The purpose of the JANUS Project is to replace the current data management system on the JOIDES Resolution and at the ODP facilities at TAMU. This system will support the electronic data collecting, archiving, and distributing needs of the Joint Oceanographic Institutions Deep Earth Sciences (JOIDES) Ocean Drilling Program.
Installation of the JANUS hardware components was a combined effort by ODP/TAMU and TRACOR personnel. Because of the short length of the port call, the DEC Alpha servers had to be up and running again by the second day in port (December 20) to verify that the hardware components had survived the trip from College Station.
After assembly, the Alpha servers (hudson and byrd) were booted up and testing began. A Pentium PC and a PowerMac were installed in the library conference room, designated as the "JANUS development" area for the duration of the testing phase. A second PC (a 486) was installed in the core entry area for eventual testing of the new corelog and sample data entry applications.
Two Tracor representatives sailed during Leg 165 to help with software testing.
Group 1 (Corelog data, sample data, and chemical samples):
As scheduled, Tracor implemented the majority of the Group 1 components on Leg 165. As decided at the Steering Committee meeting held in September 1995, operations applications are undergoing shipboard testing during Leg 166. Small incompatibility problems associated with the multiplatform use of Neuron Data have yet to be resolved. Testing is nearly complete, with approximately 3 person-weeks remaining in core tracking and depths generation/reporting. Approximately 4 weeks' work remains in core sampling applications. Integration of the composite depth sections and core correlation software with the database (a primary recommendation of previous JOIDES and ODP/TAMU workshops) also awaits completion. The Borehole Research Group (BRG) must be able to interface its correlation software (currently in development) with Oracle.
At its April 1995 meeting, the Steering Committee expressed a desire to have the MST, logging, and Group 3 applications 100% functional and ready for shipboard testing by Leg 165. Although this recommendation has not been met, Tracor has completed shipboard testing of the MST component of Group 2b and partially completed shipboard testing of the logging component. Only minor modifications and debugging remain for the MST. The logging component requires additional reporting software, a logging dictionary, and modifications to the data model so that processed logging data can be incorporated. The performance of logging applications using the Macintosh network was a significant concern during Leg 165. This problem should be alleviated when the BRG upgrades its Sun workstations from SunOS to Solaris 2.x. Review and testing of logging applications will continue during Leg 166T. Although incomplete, the Steering Committee views the developments that have been implemented in Group 2a as approximately on schedule.
Shipboard testing of the paleontological applications will begin during Leg 167.
Shipboard testing of the physical properties applications was not undertaken during Leg 165. Furthermore, no prototyping in Group 3 was made beyond measuring moisture density. Coordinating the different platforms still in development and interfacing between Labview, Neuron Data, and Oracle were cited as the primary explanations for the delay. The physical properties components will now be tested during Leg 166T.
Given the completion level of the Group 1 and 2b components, the Steering Committee views this delay as acceptable. However, any further delays in testing the Group 3 components will be detrimental to the overall delivery of the JANUS Project. For example, delays in testing the Group 3 components have affected the development of Group 4a, which will now be tested during Leg 166T, as well as subsequent groups. Consequently, a review of the status of Group 3 will be conducted at the end of Leg 166T by Steering Committee members on board the transit. If continued slippage in the implementation and testing schedule is perceived, then the Steering Committee may convene an onshore meeting shortly thereafter.
Deployment and testing of the Chemistry Laboratory software was originally scheduled to take place during Leg 166. However, prototyping has not yet begun, nor has the data model been finalized. Marshall Bruni (Tracor) and Bill Mills are sailing during Leg 166 to complete an analysis of the environment. Testing has been deferred to Leg 166T.
Because User Group 4a had requested the Shipboard Measurements Panel (SMP) to provide guidance in regard to certain measurements, Tracor personnel postponed development of this group until they received further information on this matter. SMP Chair Joris Gieskes quickly resolved this issue in April 1996, and the Steering Committee fully expects that testing of the Group 4a applications will take place during Leg 166T.
Tracor has informed the Steering Committee that the User Group 4b/5 core description requirements, developed at the core description workshop (i.e., fully implemented digital core imaging) and thus the Group 4b/5 applications, will probably not be completed under the current contract for two reasons: (1) the lack of an acquisition system to collect digital images, as well as the lack of functional specifications for description; and (2) resource allocation-in the face of other developments, there are no Tracor personnel to allot to the digital core imaging effort. With an optimistic view to acquiring additional funds, a meeting was scheduled in College Station (28-29 March 1996) to define the functional specifications for a digital image-based core description system.
The Applications Development Group is currently involved in several projects designed to improve and enhance the new JANUS computing environment. These include: JANUSWEB, Moisture-Density, FossiList, Repository Sampling, Bibliographic Application, and Materials Management.