification for data access to existing databases on the grid. OGSA-DAI is one possible reference implementation for DAIS. RGIS-RG complements the efforts of the DAIS group. They may interact in two ways. Data access and integration may generate requirements that should be met by grid information systems. Grid information systems may generate requirements that should be met by data access and integration services.

Next Agenda

• GGF8

Milestones

1. Coordinate among different reseach efforts, producing informational drafts. The goal of this coordination is to further the research efforts of the individual groups through cross-pollination.
2. Create an archive of GIS and performance data, and traces of queries to this data, and write an informational draft describing the traces and their properties
3. Develop appropriate extensible schemas and indices for Grid information, including an extensible type hierarchy for data objects, and the definition of a set of core types. This will be done in cooperation with the GIS and Performance working groups. This is expected to produce at least two informational drafts
4. Determine whether spinning off a working group is warranted (due: 2003)

1. Define a set of use cases, producing informational draft
2. Define a set of common "canned queries", producing informational draft

Talks

• GGF 6 (Chicago), October, 2002.
  Open Discussion of Future Agenda
• GGF 5 (Edinburgh), July, 2002.
  • Performance Comparison of Grid Information Services, Beth Plale. (ppt)
  • The R-GMA Mediator Revisited, Werner Nutt. (ppt)
  • The NorduGrid Information Model, Balazs Konya. (ppt)
  • Querying Distributed Data Using Grid Messaging, Peter Kunszt. (ppt)
  • Unified Relational GIS: Workloads, Schemas, and Early Performance Results, Peter Dinda. (pdf)
  • R-GMA and OGSA, James Magowan. (ppt)
• GGF 4 (Toronto), February, 2002.
  • The Role of a Mediator in R-GMA, Manfred Oevers. (ppt)
  • Spitfire: A Relational DB Service for the Grid, Peter Kunszt. (ppt)
  • Key Concepts and Services of a Grid Information Service, Beth Plale, Peter Dinda, Michael Helm, Gregor von Laszewski, John McGee (Presented by Beth Plale).
• GGF 3 (Frascati), October 2001.
  • Due to 9/11, the RGIS RG did not meet at this GGF.
• GGF 2 (Washington), July, 2001.
  • GMA and the Relational Data Model - Progress Report, Protocols, and Where We Might Have Strayed..., Steve Fisher, 2001. (Presented in the Performance WG) (pdf)
• GGF 1 (Amsterdam), March, 2001.
  • Relational Model For Information and Monitoring, Steve Fisher. (Presented in the Performance WG) (pdf)
  • A Unified Relational Approach to Grid Information Services (Presentation of informational draft), Peter Dinda and Beth Plale. (Presented by Peter Dinda in the GIS WG) (powerpoint)
• Grid Forum (United States)
  • LDAP Query Access: Challenges and Opportunities, Beth Plale and Peter Dinda, October, 2000. (Presented by Beth Plale at Grid Forum 5 in the GIS WG) (powerpoint)

Papers (Informational Drafts)

• B. Plale, P. Dinda, and G. von Laszewski, Key Concepts and Services of a Grid Information Service, Informational Draft (pdf)
• B. Konya, The NorduGrid Information System, Informational Draft (pdf)
• W. Hoschek, G. McCance, Grid Enabled Relational Database Middleware, Informational Draft (pdf)
• B. Coghlan, A Case for Relational GIS/GMA using Relaxed Consistency, Grid Forum Informational Draft GWD-GP-11-1 (pdf)
• S. Fisher, Relational Model for Information and Monitoring, Grid Forum Informational Draft GWD-GP-7-1 (pdf)
• P. Dinda, B. Plale, A Unified Relational Approach to Grid Information Services, Grid Forum Informational Draft GWD-GIS-012-1 (pdf, ps).