This section defines the Federation Grid project from a conceptual point of view and partitions the problem and solution space into eight thematic areas.

Problem Areas

These partition the project into separate focus areas connected with a proposed solution space and deliverables.

• Grid Federations - The problem of connecting grids together can be considered both from the perspectives of virtual organizations and grid service federations. A unified approach to these orthogonal concerns does not presently exist but would be of significant benefit in fostering the use of grid technology.
• Product Line Systems - Although the value of product line systems is well understood, the consensus has been that development of the systems is difficult. What is missing is a meta-product line technology, which would foster reuse between different product lines.
• AI Component Frameworks - The problem of creating a reusable definition of AI components is one whose consequence is an enormous amount of duplicated efforts in products with similar requirements.
• Grid Services Standards - Development of grid applications would be greatly simplified through use of standardized proxy engines. This requires the definition of the information models processed by the engines and the interfaces provided to applications.
• User Interface Engines - The state-of-the-art in complex visualization engines and GUI frameworks is widely separated and creates additional complexity when the metaphors are mixed. A uniform and scalable approach merging GUI forms with graphic scene engine technology would greatly simplify the design of interfaces.
• Simulation Frameworks - The Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF) initiative, which is in only a very early stage, reflects the dearth of technology for web-based simulations in particular. The challenge is to find a scalable XMSF solution which extends to non-web applications.
• Collaborative Authoring Environments - The value of product-line product authoring systems increases with the use of domain-specific metaprogramming languages and graphic composition editors. A real-time team authoring environment scaling from ad-hoc noncommercial to full-scale commercial product development would provide enormous value to product line systems.
• Federated Grid Services - The proxy engines for grid services must integrate with a variety of back-end services to provide the functionality defined. However, scalability and fault tolerance of such services will require designing service federations.

Solution Space

Defines the approach expected to resolve problems identified in the problem areas.

• High Level Architecture - This is the central concept of the Federation Grid architecture and is supported through development of a scalable HLA Run-Time Infrastructure (RTI) designed for Internet use across a heterogeneous environment. The salient idea is to associate HLA Federations with Grid Virtual Organizations and to develop a technology for managing HLA Hierarchical Federations to provide a solution for grid federation.
• Federated Object Model - The HLA Standards defined an Object Model Template (OMT) metamodel language used to define information exchanged by federates in a federation. Extending OMT to a metamodel capable of defining domain specific languages can provide the mechanism required.
• Single Process Federations - This is a natural extension of the hierarchical federation strategy, which addresses the reusable AI component framework problem through definition of plug-in multi-agent systems.
• Grid Services Languages - The proposed approach in Federation Grid is to use the extended OMT metamodel to develop a solution which builds on existing grid and collaborative infrastructure modeling efforts.
• User Interface Languages - The SPF solution for AI engines can naturally be extended to include complex user interface engines. The solution space considers the separation of abstract user interface models from layout management and component realization.
• Application Frameworks - The solution space proposed in Federation Grid includes grid service proxy and reusable application system frameworks.
• Metaprogramming Tools - The real-time authoring environment is based on interpretive metaprogramming which enables new products to be defined without a language compiler.
• Grid Services Architecture - The strategy in this area is to leverage existing lower level services, LDAP in particular, to provide a federated back-end architecture which implements the grid services.

Deliverables

• Run Time Infrastructure - Chronos is an IEEE Standard HLA RTI implementation designed for Internet use. In the PC Windows environment Chronos uses Microsoft DirectPlay for network services, and in other environments uses JXTA.
• Domain Language Systems - The MORPH (Metanode Organized Prototype Hierarchy) language extends the HLA–OMT to define domain specific languages.
• Federation Grid Engine SDK - MAGNETAR (Metaprogrammable Agent Network Architecture) defines engines as single-process federations composed of plug-in federates (Agents).
• Grid Services Proxy Engines - The XRealm language and Realm engine in conjunction with Chronos provide peer-to-peer proxies for grid services.
• Teleimmersion Engines - The XScene language and Mirage engine provide a user interface framework based on an integrated scene graph which includes plug-in GUI components (FX Visuals) and 3D graphic rendering Agents.
• Simulation Platforms - The Tryst platform includes a console UI design for hosting Federation Grid systems and a Tryst lobby interface for Realm lobby services.
• Collaborative Editor - Forge provides an extensible real-time team-authoring environment integrated with workflow project management.
• Grid Services Platform - The Nexus servers provide authorization and identity services to a Federation Grid network while Guild provides lobby and repository services to virtual organizations.

Methodology

A major goal of the Federation Grid project is the creation of methodology, which assists in the development of new Systems and Products.

• Domain Development - Uses the MORPH metamodel language to develop domain specific languages.
• User Interface Design - A design methodology which exploits the XScene language will be developed as part of the Forge editor project.
• Federation Development - The overall goal of methodology development in Federation Grid is creation of a streamlined Federation Development and Execution process (FEDEP) supported by Forge and other Federation Grid tools.