18 January 2004
To: Crystal Brogan
Karl Menten
Munetake Momose
Debra Shepherd
Christine Wilson
Friedrich Wyrowski MPIFR
CC: Joe McMullin
Brian Glendenning
Gianni Raffi
Joe Schwarz
From: Debra Shepherd
ALMA Offline Subsystem Scientist
Thank you very much for helping with the ALMA Offline tests.
Everything is ready for the test to start.
Joe McMullin has set up a web site with test information:
http://projectoffice.aips2.nrao.edu/almatst1/ALMA_TST1.html
There are several key things at this site:
- email contacts if you have questions
* please note: I'll be traveling from 21-25jan04 so if you have
questions, send them to aips2-requests@nrao.edu. Supporting your
endeavors during this test is our highest priority.
- Information about how to install AIPS++
Binary installations of AIPS++ software along with data and
library files are available via ftp at
ftp://ftp.cv.nrao.edu/aips++/TST1
See the AIPS++ Installation README file for detailed information.
- A list of priority 1 requirements for the ALMA offline software.
* Right now this is just a pdf file but I'll also provide you with
and excell spread sheet soon. After testing please grade as
many requirements as you can. Grades: 5=passed with flying
colors, 1=did not pass. Only grade based on functionality,
usability and documentation issues will be evaluated later.
- A data reduction cookbook written specifically to help you with
these tests.
* Note: two scripts are provided - these are the cookbook scripts
that demonstrate how to process VLA and PdBI data. Please
download one of these (depending on which type of data you will
be testing) and use it as a template to build your own script.
This will minimize the amount of typing you have to do. At the
end of your testing, please e-mail me your final script.
- Data set summaries. Please read the summary for your dataset.
* Data: Testers:
------------------------- ---------------------------------
NGC7538 - NH3, VLA Munetake Momose & Karl Menten
G192 - NH3, VLA Crystal Brogan
h121 - U Cam, PdBI Chris Wilson & Frederic Wyrowski
l02d - I10216, PdBI Debra Shepherd
(all data are proprietary, do NOT distribute).
- Testing comparison page.
This is a page with images and spectra for each dataset (except
l02d which is proprietary and we are not allowed to put it on a
public web site). These images were generated by internal NRAO
testers within the past week (all datasets have been processed many
times by many people within AIPS++ and once in AIPS). Although
your images will probably not match these exactly due to flagging
and weighting differences, you can use these images to see if you
are getting about the right thing in your reduction.
As I mentioned in my previous e-mail of 15jan04, we expect that this
test will take roughly 40 hours or less of your time. The test begins
on 19 January 2004 and will end on 19 February 2004). During this
month, the AIPS++ software developers and I will be available to help
you with questions or problems that you may come across. Please do
not start the test at the last minute! Be aware that this is the
first time that outside ALMA users will test new areas of the code
and, although extensive testing of the software has been done
in-house, software bugs may still exist. The developers will do their
best to help you through any difficulties, including fixing any bugs
and distributing new software if necessary. But they can only provide
this support if they are given adequate time. If you find you cannot
complete the test by 19 February, please contact me as soon as
possible (dshepher@nrao.edu).
If you have any questions, issues, problems, please don't hesitate to
contact me (dshepher@nrao.edu) or the AIPS++ team
(aips2-requests@nrao.edu).
Sincerely,
Debra Shepherd
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Subsystem Scientist for the ALMA Offline software
ALMA test websites:
http://www.nrao.edu/~dshepher/alma
http://projectoffice.aips2.nrao.edu/almatst1/ALMA_TST1.html