Network-based Visualization Using the Distributed Image SpreadSheet (DISS)

Digital libraries of geophysical datasets are now terabytes in size and exponential growth is expected to continue over the next decade. The Distributed Image SpreadSheet (DISS) is an interactive scientific visualization and analysis tool for collaborative environments that efficiently uses network-based protocols, compression, caching and storage access. The DISS provides a novel multicell spreadsheet interface for constructing, organizing, and intercomparing gigabyte-sized geophysical datasets. The DISS extends the original Interactive Image SpreadSheet (IISS) by providing high speed network access using http and ftp methods directly, combined with novel data compression schemes, and network-based data caching for low latency and efficient bandwidth utilization. The DISS uses high performance networks to enable scientists to study and compare the large volumes of data often in a near realtime mode. Highly interactive visual browsing tools combined with 2-D and 3-D graphics rendering in each frame of the DISS have been demonstrated to be highly successful for quickly inspecting thousands of separate datasets. The DISS has been successfully tested in a geographically distributed heterogeneous environment using high performance networks such as the NASA NREN, NSF vBNS, Internet2, etc. that are part of the Next Generation Internet (NGI) efforts.