"Montage" is the name of a service of the National Virtual Observatory (NVO), and of software being developed to implement the service via the World Wide Web.
Montage generates science-grade custom mosaics of astronomical images on demand from input files that comply with the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) standard and contain image data registered on projections that comply with the World Coordinate System (WCS) standards. "Science-grade" in this context signifies that terrestrial and instrumental features are removed from images in a way that can be described quantitatively. "Custom" refers to user-specified parameters of projection, coordinates, size, rotation, and spatial sampling. The greatest value of Montage is expected to lie in its ability to analyze images at multiple wavelengths, delivering them on a common projection, coordinate system, and spatial sampling, and thereby enabling further analysis as though they were part of a single, multi-wavelength image. Montage will be deployed as a computation-intensive service through existing astronomy portals and other Web sites. It will be integrated into the emerging NVO architecture and will be executed on the Tera- Grid. The Montage software will also be portable and publicly available.
This program was written by Attila Bergou, Bruce Berriman, John Good, Joseph Jacob, Daniel Katz, Anastasia Laity, Thomas Prince, and Roy Williams of Caltech for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Software category.
This software is available for commercial licensing. Please contact Karina Edmonds of the California Institute of Technology at (818) 393-2827. Refer to NPO-40297.
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
Generating Mosaics of Astronomical Images
(reference NPO-40297) is currently available for download from the TSP library.
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Overview
The document outlines the architecture and functionality of the Request Object Management Environment (ROME) and its integration with the Montage image mosaic service, aimed at enhancing the management of astronomical data requests. It addresses the challenges faced in processing large data sets, particularly in the field of astronomy, where requests can be lengthy due to limited network bandwidth and slow remote servers.
ROME is designed as a lightweight system that manages user requests, responds to service messages, and performs load balancing in a fault-tolerant manner. It operates independently of processing details, accepting information through HTTP connections and communicating with clients via asynchronous XML messages. This design allows ROME to support various web-based services, including the 2MASS bulk image service, which processes significant amounts of astronomical data.
The document describes the high-level architecture of ROME, which utilizes Enterprise Java Beans (EJB) technology for managing transactions and ensuring concurrency and security. The system is structured into two main components: the Request Manager (RM) and the Request Processor (RP). The RM handles user requests, storing information persistently in a database to ensure reliability in case of failures. It can manage thousands of simultaneous requests through standard client interfaces, such as web forms or Java GUIs. The RP oversees load balancing and communicates status updates back to the RM, allowing users to monitor and control their requests effectively.
The document also highlights the operational deployment of the Montage service, which aims to generate mosaics of astronomical images. It emphasizes the importance of a robust request management system to facilitate the efficient processing of these requests, ultimately improving user experience and service reliability.
In summary, the document presents a comprehensive overview of ROME's architecture and its role in managing astronomical data requests, showcasing the integration of advanced technologies to meet the growing demands of the astronomical community. It serves as a valuable resource for understanding the operational aspects of data management in the context of large-scale astronomical projects.
