Lessons Learned during the Development
and Operation of Virtual Observatory
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Masatoshi OHISHI
masatoshi.ohishi@nao.ac.jp

Planned Data Resources• ALMAALMALSST• JWST• LSST• LOFAR• SKA

30 PB/yr x 6 yr ~ 200 PB• Thirty MetreTelescope~ a few PB/yr• Giant Magellan Telescope

SKA• European Extremely Large Telescope

JWSTTMTFlow of Observational Research• Issues, Planning• Observation• Data Reduction– Calib.，Select，Combine，，，• Data Analysis– Physical Parameters– Thinking– Solution• PublishData↓
Information↓
Knowledge↓
Understanding↓
Wisdom3

VO– New Research Infrastructurein the 21st Century
A collection of integrated
astronomical data archives andsoftware tools that utilize
computer networks to create anenvironment in which research
can be conducted.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/v1/virtobserv.asp

VO Projects in the world• 17 countries and a region (EU)• International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA)
Standards to interoperate VOs• Meta data,
data models,data accesses,
output format,
etc.

October 8, 2009

ADASS 20095

Standardization in IVOA
• Meta-data– Contents & access protocol• Access Images, Spectra, Catalogues– TAP, SIAP, SSAP, STC, etc.

• Query Language to Federated DBs (ADQL)• Unified Attribute Names– UCD (Unified Contents Descriptions)• Output format：VOTable (in XML)– FITSAstronomical Virtual Observatories~ DataGrid ~Canada VO

China VO

More than 3100 resources, including Subaru SupCAM andHDS, are accessible
Images, spectra, and catalog data can be retrieved
October 8, 2009

ADASS 200978

Structure of JVO Portal Service
LDAP解析解析
解析Analysis
Servers

GridSystemAuth.
SDSSJVO

QSO

Invoke
MDSSubaru

Portal…

Web Service
HTTP Get
FTP
LDAPP. Reg.

UserStorage

2MASS

Data Service

S. Reg.

Other VOsRegistry

P. Reg.

SIAP/SSAP

SkyNode0.7.4

User Portal

http://jvo.nao.ac.jp/portal/
October
108, 2009

ADASS 2009

Access Statistics to JVO Portal(as of 2009 Sep)
1TB

Operation of JVO
October 8, 2009

ADASS 2009

•Data request of more than
1TBytes/Month from the world•Most access to Subaru
SupCAM data11VO-enabled Papers~170 Refereed Papers that have
“Virtual Observatory” in its abstract
More than 1300 papers mentioning“Virtual Observatory”

October 8, 2009

ADASS 200912

Flow of Observational Research• Issues, Planning• Observation• Data Reduction– Calib., Select, Combine,,• Data Analysis– Physical Parameters– Discovery– Thinking– Solution• Publish

Data↓
Information↓
Knowledge↓
Understanding↓
Wisdom13

More Science-Driven• Demonstrate scientific merit– Publish “product papers” by yourselves• Select most commonly used functionalities• Quality Index– Toward quality assurance, jointly with observatories• Young researchers– Researchers are VERY conservative !
– Young researchers tend to show interest to new ones
October 8, 2009

ADASS 200914

Users View Point• Easiness to use– self-explanatory– Basic functionalities are sufficient– Others could be done by a local machine• Market research– Science use cases– tutorials• Novice vs Expert– GUI vs CUI– Almost no astronomers know SQL
October 8, 2009

ADASS 200915

Importance of Tutorials• A must toward moredissemination andmore publications– pure users– feedback– potential tutors
VO Summer School

October 8, 2009

ADASS 200916

Establishing Standards• Standards are quite effective– Access protocols, data format, etc.
– Interoperability → wider dissemination and application– Endorsement by the IAU (VO WG)• Painful process– Philosophy, idea, aim, intention, view,,,– Compromise, patience– Establishment of relationship：respect to each other– Coffee/tea breaks and lunch/dinner talks are crucial
October 8, 2009

ADASS 200917

Technology• Not too early, not too late
• Stability, robustness– “doable or not” is the issue• Sustainability, support• Popularity– help desk around you• Platform independency– for easy dissemination
October 8, 2009

ADASS 200918

For Data providers• Give credit to them
– Hard and invisible to prepare science-readydata• Easy implementation– tool kit• Validation tool prior to publication of data
– Ensure reliability of the data product
October 8, 2009

ADASS 200919

For Tax-Payers

20• Effective tool foroutreach activity• Educational use– Dedicated userinterface, w/ teachers• More access by nonastronomers• Funding agencies
http://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_news/s-news/090318_1.html

October 2009
ADASS8, 2009

Summary• VO data services are available through many
VO projects – Data Grid
• More data analysis tools need to be
integrated into the VO world Æ knowledge(and papers)• More science-driven, easy-to-use design of
the VO tools would be required• Quality assurance/ quality index toward morereliable would be crucial in the data-incentiveera21

Supported by• JSPS“Core to Core Program” (2004~2008)• MEXT Grant-in-Aid“Information Explosion” (2001~ )• National Institute for Informatics“CSI Program” (2006~ )• NAOJ22
October 8, 2009

ADASS 2009