Summary of 1999-nov-17 ALMA SSR  phone meeting
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1) Precise mandate of the committee, relations with Science Group
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- The task of this committee is to prepare the
high-level scientific/operational requirements (as well as their
priorities) to be used as input to the Analysis and Design phase of
software development.  This committee will be advisory to the heads of
the Software Group (Brian Glendenning and Gianni Raffi).

- The first draft of the high-level requirements should be made
available for reviewing by late February, and a more final document
should de available in the third quarter of next year.

- We proposed to have the e-mail list open to any one interested in
listening/contributing (since these discussions have to be open to the
science groups). I sent an email in this direction to S.G. and
A.W., to be forwarded to the science groups / calibration and imaging
groups.  We nevertheless keep the current members as responsible for
the final reports and for telephone/face-to-face meetings, unless otherwise 
needed.

- Next steps are:

 . Write a general document on ALMA software operations (evolved from
   the draft on the Web). Note that this is not a general ALMA operations
   document (this will take longer and is the responsibility of the
   Science Group)

 . Write detailed specifications for each identified component.
   
 . Convert this to Use Cases (J. Schwarz) for Unified Modelling Language


2) Nominate members responsible for each specific area 
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 - observing modes/instrument control   P. Schilke, S. Scott, J. Richer, 
                                        J. Mangum

 - real-time operations                 B. Clark, R. Lucas

 - operator interface                   J. Mangum, B. Clark, S. Scott

 - proposal submission and handling     P. Schilke 

 - scheduling                           M. Wright, M. Holdaway, 
                                        J. Richer, S. Scott

 - on-line calibration, data pipeline,  R. Lucas, F. Viallefond
   interface to off-line processing     

 - data formats                         S. Guilloteau
                        
 - archiving                            J. Schwarz, IRAM 

The proposition to fill the archiving gap is to use both ESO and IRAM
experience (J. Schwarz, together with IRAM staff astronomers). D. Crutcher ?


3) Date and location of the next face-to-face meeting
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This is not essential, we seem to make god progress by e-mail. But we could
make use of otherwise planned trips to meet. 

- one possibility at Soccorro in Jan. on side of proposed AIPS++ data pipeline
workshop which some of us would like to attend. 

- another possibility is together with the SPIE  meeting in Munich 
(March-25 to  April 1st), but this is a little too late.

4) Specific issues
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 * Dynamic scheduling: 
   - the main constraint comes from the atmosphere, LST is actually a 
     secondary constraint, so we shoulon't use fixed LST boundaries

   - projects can be interrupted nearly anytime, but the shortest continuous
     amount of time spent on a project is probably 1/2h to 1h 
     (see mma memo 167 by M. Holdaway)

 * how do we specify flexibility in the system:

 . specify a script language for controlling the array: 
    - language functionalities (loops, macros, variables)
    - individual active commands: 'primitives'

   B. Clark will draft a script  language specification.

 . specify a set of script procedures doing the standard observing modes; 
   the script language should allow staff astronomers or advanced observers 
   to edit those procedures.


 * how do we avoid unnecessary complexity in the system, for new users:

 . have obervation preparing tools that use actual astronomical input
   (velocity ranges and resolution) rather than actual correlator setups
   difficult to understand.

 . have these tools provide simulated observations (maps rather than uv data,
   easier to understant for non radioastronomers).

 . have reasonable default parameters for the main observing modes; 
   advanced users may change the defaults.

 . use a `Wizard' approach ?


5) Next phone meeting Dec. 16, but 17:00 UT. To be precised by email.