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SMA2 ProposalLISA: Leaders in

Information Systems and Architectures

Angela GOH, NTUStuart MADNICK, MIT

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Collaboration between• School of Computer

Engineering, NTU

• School of Computing, NUS

• Engineering Systems Division *, MIT

• ESD is the first new educational division at MIT in over 25 years: - addresses complex systems problems - is to revolutionize, re-define, and re-invent the future of engineering - multi-disciplinary faculty with joint appointments in 9 MIT departments

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LISA: Leaders in Information Systems and Architectures

• An interdisciplinary approach to large-scale information systems and architecture challenges of the 21st century

• Academic Program– focus on knowledge and practice in

information systems and their architecture

• Research Program– investigate issues and develop solutions

relating to the information grid

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Education Targets (annual)

Singapore MIT SingaporeIntake of 16 18 months

Dual Masters

Research activities & Joint Thesis

4 “external” admitted to PhD at NTU/NUS

PhD Program(3-4 years)

3 to PhDprogram

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Dual Masters StructureMIT ESD degree in

Engineering Systems

NTU/NUS degree in Computer Science

I. Systems Theory, Design and Architecture TWO from

Research MethodsII. Socio- Technical/Enterprise Systems THREE from

Depth in Information Systems or (TWO from Depth in Information Systems and ONE from Challenging Applications of Information Systems )

III. Research Methods

TWO from Depth in Information Systems

ONE from

Challenging Applications of Information Systems

1 Research seminar 2 Research seminars

TOTAL: 7 + joint Thesis TOTAL: 7 + joint Thesis

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Research Motivation - Example

You want to ship materials between USA and China via Singapore

Wouldn’t it be great, if you could automatically …• Access all the information you need

• Wherever it is, anywhere in the world• Whether in databases, web page, spreadsheets, …• In parallel, and seamlessly• and have it be automatically aggregated

• Adjust for• Differences in currency, units (English vs metric), ...

• Be sure that the best quality data is used• and you know how good the quality is

• And much much more …

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Research Theme:Information Grid

High Computation, Data Throughput & Reliability

High-quality information with rich semantics

Internet Web

GRIDComputing

SemanticWeb

Information GRID

Positioning of the Information Grid

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Research Highlights• FlagShip

To develop and deliver an operational Singapore-MIT Information Grid Infrastructure (SMIGI). • Theory, software, and testing facilities• High quality academic papers for journals and

conferences• “Release” new version of SMIGI about once a year• Technology transfer to industry • Leverage expertise of MIT, NTU, NUS, SimTech,

IHPC, and National Grid Office• Inter-University Research

Serves a dual set of purposes: (1) demanding stress tests for SMIGI and (2) applying SMIGI to important application areas

• Host Annual International Conference on Information Grid Research (ICIGR)

Information Grid Services

Basic GRID and Network Services

DataLayer

5. Agent 4. Directory &

Discovery

7. Policy, Authority

& Resource Management

1. Information

Access &Delivery

2. Information

Integration & Exchange

6. Quality & Performanc

e

3. Semantics &

Ontology

(1-5: Core Services, 6-7: Extended Services)

Overall Architecture – to ensure scalability, reliability, adaptability, etc. is a key systems challenge

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Inter-University Projects(Advanced Application Areas)• Manufacturing Logistics / Supply Chain• Product Design• Bio-informatics• Healthcare• National Security

– Investigate all 5 application areas in first year

– Ultimately narrowed down to 2-3 applications to pursue in depth

• Plus the Extended Information Grid Services

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Summary of Faculty Involvement

Flagship Research

Teaching

Inter-UnivResearch

TOTAL

NTU/NUS

27 14 13 28

MIT 9 12 12 17

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MIT Faculty Involvement

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NTU/NUS Faculty Involvement

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Summary of Current Letters of Commitment

Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA)

Institute for Infocomm Research

Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech)

Hewlett-Packard Singapore

SES Systems Pte Ltd

National Grid

Yokogawa Engineering Asia Pte Ltd

Sybase

YCH Group Pte Ltd

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Administration/Collaboration

Advisory Committee – RI & IndustryProvide strategic advice and directions

Steering Committee – Faculty & AdministrationManage education/research aspects

Administrative OfficeProvide day-to-day operations

Mechanisms for CollaborationAnnual Workshops; Joint Postdocs

Flagship/Inter-University Project LeadershipEach sub-project has a team of NTU-NUS/MIT PI’s

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LISA Innovations• Unique academic combination

– Computer Science and Engineering Systems

• Important research in cross-border information infrastructure– Research and development of an

advanced “Information Grid”– Host Annual International Conference

on Information Grid Research

• Addresses critical application areas– Manufacturing Logistics / Supply Chain,

Product Design, Bio-informatics, Healthcare, National Security

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Thank you

Questions & Answers

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MIT Engineering Systems

“MIT Engineering Systems: Answering the Challenges of a Complex World” by Dean Thomas L. Magnanti– "The engineering profession today faces a number of

unprecedented challenges, many reflecting the changed context in which engineers practice. It is no longer enough to design a product or a system without accounting for the world in which it will operate.“

– “We believe that the converging forces of increased system complexity and the social impact of technology -- combined with a need for increased leadership by engineers -- create opportunities for new directions in engineering education and practice. The most successful engineers must possess superb professional skills as engineers, including a keen understanding of social, regulatory, environmental, cultural, and other forces. In short . . . we need Engineering Systems.”

