Who We Are And What We Do
The Data Analysis and Assessment Center (DAAC), initiated by the Department of Defense (DoD) High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP), serves the needs of DoD HPCMP scientists to analyze an ever increasing volume and complexity of data. Our mission is to put visualization and analysis tools and services into the hands of every user.
So, you might be asking yourself, "How can the DAAC assist with my visualization / data analysis needs? ".
First, we provide community software resources such as analysis software packages that support built in HPC job launching GUIs, and the Secure Remote Desktop (SRD) utility for running graphical software directly on many HPC Platforms. Additionally, this site contains many online tutorials that document use of these resources, designed for novice to power users.
Second, we support users who prefer to do the work themselves, but need our help in using a visualization program, choosing a technique to use, or deciding which program is best for them. This may also involve one of our visualization specialists collaborating in the use of the visualization program to extract data or images that highlight problems with an original computation.
Figure1. Airborne Laser Project
Figure2. Gas Turbine Fuel Air Mixture
Third, we do custom projects for users with the intent of producing high-quality animations that allow researchers to communicate their results to others. This typically involves the creation of narrated DVD movies suitable for presentations. It may also entail the development of conceptual animations to add context to the science. For example, the three inset images shown in Figure 1 demonstrates conceptual animation used to "set the scene" by showing the launch of theater ballistic missiles to be shot down by the Airborne Laser. Figure 2 shows the combination of conceptual images (the combustor can in a gas turbine engine) with the scientific data (the blue vortex rings and the yellow uncombusted fuel droplets).