Large-Scale Information systems 101
Task One: A Brief History of Large-Scale Information Systems
Though numerous forms of information systems have existed in years prior, the NCT regarding our research, Ultra Large Scale Information Systems (ULSS) was not actually recognized or “coined” until 2006. In 2006, a report created by Linda Northrop and colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University used the term “ultra large scale information system” in order to describe how the systems of today would soon be reaching the point where creating “systems in systems” would not be the path, but rather learning to integrate the population in what were referred to as socio-technical ecosystems. Meanwhile, in the UK, Dave Cliff began a similar initiative, referring to these new systems as Large-Scale Complex IT systems. Though both the US and UK offered different opinions, the two countries eventually came to a consensus as to the fact that the ULSS system will contain heterogeneous, evolving parts that change over time in response to outside stimuli, namely people, who play a direct role in how a system will act.
Even in the modern world today, despite no “true ULSS” system existing, may prototypes exist in numerous fields in the US. For example, the US defense organizations seek to utilize ULSS ideas in order to elaborate on the already existent heterogeneous operating system that connects weapons and innumerable computer units and platforms. In addition, international financial trade and healthcare systems have also begun to move over to operating systems similar to those of ULSS standards. As per the Northrop report, computational engineering and emergence is being researched to allow the basic framework for all ULSS systems to be the same, but able to be manipulated depending on each organizations needs. Finally, the challenge for designers is being able to form one cognitive system that will be able function worldwide with a small error percentage.
Even in the modern world today, despite no “true ULSS” system existing, may prototypes exist in numerous fields in the US. For example, the US defense organizations seek to utilize ULSS ideas in order to elaborate on the already existent heterogeneous operating system that connects weapons and innumerable computer units and platforms. In addition, international financial trade and healthcare systems have also begun to move over to operating systems similar to those of ULSS standards. As per the Northrop report, computational engineering and emergence is being researched to allow the basic framework for all ULSS systems to be the same, but able to be manipulated depending on each organizations needs. Finally, the challenge for designers is being able to form one cognitive system that will be able function worldwide with a small error percentage.
Task Two: Recent Research in This Field
The Northrop Report was published in 2006 under the lead of principal investigator Linda Northrop. All research was conducted at the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, located in Pittsburgh, PA. This project was sponsored by the US Army, as the Software Engineering Institute itself is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the US Department of Defense.
The Large Scale Complex IT Systems initiative commenced in 2007 as terminated in 2013. Principal investigators in the research program included Radu Calinescu, Dave Cliff, Justin Keen, Marta Kwiatkowska, John McDermid, Richard Paige, and Ian Sommerville. Research was conducted at the University of Bristol as well as the University of York in the United Kingdom. The initiative was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The Workshop on Big Data Benchmarking took place on May 8-9, 2012, and was led by Chaitan Baru. This was conducted at the San Diego Supercomputer Center within the University of California, San Diego. The workshop was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, and obtained sponsorship from Brocade, Greenplum, Mellanox, and Seagate.
The Large Scale Complex IT Systems initiative commenced in 2007 as terminated in 2013. Principal investigators in the research program included Radu Calinescu, Dave Cliff, Justin Keen, Marta Kwiatkowska, John McDermid, Richard Paige, and Ian Sommerville. Research was conducted at the University of Bristol as well as the University of York in the United Kingdom. The initiative was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The Workshop on Big Data Benchmarking took place on May 8-9, 2012, and was led by Chaitan Baru. This was conducted at the San Diego Supercomputer Center within the University of California, San Diego. The workshop was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, and obtained sponsorship from Brocade, Greenplum, Mellanox, and Seagate.
Task Three: The Importance of Large Scale Information Systems
Our NCT application, Large-Scale Information Systems, has taken science leaps and bounds, if not an entire step in our species evolution. The Internet is a collection of thousands upon thousands of servers carrying information, or data. The ability to actually use this plethora of information hinges on our ability to search, catalogue, and ultimately access the data. Large Scale Information Systems involves the database management tools and real time searching, or the processes the average search engine employs when “surfing the web”. The Internet, perhaps one of mankind’s greatest achievements to date, would be a sea of foreign servers, only accessible by knowing exact strings of complex codes, without the search engine. Can you imagine a typical day online without a search engine like Google? The Internet has made real-time collaboration across thousands of miles possible, once a daydream of our recent forefathers. The greatest minds of our time can discover, experiment, and work together while apart. The vast majority of all human experience, history, and knowledge is available on the web, an invaluable resource for hungry minds and a tool for the brightest on our planet. However, this facet of the web would be useless if it wasn’t easily accessible, which large-scale informations systems unimaginably facilitates. To actually use the internet, one of the greatest achievements of mankind now and forever, one must be able to search it, and the applications of Large-Scale Information Systems allows this feat to be within the realm of possibility, or today and tomorrow’s reality.