Minutes of the CHAIN Meeting (PMB & TB) – Trieste ICTP May 16, 2011
Agenda: attached below (
Attendees: (13 people)
Federico Ruggieri, Alberto Masoni, Filomena Foglietta, Hikaru Ikeda (INFN),
Roberto Barbera (COMETA), Kostas Koumantaros (GRNET),
Rafael Mayo, Raquel Muñoz (CIEMAT),
Ludek Matyska (CESNET),Steven Newhouse (EGI),Tiwonge Msulira Banda (UBUNTUNET), Depei Qian (Beihang University), Simon Lin (ASGC)
Introduction of the Project and WP1: Federico Ruggieri / INFN Roma Tre
MoU between EGI-InSpire and CHAIN:before the meeting Federico sent the version 0 of the MoU. Review of the document with the partners (Steven, Ludek and Roberto suggested some integrations and modifications). Federico will soon circulate a new version of the MoU.
Technical program and issues: Roberto Barbera/ Univers. of Catania and COMETA
CHAIN technical work plan: deliverables & milestones.Concerning the deliverables the current status is: D5.1 was completed, D2.1 was completed; D3.1 is under internal review and will be released by the end of the month. ( for the milestones is possible to verify the current status on the CHAIN website ( Next MS listed in the table of milestones is MS3 “Questionnaire results collected” which should be achieved in month 7.
New web services: Event GeoMap & AAI. On the CHAIN project website is availablethe Event GeoMap ( which shows the geographical distributions of the CHAIN events. Passing the mouse over the markers is possible to get information: red links refer to past events while blue refer to future ones. It has been updated with the latest event in Botswana (IST-Africa 4-6 May 2011). New Identity Federation based AAI have been created and ready. Catch-all federation have been created and new Federation/IDPs will soon be added.
The CHAIN Knowledge Base. The Knowledge Base of the CHAIN project is online ( Three views are available: per Continent/Country, per Grid site and a summary Table. We have a large e-Infrastructurerelatedknowledge base and all the information is dynamically available for about half of the countries of the world. For Europe we refer to the information collected from EGI.eu.
Africa ROC news. NAGIOS will be in production very soon and possibly integrated in a dedicated instance of the EGI Dashboard. (
China ROC: During the training there was an interest from Chinese partners. Dedicated instances of GOCDB and Support System will soon be put online and also customizations will be done during the forthcoming CHAIN/EPIKH events planned in Beijing (27 May 2011). (
Issues to be discussed:
Worldwide Application Database to be put online and integrated with one (or more) Science Gateway(s) → Eager users and good infrastructure are not always co-located → Use of the AAI created;We need to define a common strategy of action, and related events, with GISELA in Latin America (the least «visited» region so far); continuous contacts have to be maintained with CLARA to define a road-map;Actions to increase the number of responses to the survey; definition of a «plan B» in case the responses will be less than expected. We need to see how to use or re-use the Knowledge Base.Define CHAIN contributions to Ubuntunet Connect 2011 (Nairobi, 23-25 November 2011); the dead line of the CfP is the 30 June (500 words max);Define CHAIN contributions to the EGI Technical Forum (Lyon, 19-22 September 2011).
A conference is being organized by CLARA in Latin America in June and a similar one will be possibly organized next year. CHAIN should discuss with CLARA the opportunity to join their conference with an Event and a CHAIN Meeting next year.
WP5 status report:Federico Ruggieri/ INFN
MoU with other projects. Signed (EPIKH, EU-IndiaGrid, e-Science Talk); Prepared (EUMEDGRID-Support, DECIDE, EGI, GISELA, GENESI-DEC); in the pipeline (WRF4G, WeNMR,INDICATE, LINKSCEEM, DC NET, EMI)
Infrastructure GeoMap. Thanks to the efforts of Roberto Barbera and Rita Ricceri the events GeoMap and an Infrastructure GeoMap is available on the website. It shows the events of relevance for the CHAIN project and allows an easy geographical location. All the Information on e-Infrastructures around the world will be updated and completed with the results of the questionnaire. The GeoMap also provides a living documentation on the e-Infrastructures evolution around the world.We can use this as an instrument to push people or countries that not reply to the questionnaire to give us information.
