Complex Data-intensive Systems and Semantic Grid:
Applications in Satellite Missions


M. Sánchez-Gestido, L. Blanco-Abruña
Deimos-Space
manuel.sanchez@deimos-space.com, luis.blanco@deimos-space.com
M. S. Pérez-Hernández, R. González-Cabero, A. Gómez-Pérez
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
mperez@fi.upm.es, rgonza@fi.upm.es, asun@fi.upm.es
Ó. Corcho
University of Manchester
Oscar.Corcho@manchester.ac.uk


Abstract

The use of a Semantic Grid architecture can ease
the deployment of complex applications, in which
several organizations are involved and where
resources of diverse nature (data and computing
elements) are shared. This is the situation in the Space
domain, with a strong demand of computational
resources inscribed in an extensive and heterogeneous
network of facilities and institutions. This paper
presents the S-OGSA architecture, defined in the
Ontogrid project, as applied into a scenario for the
overall monitoring and data analysis in a Satellite
Mission currently in nominal operations. Flexibility,
scalability, interoperability and use of a common
framework for data sharing are the main advantages
of a Semantic Grid implementation in Complex and
data-intensive systems.


1. Introduction

In the last years, complex applications have arisen
in multiple domains. Many of these applications have
been solved by means of traditional techniques.
Although these solutions are feasible, they are also
error prone and difficult to implement in practice.
In these scenarios, where a huge number of
resources are shared and several organizations are
involved, the use of grid computing can help to deploy
flexible solutions [5]. If there are complex interactions
between all the components and participants of the
applications, it is possible to take advantage of the use
of a common vocabulary and conventions, which
provide semantics and interoperability. The Use Case
for “Quality Analysis of Satellite Missions" in the
Ontogrid project [7] is one example of this kind of
scenarios, since the current operational system for the
selected Satellite (EnviSat) has been developed
through the use of traditional techniques (in what
follows called QUARC, as opposed to the Semantic
Grid implementation, SG-QUARC). This use case is
intended to improve the possibilities for analysis of the
product quality in satellite missions. On the other hand,
Ontogrid has as main goal the explicit sharing and
deployment of knowledge to be used for the
development of innovative Grid infrastructures and for
Grid applications, that is, the construction of reusable
infrastructures for Semantic Grid applications.
This paper describes this use case and its adaptation
to the semantic grid architecture developed in the
Ontogrid project, S-OGSA [2]. It shows how a
semantic grid architecture [3] can provide a large
number of benefits when adapted to this kind of
complex situations.
The rest of the paper is organized as follows. In
Section 2, we describe the Envisat mission, specifying
the overall structure of the whole satellite system.
Section 3 describes the Use Case for the Analysis of
Satellite products. Section 4 explains the set up of a
Semantic Grid infrastructure for this Use Case, and
section 5 shows the application of the Reference
Semantic Grid architecture developed in Ontogrid (S-
OGSA). Section 6 lists a number of potential
applications in other satellite systems. Finally, section
7 outlines the conclusions of this work..