NRAO AIPS++ Users Group Meeting - DRAFT MINUTES

Date: 2004-5-12 (Wednesday)
Time: 1300 MDT
Video Hub: SOC-conf (CV should call in to Socorro)
Rooms: SOC317/CV311

AIPS++ Threat Level is: Yellow = Elevated
  [Summer school in 1 month!]

1. NAUG News

   o Summer School - We are looking at the week of May 24-28 for targeted
     NAUG testing.  One focus is the cookbook, which we decided last meeting
     was to be a slimmed down version of the ALMA TST1 cookbook focusing 
     on PdBI reduction.

     *DISCUSSION - there were various opinions on the format of the cookbook
      and whether an annotated script would suffice.  It was generally agreed
      that an annotated script should be available, and that some form of
      "cookbook" or "lab manual" be provided.  It wasn't clear whether the
      cookbook could (or should) be made more specific for the UCam tutorial
      dataset.

     *Action item -  Need to come up with a version of the cookbook for the 
      school, with at least a trial draft before NAUG testing the week of
      May 24-28.  Note that we need to get it for copying for the school
      (if we want lots of copies) by June 1. (Steve, Joe, Claire, George).

   o RECURRING - The items that need NAUG review/testing can be found at:

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

     (also accessed from the Module Testing link on front page).

     Joe would like a review of:

        Imager - multi-spectral window imaging
        Calibrater - interpolation

        Viewer - blinking
        Viewer - statistical editing of data - use the adjust menus to 
          select rms, etc. for editing (in MS and Visibility Selection 
          of Adjust Panel).

     The aim is for the NAUG to sign off (or indicate problems with) 
     these functions.  Comments should be in the form of:

        functionality: 
        usability:
        documentation:

     See examples of Debra's reports under the "NAUG Comments" links 
     under the first two items.

     *NOTE - the NAUG testing items from SS6 should appear soon on the testing page

   o RECURRING - Testing reports

     *Ongoing - any testers with stuff to report?

2. AIPS++/ISD Status Report

   o Framework - We are now in the process of preparing for the future upgrade
     to a new "framework" which will replace glish as the transport layer and 
     eventually as the scripting language (ie. Python will become the language 
     of choice).  In order to do this, we will need to start making some
     low-level changes to the code (e.g. library refactoring, decoupling of
     glish, rewriting of glish code).  We are currently planning this work and
     formulating the requirements to be used by the framework providers such
     as Doug's group or ACS.

     It is a priority that the impact of this work be minimized on current
     development and deliverables!

     *Discussion - Brian would like to know:

      "It would be interesting to get the NAUG's view of which things that need a
       new framework should have the highest priority (CLI? Tasks? GUIs?
       Python?"

     *DISCUSSION - it was commented that CLI driven tasking would be fairly
      high impact.

     *Action - Joe and/or Steve will report on the status of this regularly.

3. ALMA

   o Framework - our ALMA deliverables require us to move to a new framework
     (see above).  Since the timescale for a wider framework development, such
     as that envisioned by the "Gang of Four", is probably too late for us,
     we will probably need to adopt a shorter term solution such as ACS (or
     push for an accelerated pace from Doug's group).

     *The options and requirements are currently under investigation.

   o ALMA TST2 is on the horizion.  It has been pushed back to August in order
     to afford time for development, which has been hard to schedule due to
     the pressures of testing.  

     For TST2 info, see:

     http://aips2.nrao.edu/projectoffice/almatst2/ALMA_TST2.html

     One of the focuses of TST2 is mosaicing.  We have some possible test
     datasets in hand, and will begin evaluating these.

     *NOTE - Tim is gearing up for a big mosaic test, and needs a test image
      to simulate (Joe, Steve).

     *ACTION: Joe and Steve will take first crack at the mosaicing data.
      (Carried over from previous meetings)

4. EVLA

   o Benchmarking - we are in the process of setting up the G192 dataset
     as a benchmark and regression test.  This will also be useful for ALMA
     as a spectral line test.

     *Joe will present the script and report on the preliminary results
      as today's "main event".

5. Main Event - Presentations and Discussion Items

   o Joe will discuss the G192 benchmarking (see above).

     *SUMMARY: We have AIPS scripts (based on Ed's script) and AIPS++ scripts
      that appear to do the same things.  The preliminary results put AIPS++
      1.8x slower than AIPS, though the imaging in AIPS++ is slightly faster
      while there are still bottleneck in calibration (e.g. scratch cols,
      setjy).

      The G192 set will appear at the usual benchmark page:
      http://shiraz.drao.nrc.ca:8080/AlmaDRPBenchmarks/

     *COMMENT - Frazer noted that we all these benchmarks are based on the
      rather limited VLA (and PdBI) modes and we should start challenging the
      algorithms with wide-band (& wide-field) EVLA tests.

   o Possible future topics:

     - Auto-flagging (Dongshan)

     - Wide-field imaging, w-projection, mosaicing (Tim & Sanjay)

     - The ALMA proto-pipeline (Lindsey)

     - Framework technologies and plans (Doug?)

     - Data reduction demos?

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

   o SS6 Targets -- see Project Office page for development status and
     testing info.

7. Upcoming meetings and deadlines:
   o 2004 May 12         SS6 freeze
   o 2004 May 14-15      ALMA Science Workshop (UMd) - Joe & Steve attending
   o 2004 May 24-25      Users Committee (CV)
   o 2004 May 30 - Jun 3 AAS Meeting (Denver)
   o 2004 Jun 1          ALMA CDR2 documents due
   o 2004 Jun 15-22      Synthesis Imaging Summer School (SOC)
   o 2004 Jul 8-10       ALMA CDR2 (Boulder)
   o 2004 Aug 1          ALMA CDR2 report due = Judgement Day!
   o 2004 Aug 1          ALMA TST2 begins??

   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/