ALMA Science Operations Userfacing aspects John Hibbard North
ALMA Science Operations (User-facing aspects) John Hibbard North American ARC Manager, NAASC/NRAO ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
Why “User Facing Aspects”? ALMA • What’s covered in this talk: – – – – User Portal & Helpdesk OT (phase 1, phase 2) Project Tracker Proposal Review Scheduling Staffing Policies • What’s covered in other talks – Pipeline, Offline data reduction, NA archive • What’s not covered – Array operations (reconfiguration, Array Operators, Ao. D) – Chile Archive operations ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
Steps to Early Science ALMA • Integrated tests (proposal generation to archive retrieval) – May 10 – June 8, 2010: proposal preparation, submission, load test, panel review process, SB submission, project tracker, helpdesk – Aug-Sept 2010 (currently in progress): all above elements, plus User Portal (incl. single sign-on) – Oct/Nov 2010: “realistic” test of Technical Assessments, OTPhase 2 process – Final test: Nov-Jan 2010 (serve as “train the trainer” for final systems) • Documentation Development Plan – Construction team produces software user/reference manuals – Prior to each Cf. P, Operations will update end-user documentation (cookbooks, guides, recipes) • Assigned across ARCs & DSO • First versions due by Sept 28, 2010 for “Operations Readiness Review” ALMA Operations Plan External Review 3
Sci. Ops. IPT Documentation Plan https: //safe. nrao. edu/wiki/bin/view/ALMA/ESdocs NAASC is on track to meet its responsibilities ALMA Operations Plan External Review 4
ALMA Steps to Early Science – Current Milestones • Operations Readiness Review: Oct-Nov 2010 – Result from Ops. RR is a punchlist of activities to be completed, and an assessment of when the Call for Proposals goes will be issued • Assuming satisfactory “readiness”, Cf. P will be issued Dec 2010 – NAASC starts OT-phase I training activities (Dec workshop? Jan AAS, Jan workshop in Victoria) • Proposals due 2 months later (Feb 2011) – NAASC starts working with successful P. I. ’s on preparation of OT-phase II materials • SB’s prepared & submitted June-July 2011 – NAASC concentrates more on CASA training activities • Early Science observing queue invoked July 2011 ALMA Operations Plan External Review 5
“Preparing for Early Science” document by R. Hills ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010 ALMA
ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
Call for Proposals: ALMA • Current timeline has a date of Dec 1, 2010 • Responsibility of Project Scientist; distributed by DSO • Draft is expected to be submitted for Operations Readiness Reviews • Will be broadcast by the ARCs – NAASC: NRAO e. News list (currently 5, 280 unique addresses), NRAO & NAASC website, AAS Newsletter • Issues: How will call be crafted? How will it moderate community expectations? Will it contain enough information for users to judge the best types of proposals to submit? ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
ALMA User Portal & associated applications • Available at http: //asa. alma. cl/asa • After logging in, users have access to ALMA applications – Helpdesk – Project Tracker – Assessment tool – Proposal Review tools – ALMA Science Archive (under development) • Apart from ASA, applications have been tested & performed well during last two Integrated tests – Some interface issues uncovered – No show stoppers ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
ALMA User Portal: Registering ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010 ALMA
ALMA Screen shot of UP before and after logging in ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
ALMA Applications: Helpdesk ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010 ALMA
ALMA Observing Tool ALMA • OT used to plan observations and submit proposals (Phase I) & create observing requests (Phase II) • Uses / interacts with Exposure Time Calculator, Splatalogue, ALMA Science Archive • OT design is based on similar existing tools at Gemini, JCMT, Spitzer and Herschel ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
ALMA Observing Tool – Phase 1 submission ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
ALMA Observing Tool – Phase 1 submission • Tested extensively during integrated tests – Note: only involved “fake” proposal justifications • Ended with “load test” of archive & server – Successfully submitted >700 proposals from around the world in a 15 min interval • Issues: – Time estimator, “ease of use” of spectral visualizer & picker – How to advise users on what to write – No show stoppers for proposal submission ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
Panel Review process ALMA • Tool for assigning both Scientific and Technical Assessors – Needs to be more automated (especially reassignment of conflicts), but no showstoppers • Assessor tool for accepting/rejecting assignments (based on conflicts), and assessing and ranking proposals – Some interface issues, but no show stoppers – Draft guidelines for assessment need to be improved • Issues: • – PHT lead not yet hired (interviews Sept 21). Will need to get on board and train up FAST – Need proper test of Technical Assessment process (i. e. using real justifications). Planned for November 2010. May require changes in Technical Summary, but not a show-stopper Summary: DSO believes it has staff & tools to handle proposal review process ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
ALMA Applications: Assessor Tool ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
ALMA Schedule-block submission (OT-phase 2) • In every day use at OSF • Oct/Nov test will provide a broader test (specifically the construction of SBs from science goals) • For Early Science, NAASC will work with all successful NA PI’s to generate SBs • Issues: – The heart of the Phase 1 to Phase 2 process involves calibration procedures, which are under development – Expect to learn more at Ops. RR ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
ALMA Applications: Project Tracker ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
ALMA Applications: Project Tracker 20 NSF Review
ALMA Scheduling • By-hand scheduling takes place at OSF already • ARCs have not been involved in this; will learn more at Sci. Ops. RR • DSO backup plan, if required, is to do block scheduling by hand, so not a show stopper ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
ALMA Pipeline, Offline Data Reduction & Archive • Will be covered in talk by Mark Lacy • NAASC has recently convened a CSV Data Reduction “Tiger Team”, lead by Al Wootten, to download useful CSV datasets and reduce them – Parallels and complements CSV “Imaging Team” effort – NAASC Tiger Team will additionally produce data reduction “guides” for SV data for public consumption ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
Other Operations Issues: Staffing ALMA • DSO Staffing – Currently being recruited: PHT lead – To be hired: 2 System Astronomers, 1 -2 Ops Astronomers, Lead and Deputy of Program Management Group – Some will transfer from Construction (will come pre-trained) – Head of DSO (L. -A. Nyman) says DSO staffing is sufficient for Proposal acceptance • NAASC – To be hired: 2 -3 Data Analysts, 1 scientific programmer, 2 postdocs – Sufficient staff in place for proposal submission, helpdesk, visitor support ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
Other Operations Issues: Policies & Guidelines ALMA • Procedures & Policies – DSO-ARC issues – need to set up JIRA system & policies – Proposal Process Implementation Plan – draft due for Ops. RR (Scientific & Technical Assessment policies drafted for 2 nd Integrated test – still need work, and may need specific policies for Early Science) – Phase 1 to Phase 2 policies – need written (will build off of ESO VLT guidelines) – Helpdesk service policies – draft generated ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
Science Operations Status: A personal perspective ALMA • No identified show stoppers at this time (but await outcome of Readiness Reviews) • December call leaves little time for training of Proposal Handling Team (but not believed to be a show stopper) • Would always appreciate more time to test more, train more, spend more time on policies (current schedule is 1. 5 mo advanced compared to AOPv. D offsets) • Timing of software release R 8. 0 (December) vs. date of Call (Dec 1)? ANASAC 13 -14 Sept 2010
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