NRAO AIPS++ Users Group Meeting - PRELIMINARY AGENDA

Date: 2004-1-14 (Wednesday)
Time: 1300 MST
Video Hub: SOC-conf (CV should call in to Socorro)
Rooms: SOC317/CV311

AIPS++ Threat Level is: Orange = High
  [ALMA TST1 approaches.  Happy Freakin New Year.]

Agenda:

1. NAUG News

   o SS4 is being built now and should be ready by Wed. morning.

   o NAUG testing for ALMA TST1 should be nearing completion
     (see below).  This is the main topic of discussion for the
     meeting.

   o Little (==no) NAUG feedback has been given on George's Data Selection
     proposal.  See the ALMA Offline TWiki page:

     http://almasw.hq.eso.org/almasw/bin/view/OFFLINE/DataSelection

     *ACTION: the NAUG should look this over carefully and try out some
      test selections.  We need to get this moving forward as an actual
      change proposal.

2. AIPS++/ISD Status Report

   o The testing sub-pages on the Project Office page have been
     reorganized.

     *There are links now for "module testing" and "ALMA TST1",
      besides links from items in the development plan.

   o ISD management meetings are being instituted as a biweekly occurrence
     (gee thanks).  Attendees:

         ISD Management: Glendenning, Ulvestad
         Architect: Tody
         IPT leaders: Benson, Davis, Greisen, McMullin, van Moorsel
         Project and IPT Scientists: Butler, Frail, Myers, Shepherd, Taylor
         eVLA coordination: Clark
   
   o An offer has been made for the AIPS++ "Architect" (part
     Athol-replacement) position.

3. ALMA

   o There has been extensive testing in preparation for the ALMA TST1
     "outside" testing that will commence (hopefully) on Thursday 15Jan.
     Thanks to all for their testing, particularly to Ed and Bryan who
     got recruited late in the game and did some critical testing.
    
     *DISCUSSION: Testers will present a post-mortem of the testing results.
      Our impression at the SSG meeting yesterday was that critical defects
      have been dealt with and pending a good SS4 build (and verification using
      the scripts plus some interactive spot-tests) we are optimistic for
      release to the testers.

     *ACTION: I am preparing to sign-off on the testing from the AIPS++ side,
      and I want to get a feel from the testers as to their final disposition.
      I need to give the go/no-go for sending it out as scheduled on the 15th.

   o Work on revising a version of the Cookbook to go to the testers is a
     high priority item this week.  This is based on tester comments.

     *ACTION: Joe and I are working on this...

   o Links to the data and some of the resulting scripts can be found on
     the Module Testing page

     http://projectoffice.aips2.nrao.edu/testing.html

     under the TST1 item in the Integrated testing.

   o There is a new page prepared for the outside testers:

     http://projectoffice.aips2.nrao.edu/almatst1/ALMA_TST1.html

4. EVLA

   o As part of their TST1 pre-testing, Bob, Bryan, Ed and Walter (plus 
     the AIPS++ team) have exercised the package using some K-band
     VLA line data.  Some problems (and defects) were noted, and some
     preliminary benchmarks done.  Indications are that the timing
     is roughly 4x that of AIPS, with the bottlenecks in the expected
     places (e.g. glish-heavy functions, known calibrater issues, etc.).
     This will need to come down below the ALMA-standard 2x threshold on
     some timescale.

     *DISCUSSION: EVLA benchmarking tests will need to be defined and
      incorporated into the suite of tests.  A plan (that does not unduly
      conflict with ALMA development) will need to be formulated.  The
      AIPS++ team will discuss the current status and prospects for speed-up.

 5. Main Event - Presentations and Discussion Items

   o There is no "Main Event" scheduled this meeting, as the discussion 
     of the ALMA TST1 pre-testing is the big item.

6. AIPS++ Developments - see latest targets and info at Project Office:
     http://projectoffice.aips2.nrao.edu/

   o SS4 Targets -- see Project Office page for testing info.

     *focus is on robustness and some functionality improvements for
      the ALMA TST1

     *items have been tested, see
      http://projectoffice.aips2.nrao.edu/testing.html
     
   o SS5 Development 

     *to be refined in Developers meeting Fri Jan 16

7. Upcoming meetings and deadlines:
   o 2004 Jan 15         AIPS++ SS4
   o 2004 Jan 15         ALMA TST1 User Testing begins?
   o 2004 Apr 1          ALMA Release 1.1
   o 2004 Jul 1          ALMA TST2 begins??
   o 2004 Aug 1          ALMA CDR2 = Judgement Day! (NOTE - DELAYED From Jul1)

   The agendas for past NAUG meetings are archived at:
   http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~smyers/aips++/agenda/

   The minutes for past NAUG meetings are archived at:
   http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~smyers/aips++/minutes/