| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/D049954/1 |
| Title: |
Pegasus: Particle-physics Engagement with the Grid: A Socio-technical Usability Study |
| Principal Investigator: |
Venters, Dr WJ |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Department: |
Information Systems |
| Organisation: |
London School of Economics & Pol Sci |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 June 2006 |
Ends: |
31 January 2010 |
Value (£): |
236,994
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Human-Computer Interactions |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Experimental particle physics has always demanded new technology and this demand has led to many new innovations, of which the Web is perhaps most notable. Currently particle physics is demanding a new form of computer system capable of processing the vast quantity of data which will be produced by a new particle accelerator at CERN (Europe's particle physics laboratory based in Geneva called the Large Hadron Collider - LHC), scheduled to start in 2007. This experiment will produce a staggering 12-14 million gigabytes of data per year and so requires a wholly new form of computer system to process the data. This new system is called a Grid and consists of many distributed computers, storage arrays, and sensors, all working together so that any user can draw on very large amounts of computing power without needing to know about how it works or even where the computers and data are located.The UK's particle physics community has constructed a Grid (called GridPP1) as a pilot demonstrator of this technology. They are now in the process of evaluating this pilot project, and developing a new Grid (GridPP2) ready for the new accelerator where it will be used by a large number of physicists analysing the new data. However implementing new information systems is always difficult. While the pilot projects may prove technically successful, things are often very different when they start to be used to do real work. In particular the users will need to change the way they work in order to accommodate the new system, they will require (or even demand) the new system to be changed in unexpected ways because it doesn't fit with their needs, and furthermore the type of work they do collectively will be changed.This project's aim is to understand the way particle physicists are constructing their Grid, and how they are introducing it into use. This is relevant for improving the usability of all Grids and for wider information systems research for three reasons; first, particle physicists are very pragmatic in the way they construct technology and tend to employ tools and techniques in different ways to other developers (for example software companies or big firms). Second, particle physicists are distributed across the globe and have for a long time worked together as a virtual organisation ; something which is of great interest to other scientists as e-science leads them to work in similar ways. Third, because the LHC will start in 2007, and so GridPP2 must be ready on time, we will be able to observe the compromises and decisions particle physicists make to construct a usable system to a deadline. This means that the research can provide a relevant juxtaposition to current research on other innovative systems development approaches, for example Open Source Development and Agile Methods.So how do we go about such research? Here we use a research method called Ethnography. Ethnography essentially means observing, listening and recording what is going on. We will therefore attend the main meetings of GridPP, read their documents and interview people involved. From all this observation we will write a set of three documents: The first will describe how the needs of the new particle accelerator shape the design of GridPP2. The second will describe how GridPP2 is understood by, and comes to be used by, particle physicists preparing for the new accelerator. The third will detail how GridPP is actually used among particle physicists doing research using the data produced from the LHC. Using these three reports as a starting point we will produce a framework and set of guidance for other areas of science that are developing similar Grids for their work as well as other fields including engineering, businesses and government.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.lse.ac.uk |