May 21 Meeting: NASA, Big Data, and Apache OODT

Time: 7pm - 9pm
Place: Idealab in Pasadena (RSVP for more details)

Please RSVP on the Meetup site so we can get headcount for food and drinks, sponsored this month by "Q":

http://meetup.com/pasadenajug

Summary

The talk will cover the functionality and genesis of the Apache OODT technology, originating from NASA and now a top-level project alongside of Apache HTTPD, as well as covering Hadoop and other technologies at the Apache Software Foundation (ASF). OODT provides components for file and metadata management, workflow,  resource management, science algorithm integration, remote data acquisition and automatic file ingestion. Users can pick their components a la carte, or combine them in unique ways. Many of the core parts of OODT leverage Java technologies (Maven, Ant, Tika, etc.). He'll frame the discussion in terms of some modern Big Data challenges involving the US National Climate Assessment and the International Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project in radio astronomy, two diverse domains that OODT is helping to support.


Chris Mattmann has a wealth of experience in software design, and in the construction of large-scale data-intensive systems. His work has infected a broad set of communities, ranging from helping NASA unlock data from its next generation of earth science system satellites, to assisting graduate students at the University of Southern California (his Alma mater) in the study of software architecture, all the way to helping industry and open source as a member of the Apache Software Foundation. When he's not busy being busy, he's spending time with his lovely wife and son braving the mean streets of Southern California.

Agenda
7pm - 7:30  Food and informal discussions
7:30 - 8:30  Presentation followed by Q&A
8:30 - 8:35  Announcements and job openings
8:35 - 9pm  Informal breakout sessions

Parking
There are several parking garages within walking distance:

http://www.oldpasadena.org/info.asp

The nearest are probably Parson's parking structure and the adjacent lot on the corner of Union and Pasadena Ave. On-street parking is metered, but only until 8pm. That's the least expensive parking option, but availability is limited. For rail users, the nearest Goldline Metro stop is Memorial Park, which is a few blocks east of the Idealab offices and is a great option for those coming from LA.