Dissemination activity:It goes on and we have produced the flier distributed during the Trieste conference. Federico will soon circulate the PDF file and it will be also available for download on the project’s web site. Updated versions for events or specific needs will be done (partners are invited to make requests in advance). We have also produced a pop-up banner. We are planning to produce brochures on the results of the questionnaire and/or the road-map can be set up with the same graphics. Feedbacks are welcome.
Events in 2011 (since March):Events already done: OGF3I in Taiwan (21-25 March 2011); EGI User Forum in Vilnius (11-14 April 2011); IST-Africa in Botswana (4-6 May 2011).Events organized: EPIKH Workshop in Beijing, China (27 May 2011); Modélisation et Grilles de calcul:Applications-Lebanon "Université Saint-Joseph" in Beirut (28-29 June 2011); Ubuntunet Connect 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya (23-25 November 2011).Events in preparation: EGI Autumn Technical Forum & EUMEDGRID-Support User Forum in Lyon, France (19-23 September 2011);Integrating Arab E-infrastructure in a Global Environment I-AGE 2011 in Jordan (5-7 December 2011), which will be co-organised with EUMEDGRID-Support, ASREN, EUMECONNECT3, Internet 2;
Concerning the DoW some events were modified (table 1 – pg. 19 Part B of the DoW)
Deliverables: the status is: D5.1 was completed; D5.2 is expected for November 2011; D5.3 is expected for October 2012. Milestones: the status is: M5.1 was completed; M5.2 was completed; M5.3 is expected for November 2011; M5.4 is expected for November 2012
Issues -WP5 Manager still to be recruited and temporary Federico will be the substitute. We need to improve the feedback from the partners so we should have more news related to their e-Infrastructures,relevant events and VRCs information and contacts. We should also improve relationships with press and dissemination projects (e.g. eScienceTalk MoU). We are looking for new tools and applications on the web site in order to attract new content providers. We would like to build the Community with registered people.
Conclusion and plans the web site is being enriched and we could produce a Brochure and,possibly, a Video on the results of the Questionnaire. We have started the organisation of the High Level Event and partners should provide: contacts of persons for dissemination in the respective areas, promotion of the event on their web sites, suggestions about speakers. We are organising (or participating) a higher number of WS and High Level events during the first year.
WP2Consolidation of the existing state of the art: Kostas Koumantaros/GRNET
WP2 Deliverables: D2.1 was completed; D2.2 is expected for September 2011; D2.3 is expected for September 2012.
Task 2.1State of the art analysis: answers collected by end of May and passed on T2.2 and T4.1 (D4.1 is due in end of July). The collection has been organized per region, but until now the answers are very limited. Roberto suggested comparing what we have in the knowledge base with the survey and verifying what is missing.
Task 2.2Interoperation and interoperability guidelines: guidelines for analysis must be produced by end of April (Ludek, Federico). On May we have started to analyse questionnaire results (regional representatives, and INFN overview). In this process must be clarified the EGI involvement.
Task 2.3Long-term sustainability support: For disseminating NGI know-how we have to collect available documentation: EGI, SEEGRID, EELA/GISELA,etc. by end April – CESNET; Systemize it and put it on wiki. By end June – CESNET; Define sustainability-related weaknesses within D2.2 (CIEMAT, regions) – September; Per-region action based on weaknesses (regions) – starting September; Online database of NGI contacts – GRNET: in progress; IHEP to suggest involvement.
WP3 status report: Rafael Mayo/CIEMAT
List of Deliverables: D3.1 was completed (to be soon submitted to the EC Officer after CHAIN Technical Board revision);D3.2 is expected for November 2011; D3.3 is expected for May 2012; D3.4 is expected for October 2012; D3.5 is expected for November 2012. List of Milestones: MS5 was completed; MS6was completed; MS7 is expected for August 2011.
