To:   Cecelia DeLuca, Steve Hammond, Rich Loft
From: Ben Foster (hao, x1595, foster@ucar.edu)
Date: 12/16/99
Re:   Comments to accompany review of CSS proposal to
      investigate software tools.

This proposal addresses extremely important issues of
concern in continued model and software development at
NCAR during a time of volatility in the high performance
computing environment, and a time of consolidation and
coupling of numerical models previously developed in separate
arenas in the atmospheric sciences. The proposal is well
written and the actions well thought out. I have a few
minor editorial comments written into a hard copy of the
proposal, which accompanies this message. 

I am somewhat concerned, however, about the proposed
transition of "training, porting codes to the new machines, 
and all related activities" to the Technical Consulting 
Group". The long term goals of this proposal cannot be 
realized without continued close consultation with NCAR
model developers, software engineers, and scientists. This 
work cannot be done in isolation from the code development
it presumes to benefit. The TCG, the CSS, and model developers 
must not be treated as a love triangle, but rather as a 
coordinated effort to develop and use common software 
frameworks. Developing such frameworks will require an 
in-depth knowledge of current code implementation and
model requirements. If model developers are to participate
in this effort, as they must, they cannot be shunted off
to one section or the other. The statement in the proposal
"We will continue to talk with modeling groups at NCAR"
is too weak. 

I also feel the proposal is somewhat weak in articulating the 
longer term goals. How do these short-term (5 month) tasks fit 
into the larger long-term goal of a "robust software infrastructure"?
Once the assessment, survey, and pilot projects are identified,
how will the software frameworks themselves be developed and
merged with existing and new codes? This question should be
addressed now, in both technical and managerial terms.

Again, I feel this is an essential effort on the part of CSS,
and a good first step. I recommend its approval by SCD.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ben Foster		      	High Altitude Observatory (HAO)
foster@ncar.ucar.edu		phone: 303-497-1595  fax: 303-497-1589  
Nat. Center for Atmos. Res.     P.O. Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307 USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------