ECOSIM Telematics Applications Project:
Deliverable D05.01

Integration Plan

Steps of the Implementation Process:

The implementation process of the demonstrator foresees several steps, again organized in a sequence of partly overlapping prototyping cycles, that will run more or less parallel for the three demonstration sites of Berlin, Athens, and Gdansk.

The main steps are:

• Implementation of the basic ECOSIM SERVER (GUI, GIS, objects data base, monitoring data analysis and display, generic (http based) model interface. This core element of the demonstrator will initially be connected to two very simple models:

  • the USEPA Industrial Source Complex (ISC) model, a multiple point and area source Gaussian short- and long-term (steady-state) model with a simple topographic (3D) correction;

  • the USEPA Photochemical box model (PBM), a dynamic, but single cell (box) ozone simulator.

  These models primarily serve as first operational elements in the demonstrator to illustrate the client/server architecture and functionality, cgi/http connection, and interactive user interface capabilities. In addition, they can be used even in the final system for the screening of alternative scenarios, to select promising candidates for detailed simulation with more complex -- and time consuming -- modeling tools.

• Implementation of basic background data from the three demonstrator sites, in particular

  • background maps, including administrative boundaries, land use, elevation (DEM), and selected input and output matrices from the two main models MEMO and DYMOS;

  • observation data (time series) from the respective observation networks, first integrated as static data base dumps to test and evaluate the data display and analysis functionality of the ECOSIM SERVER.

• Linkage of the intermediate forecasting models

  • REGOZON (3 layers, assumes simple topography) and
  • MUSE (3 layer model, but uses dynamic wind fields computed by MEMO)

  through the http client/server connection. They will be as the intermediate complexity models for Berlin and Athens, respectively.

• Linkage of MEMO and DYMOS through the http client/server connection. The user configured URL of the model server(s) will allow to test different physical locations depending on computer performance and network bandwidth available between available hosts.

• On-line linkage to the monitoring networks through their respective data base server.

Timetable for the Implementation Process

The prototyping approach is based on a number of cycles that allow the end users, in response to subsequent generations of the prototype system, to refine their requirements specifications. The following time table describes the integration plan:

October 1996

First demonstration of the ECOSIM SERVER (R0.1) including GIS (fictitious map data), multimedia help-explain functions, data analysis (fictitious example data) and example cgi/http connection to the ISC model (LAN connection).

Attended by ECOSIM developers group and subsequently the management board, including end-user representative from Berlin, and user support partners from Athens and Gdansk.

Comments by the end user Berlin (mainly on the data display and analysis functionality and its adaptability to the Berlin monitoring network BLUME) are being incorporated into release 0.2.

December 1996

Demonstration of the ECOSIM SERVER (R0.2) as above, but the first data sets and (static) model results; data examples from Berlin and Athens, model results from MEMO and DYMOS.

Release 2.0 will be distributed to the user support partners in Berlin and Athens for local installation which will facilitate demonstrations and discussions with the local end users.
Feedback from the end user on initial data integration is expected by January 1997.

April 1997

Scheduled third release of the Demonstrator (R0.3); to be presented in Athens at the next combined technical and management board meeting. The release R0.3 will include scenario management (exemplified with the simple ISC and PBM models) as well as the set of output display (visualization) options for complete, dynamic test data sets (submitted off-line but electronically through ftp) from MEMO and DYMOS (first test data transfers are scheduled by the end of January).

Integration of the intermediate forecasting models REGOZON (for Berlin) and MUSE (coupled with MEMO) for Athens is scheduled for this release. The integration method will be through http, but on the same LAN, assuming a 10 Mb/s bandwidth (Ethernet).

The demonstration in Athens will be attended by staff from the Greek Ministry of the Environment, who will have extensive opportunity to provide feedback and comments, and refine their requirements specifications in terms of the demonstrator functionality. Feedback (analyzed and documented) is expected within 4 weeks of the demonstration and update of the local installation in Athens. A parallel version will be given to the Berlin user support partner (GMD) to upgrade the Berlin installation.

September 1997

First release (R0.4) with full http integration of MEMO/DYMOS (in their locally coupled version on the same Model/Compute Server) following the performance tests and acceptance. R0.4 will also include a first version of the traffic emission estimation (emission inventory) based on simple emission coefficients (e.g., based on the CORINE approach or similar estimation methods from the USEPA) provided by GMD, following its acceptance test (data interface and performance test).

The Release R0.4 will be distributed electronically (ftp) to the user support partners for an upgrade installation of the executable and configuration data.

User feedback after local demonstrations is again expected, analyzed and documented, within 4 weeks.

March 1998

Final demonstration prototype release (R0.5) including on-line linkage to monitoring data base servers (Berlin and Athens). On-line linkage in Athens depends of the progress of parallel projects that develop a new monitoring Operational Center and database management system for environmental data that ECOSIM will attempt to utilize.

Additional features of the final prototype release will include the corrections, modifications, and where feasible, additions derived from the refined user specifications of the previous prototyping cycles.

Release R0.5 will be subjected to the final user acceptance test sequence at the validation sites. Test results documentation must be available within 4 weeks.

In parallel with Release 0.5, the final version of the ECOSIM User Documentation and the on-line User Manual pages

June 1998

Release of the ECOSIM Server (1.0) and associated models with complete documentation (on-line and hardcopy) as per Project Work Packages and Deliverables.