Development of a Web-based modeling system using metadata concepts and databases.

摘要

The execution of hydrodynamic models typically requires the management of large amounts of data and also utilizes considerable computational resources. Powerful and robust servers with extensive storage capabilities are therefore desirable for rapid execution of numerical simulations. Unfortunately, it is not always possible for an individual to afford the necessary facilities whereas a powerful central computer system can be the viable alternative to serve many clients. The simplest way for a client to communicate with the central simulation server is via the internet and through a web browser. This kind of simulation has been classified as web based simulation, or WBS. The main advantages of web based simulation include platform independent access and easy access from virtually anywhere. In this study the formal steps that need to be taken for adapting a legacy hydrodynamic code such that it can be used for large scale applications in a WBS environment is investigated. Standardized description of the hydrodynamic model data (metadata) that has been created using geographical information metadata, e.g. the ISO 19115:2003 standard is introduced. A formal specification of the simulation domain or ontology has been developed to share and retrieve this information unambiguously. Ontologies have been successfully applied in many fields requiring intensive data retrieval, efficient searching, or analyzing the domain knowledge. A simulation ontology is developed, which can be applied for analyses and future reuse of the simulation domain knowledge. The interface of the WBS environment has been developed based on the commonly used standard Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, which separates business logic from its presentation.