Our main objectives are providing (limited) support to the existing and well experienced VRC (LHC, Biomed…); providing support for communities interested to widen their activities collaborating with other continents; discovering and attract new scientific communities or merging similar ones operating worldwide.This objectives and aims are going to be performed carrying out a large spectrum investigation on the existing and potential trans-continental communities (T3.1) and the result will be used for T3.2; producing studies of the necessary steps for e-Infrastructures to fulfil the requirement of present and emerging VRC with trans-continental span.
A shortlist of VRC candidates has been published on the web site.
VRC candidates: We-NMR ( WRF4G ( jModelTest/ProtTest ( ( ( and Next VRC to be contacted is Climate Change at the Trieste Conference.
WP4status report: Ludek Matyska/CESNET
The progress according to the workplan from Taipei PMB are as follows: continue work with WP2; work directly with regional representatives to get more info about regional grid specificities; prepare more precise definition of collaboration with EGI (preparation of the MoU between EGI and CHAIN); preliminary content of D4.1 available end of April for discussion (delayed but will be available this week).
The collection of existing documents (about organizations, operational requirements and procedures) will be available on CHAIN portal under the WP4 area.Deadline for direct input from representatives is 7th June.
List of deliverables: D4.3is expected for September 2012; D4.1 is expected for July 2011; D4.4 is expected for November 2011.
WP1 Administrative matters: Federico Ruggieri/INFN
The second quarterly report should be sent by each partner before 8th June. After 6 months of activity a first assessment of personnel effort and costs will be done; partners will be requested to give reasonably precise evaluation of the costs incurred so far.
ASREN is going to be a new partner (we hope to complete all the administrative procedures before the end of July 2011). A presentation of ASREN follows in the agenda.
Recommendations about deliverables: they should be delivered in time so that we can submit them to an internal review. Federico will make a list of the deliverables and assigned internal reviews to all of them. As soon as possible he will circulate the list with the proposed names.
The partners should have better response time to the requests of the WP Managers and partners.
Federico Ruggieri: A presentation of ASREN prepared by Salem Al-Agtash is given, describing the background, the objectives and the state of the art of the organization recently registered on 1 April 2011, in Dusseldorf – Germany.
Definition of event dates and main issues:
Workshop on Interoperation /interoperability at EGI TF Lyon: Del D4.1 (L.Matyska) and Workshop Session on Interoperability through application use cases (A.Masoni-F.Ruggieri) - Task force: CNGrid, GARUDA, EMI, DEGISCO, OurGrid, WeNMR
Possibility to collocate a CHAIN Internal Technical Meeting in EGI TF on 19 September 2011
Clara meeting 20-24 June 2011 Honduras -CHAIN presentation (R.Barbera-R.Mayo-L.Nunez)a Joint event with CHAIN to be organised next year (June 2012?)
Ubuntunet Connect Nairobi 23-25 November 2011: AAI and Science Gateway (R. Barbera) Regional e-Infrastructure (L. Matyska- O.Prnjat) CLARA e-Infrastructure in LA (L.Nunez-R.Mayo)
All the presentations of the event can be found on the following link:
Action List:
Action 11/01 - MoU with EGI-InSpire:
Federico Ruggieri will circulate an updated version of MoU between EGI-InSpire and CHAIN with corrections and modifications suggested during the meeting.
Action 11/02 – MoUs with other projects:
Beside the signed MoU with EPIKH, EU-IndiaGrid, e-Science Talk, EUMEDGRID-Support, other MoUs are ready to be signed with: DECIDE, EGI, GISELA, GENESI-DEC and currently we have in the pipeline MoUs with WRF4G, WeNMR,INDICATE, LINKSCEEM2, EMI.
Action 11/03 - MS3 “Questionnaire results collected”(GRNET – Month 7): Federico contacted all the persons in INFN: we can consider to receive most of the inputs at the beginning of month. The actions for this issue are as follows:
-Roberto Barbera will fill the AFRICA ROC
-Eric Yen or Marco Paganoni will fill for Asia Pacific
-Alberto Masoni will fill in the Indian part
-Yousef Torman and Salem Al-Agtash will fill in a regional form for ASREN
-Federico Ruggieri will ask again Australia and NZ to fill it.
