The myGrid User Group

Within the myGrid project we are undertaking a user requirements exercise. myGrid is a generic E-Science middleware solution that works over the Grid. This means we need to gather requirements about how people might wish to use such a solution. The chosen application area for the development of myGrid is bioinformatics -- the application of mathematical and computer science techniques to the management, storage, delivery and analysis of biological data in order to answer biological questions. This means we need to gather requirements about how bioinformaticians do their work, how they might use something like myGrid and what users might want from various possible myGrid services.

Most of the myGrid work packages are represented within the user group and their contact details are available. The user group meets about once a month and user group meeting minutes are available. One of the most important aims of the user group is to inform the development of the architecture of myGrid and we will report to the architecture group. Technical requirements have been undertaken during the development of the basic myGrid infra-structure. To this needs to be added details of which services to implement and what these services should deliver.

Obviously there are a wide range of possible myGrid users. These groups will range from occasional bioinformatics users, professional bioinformaticians, tool builders, system administrators etc. Within the user group we have developed a taxonomy of user types to guide us in our exploration of their needs. We have used very simple user requirements gathering techniques that are based around semi-structured informal interviews. Question guidelines have been developed for each of the user groups interviewed. In addition, we are gathering further use cases from the bioinformatics and biology literature and other resources.

In summary, Semi-structured formal User Interviews, Free Text Descriptions and Literature Derived Cases are being used to

i) Identify the ScientificProblems that are relevant to myGrid

ii) Provide material to formulate more detailed UseCases

• View myGrid UserTaxonomy

• UserInterviews - The findings of semi-structured informal interviews with potential users

• FreeTextCases - Textual descriptions of computational tasks carried out by bioinformaticians and biologists

• LiteratureCases - Scenarios derived from the scientific literature

• UnderstandingCollaboration - Some explorations of collaboration

• WebPortalScenarios - Suggestions, requirements and examples of "simple" web-based interfaces for biologists to workflow facilities

• ScientificProblems - Scientific problems that myGrid will help solve

• UseCases - Detailed analysis of user tasks or processes

• • ColdCarp - Cold carp requirements overview (FreeTextCase)

• • GravesDisease - Graves" Disease Scenario

• • AlansLabBookStoryBoard - A story board/requirements analysis for someone using the myGrid-based LabBook

• • MicrobialAnnotation - A Web application using workflows to analysis genomes

More information about the user group can be obtained from the myGrid user group A http://www.mygrid.org.uk/wiki/pub/Mygrid/UserGroup/UserGroupPoster.pptposter reporting the work of the User Group was presented at the e-Science All Hands conference and at GPCVII. The User Group abstract written for the e-Science All Hands 2002 conference can be obtained http://www.mygrid.org.uk/wiki/pub/Mygrid/UserGroup/UserGroupAbstract.pdfhere.

Thanks to

-- AnilWipat - 12 Dec 2002