Source: MIT School of Engineering Newsletter, 2004

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MIT Teaching and Research FacultySenior Faculty:

• Nazli CHOUCRI, Professor of Political Science, MIT School of Humanities and Social Studies, and Associate Director of the Technology and Development Program

• C. Forbes DEWEY, Jr., Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering, MIT School of Engineering • Daniel HASTINGS, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems, MIT School of

Engineering and Co-Director, Engineering Systems Division, MIT School of Engineering• Steven LERMAN, Class of 1922 Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT School of Engineering• Nancy LEVESON, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Professor of Engineering Systems, MIT School

of Engineering• Stuart MADNICK, John Norris Maguire Professor of Information Technology, MIT Sloan School of Management

and Professor of Engineering Systems, MIT School of Engineering• Joel MOSES, Institute Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and Professor of Engineering Systems,

MIT School of Engineering• Deborah NIGHTINGALE, Professor of the Practice of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems,

MIT School of Engineering, and Director, Lean Aerospace Initiative• Yossi SHEFFI, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Systems, MIT School of

Engineering, and Director, Center for Transportation and Logistics• John STERMAN, Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management; Director of

System Dynamics Group• Joseph SUSSMAN, JR East Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering Systems, MIT

School of Engineering • John WILLIAMS, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT School of Engineering and

Professor of Engineering Systems, MIT School of Engineering.• Daniel WHITNEY, Senior Lecturer in Engineering Systems, MIT School of Engineering and Senior Research

Scientist, Center for Technology, Policy and Industrial Development, MIT School of Engineering. Junior Faculty:• Benjamin GROSOF, Douglas Drane Assistant Professor in Information Technology, MIT Sloan School of

ManagementMIT Principal Research Associates• Michael SIEGEL, Principal Research Associate, Information Technologies Group, MIT Sloan School of

Management; co-head MIT PROductivity from Information Technology (PROFIT) Program.

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NTU-NUS Teaching & Research Faculty• Angela Eck Soong GOH, Professor and Vice Dean, NTU School of Computer Engineering

• Francis Bu Sung LEE, Associate Professor and Vice Dean, NTU School of Computer Engineering• Ee Peng LIM, Associate Professor and Head, Division of Information Systems, NTU School of

Computer Engineering• Wee-Keong NG, Associate Professor and Director, Center for Advanced Information Systems, NTU

School of Computer Engineering• Stephen John TURNER, Associate Professor and Director, Parallel and Distributed Computing

Centre, NTU School of Computer Engineering• Ah-Hwee TAN, Associate Professor, NTU School of Computer Engineering• Narendra CHAUDHARI, Associate Professor, NTU School of Computer Engineering• Simon Chong-Wee SEE, Associate Professor (Adjunct), NTU Nanyang Supercomputing and

Visualisation Centre• Sourav Saha BHOWMICK, Assistant Professor, NTU School of Computer Engineering       • Chunyan MIAO, Assistant Professor, NTU School of Computer Engineering• Kevin Kok Wai WONG, Assistant Professor, NTU School of Computer Engineering• Xueyan TANG, Assistant Professor, NTU School of Computer Engineering• Yew Soon ONG, Assistant Professor, NTU School of Computer Engineering• Kuiyu CHANG, Assistant Professor, NTU School of Computer Engineering• Kiam Tian SEOW, Assistant Professor, NTU School of Computer Engineering • Beng Chin OOI, Professor and Vice Dean (Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies), Dept of

Computer Science, NUS School of Computing• Tok Wang LING, Professor, Dept of Computer Science, NUS School of Computing• Kian-Lee TAN, Associate Professor and Deputy Head, Dept of Computer Science, NUS School of

Computing• Chew Lim TAN, Associate Professor, NUS School of Computing• Yong-Meng TEO, Associate Professor, NUS School of Computing • Janice Mong-Li LEE, Assistant Professor, NUS School of Computing• Stéphane BRESSAN, Senior Fellow, NUS School of Computing

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I2R/SIMTech/National Grid/IHPC Teaching & Research Faculty

• Hwee Hwa PANG, Director of the Services and Applications Division, Institute for Infocomm Research

• Mun Kew LEONG, Manager of the Media Semantics Department, Institute for Infocomm Research

• Eng Wah LEE, Senior Scientist, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech)

• Puay Siew TAN, Senior Research Engineer, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech)

• Hing Yan LEE, Deputy Director, Singapore National Grid Office• Terence Gih Guang HUNG, Programme Manager, Institute of High

Performance Computing

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LISA Curriculum and Key Subjects

I. Systems Theory, Design and Architecture (one of the following)

• ESD.34J System Architecture • ESD.xxx Foundations of System ArchitectureII. Socio-Technical/Enterprise Systems• ESD.565J Integrating Information Systems: Technology,