Action 11/04 - Kostas Koumantaros and Roberto Barbera to try to merge the answers from the Questionnaire and the information used for the Infrastructure GeoMap.
Action 11/05 - Federico will soon circulate the PDF file of the flier distributed during the Trieste Conference and it will be available for download on the project’s website.
Action 11/06 - CESNET: by end June systemize and put on wiki available documentation (EGI, SEEGRID, EELA/GISELA, etc. to be collected). All the documents should be sent by the representatives before 7th June.
Action 11/07 - CHAIN contributions to Ubuntunet Connect 2011 (Nairobi, 23-25 November 2011): Roberto Barbera is going to provide a presentation about AAI and Science Gateway, Ludek Matyska and/or Ognjen Prnjat are going to provide a presentation about Regional e-Infrastructure and Luis Nunez and/or Rafael Mayo are going to provide a presentation about CLARA e-Infrastructure in LA. The dead line of the Call for Papers is 30th June (500 words max).
Action 11/08 - CHAIN contributions to the EGI Technical Forum (Lyon, 19-22 September 2011): Workshop on Interoperation /interoperability at EGI TF Lyon and a presentation of Ludek Matyska on the Del D4.1 (Specificities of the various regional e-Infrastructure). The Workshop could propose interoperability through application use cases - Task force: R. Barbera, M. Verlato, G. Andronico and persons from CNGrid, GARUDA, EMI, DEGISCO, OurGrid, WeNMR.
Action 11/09 – Co-locate a CHAIN Internal Meeting with EGI TF on 19 September 2011
Action 11/10 - CHAIN contributions to CLARA Meeting (Honduras, 20-24 June 2011): Roberto Barbera, Rafael Mayo and Luis Nunez are going to provide a CHAIN Project presentation.
Action 11/11 – CHAIN should also discuss with CLARA the opportunity to join their conference in 2012. Rafael Mayo to investigate with Luis Nunez.
Action 11/12 - The second quarterly report (with the table of costs for the first six months) should be sent by each partner before 8thJune.
Action 11/13 Before the end of July 2011 INFN should complete all the administrative procedures for ASREN (the organization was registered on 1st April 2011 in Dusseldorf – Germany).
Action 11/14 - Federico to circulate soon a list of the proposed internal reviewers for all the remaining deliverables.
Action 11/15 - INFN to be recruit WP5 Manager as soon as possible. Temporary Federico will be the substitute ad interim.
Quick reminder about new events of 2011
Events organized: EPIKH Workshop in Beijing, China (27 May 2011); Modélisation et Grilles de calcul:Applications-Lebanon "Université Saint-Joseph" in Beirut (28-29 June 2011); Ubuntunet Connect 2011 in Nairobi, Kenya (23-25 November 2011).
Events in preparation: EGI Autumn Technical Forum & EUMEDGRID-Support User Forum in Lyon, France (19-23 September 2011);Integrating Arab E-infrastructure in a Global Environment I-AGE 2011 in Jordan (5-7 December 2011), which will be co-organised with EUMEDGRID-Support, ASREN, EUMECONNECT3, Internet 2;
CHAIN Meeting
Trieste 16 May 2011
Venue: ICTP – Miramare - Trieste (Italy)
Meeting room: Oppenheimer Lecture Hall – Leonardo Building
AGENDA
-09:30 Introduction of the Project – F. Ruggieri (INFN)
-09:40 MoU with EGI (and other projects)
-10:30 ---- Coffee Break ----
-11:00 Technical program and issues - R. Barbera (Univ. Catania/INFN)
-11:30 WP5 – Federico Ruggieri (INFN)
-12:00 WP3 – Rafael Mayo (CIEMAT)
-12:30 WP2 – Kostas Koumantaros (GRNET)
-13:00 --- Lunch Break ---
-14:30 WP4 – Ludek Matyska (CESNET)
15:00 WP1 – Administrative matters - Federico Ruggieri (INFN)
-15:30 ASREN status update – Federico Ruggieri (INFN)
-16:00 Definition of event dates and main issues
-16:30 A. O. B. & Conclusions
- 17:00 End of the Meeting
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