Time-Sensitive

According to the IRI Architecture Blueprint Activity [B4], time-sensitive IRI patterns comprise workflows with time critical/sensitive requirements (i.e., real time or near real time), which can be motivated by various factors such as timely decision making, experiment steering, virtual proximity, and loss of data fidelity. These time-sensitive workflows involve integration across multiple facilities and resources. They are found in many scientific domains such as beamline-based materials science, astronomy and astrophysics, observational science, and experimental fusion science.

The Time-Sensitive Patterns Group of the IRI Architecture Blueprint Activity highlighted an ensemble of workflow areas that are important to address for these patterns (and which might also apply to the other IRI patterns):

  • Experiment control, including experiment calibration and steering

  • Distributed systems administration, including virtual proximity

  • Data management, including data reduction, conversion, (re)construction, curation, (re)positioning, distribution, ingest, and storage

The Time-Sensitive Patterns Group also identified some high-level takeaways and important next steps:

  • Highlighting “classes” of time sensitivities, e.g., by time periods (ms, sec, mins, hours, days, etc.) and by motivation (decisions that cannot wait, experiment control, loss or fidelity of data, etc.).

  • Emphasizing the importance of user experience, e.g., usability, reliability, etc.

  • Determining what resource needs to be local versus remote.

  • Understanding that time-sensitive workflows may require security enforcement that is time sensitive as well.

Relationship to INTERSECT Science Use Case Design Patterns

The Time-Sensitive IRI Pattern is related to the INTERSECT Experiment Control strategic pattern and its Local Experiment Control and Distributed Experiment Control architectural patterns when real time or near real time control is required. The execution of predetermined actions by an experiment controller may include time-sensitive actions, such as adjusting parameters throughout the experiment based on a predetermined experiment plan (e.g., moving a laser that is depositing metal in a 3D manufacturing process).

This IRI Pattern is also related to the INTERSECT Experiment Steering strategic pattern and its Local Experiment Steering and Distributed Experiment Steering architectural patterns when real time or near real time steering is required. The execution of predetermined actions by an experiment controller may include time-sensitive actions based on feedback, such as adjusting parameters (e.g., changing the power of a laser that is depositing metal in a 3D manufacturing process) throughout the experiment based on feedback (e.g., infrared camera measurements of the lasers heating and cooling impact on the product being printed and an analysis of the stresses being created in the material).

It is also related to the INTERSECT Design of Experiments strategic pattern and its Local Design of Experiments and Distributed Design of Experiments architectural patterns when real time or near real time predetermined actions need to be performed to run a set of similar experiments with different experiment plan parameters, depending on (prior) experiment results. For example, an experiment sample that may have only a limited time for evaluation, such as an isotope or a biological sample, is split up into multiple samples. The samples are then evaluated in a set of similar experiments, such as by mixing with a different chemical followed by gas chromatography to understand the chemical reactions. The experiment result analysis and adjustment of plan parameters for the next experiment may need to be performed in real time or near real time to maintain the viability of the remaining samples.

The relation to the INTERSECT Multi-Experiment Workflow strategic pattern and its Local Multi-Experiment Workflow and Distributed Multi-Experiment Workflow architectural patterns is defined by any real time or near real time requirements when running a set of experiments in serial (one after another) and/or in parallel (simultaneously). Examples include when samples are involved, such as isotopes or biological, that may have only a limited time, such as when an isotope or biological sample is being chemically processed in a series of experiments. The processed sample may have only a limited viability between experiments for the next processing step.

In summary, the Time-Sensitive IRI Pattern is related to all INTERSECT Science Use Case Design Patterns, as real time or near real time requirements can play a role in all of them.