Strategy, and Organizational Factors III. Research Methods

MIT Requirement (one of the following)• ESD.74J System Dynamics for Engineers • 15.874 System Dynamics for Business Policy

NTU/NUS Requirement (two of the following)• H6429 Computational Intelligence, Methods and Applications• CPE428 Modeling and Simulation• DM6121 Human Computer Interaction• CS5223 Distributed Systems• CS5221 Parallel Computer Systems

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LISA Curriculum and Key SubjectsIV. Depth in Information Systems

MIT Requirement (two of the following courses)• ESD.264J Database, Internet, and Systems Integration Technologies • ESD.341J Web System Architecting: Building Web Services • ESD.355J Concepts in the Engineering of Software • ESD.132J Law, Technology, and Public Policy

Other possible ESD choices may include (subject to approval of faculty):• ESD.127 Telecommunications Modeling and Policy Analysis• ESD.210J Computer Algorithms for Systems Analysis• ESD.221J An Introduction to Intelligent Transportation Systems

NTU/NUS Requirement (3 of the following or 2 from IV, plus one from V)

• H6404 Data Mining• CPE403 Advanced Data Management Techniques• CPE429 Software Testing• DM6102 Multimedia Information Management• CSC416 Intelligent Agents• CS5231 Cryptographic Techniques and Data Security

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LISA Curriculum and Key Subjects

V. Challenging Applications of Information Systems MIT Requirement (one of the following)

• ESD.260J/1.260J/15.770J Logistics Systems • ESD61J/16.852J Integrating The Lean Enterprise • 2.771J/BE.43J/HST.958J Biomedical Information

Technology • 6.872J/ HST.950J Medical Computing• 17.422 Field Seminar in International Political Economy

NTU/NUS Requirement (option of one of the following in lieu of one course in IV: Depth in Information Systems)

• BI6121 High Performance Computing for Bioinformatics• CS5238 Combinatorial Methods in Bioinformatics  VI. Mandatory seminar series• SMA001 – LISA Joint Research Seminar

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LISA Dual Masters degree program and “internal” Doctoral students Trajectory

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LISA “external” Doctoral students Trajectory

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Information Grid - Core Services• Information Access & Delivery Services

– Provides personalized multi/cross-lingual information retrieval and query services over vast number of autonomous/quasi-autonomous and heterogeneous data sources

– Provides conversion/transformation/wrapper service to access&deliver diverse data formats

– Provides smart deployment services for publishing/pushing/advertising information

• Information Integration & Exchange Services– Provides collation services for resolving data heterogeneity – Provides brokering, contracting, and negotiation services for smart information

barter/trade/collaboration

• Semantics & Ontology Services– Provides collaborative ontology and rules management and maintenance services

over different domains, thereby allowing domain-experts to collaboratively maintain ontologies and rule-bases

– Provides services for the convenient and rapid acquisition of new ontology and rules– Provides tools to semantically enrich (mark-up) data/services using ontologies and

rules– Provides translations between heterogeneous forms of ontologies and rules– Provides inferencing services (both query-answering/backward and

data-driven/forward) for ontologies and rules

• Directory & Discovery Services– Provides indexing services to create and maintain a distributed smart information

and service directory (yellow page) based on intelligent data-mining of resources– Provides match-making services to discover relevant consumers and publishers

alike

• Agent Services– Provides intelligent agent services for automating/aggregating various (where

applicable) – Information Grid functionalities or realizing new and novel functions

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Information Grid - Extended Services

• Quality/Reliability/Performance Services– Provides services to incorporate domain-specific

metrics/methods/notions for the automatic or semi-automatic assessment/rating of service quality

– Provides capabilities for measuring and improving data quality

– Provides approaches to improve software quality and reduce or eliminate system failures

– Provides monitoring, tuning, and fault-tolerant mechanisms for achieving desired performance and/or quality

– Provides capabilities for monitoring execution and validating services relevant to negotiated agreements

• Policy, Authority & Resource Management Services– Provides fine-granularity security services for the access of

information and services– Provides authority aggregation/inference services for

multiple resources of varying authority – Incorporates mechanisms to address and support regulatory

policies on information reuse and repurposing

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LISA: Features & Strengths• Singapore is putting a heavy investment in core grid technology

(refer to IDAs Newsletter [May issue]); building middleware services as proposed in LISA is both complementary and essential to ensure effective use of the grid technology

• SMIGI services are generic and apply to many domains

• The academic component is a unique blend of computer science, information systems, and engineering systems

• The academic program intends to create "leaders" with broader array of career opportunities and will be important asset to Singapore

• Academic model is based on MITs successful Leaders in Manufacturing (LFM) program

• A collaboration involving a broad array of RIs including I2R, SIMTech, IHPC.

• Endorsement and interest of organisations (Government agencies such as IDA, vendors such as HP, application users such as SES)

• Commitment by the National Grid Office

• Several collaborators have SMA1 experience (S.Madnick, BS Ooi, KL Tan, YM Teo)

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