Neumann, Mathis (2017) Prototype for a Scalable Web-based Research Environment. (Master thesis), Kiel University, Department of Computer Science, Kiel, 138 pp.

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Abstract

The work of scientists involves finding and aggregating research data to answer their scientific questions. This thesis designs a prototypical web application to help them find, access, and evaluate data from multiple sources at once. Additionally, the concept is implemented as a prototypical web application. We achieve this by designing a distributed architecture to integrate existing research data repositories. Metadata harvesters retrieve information from these sources and integrate it into a search engine. The search functionality is accessible through a user interface which is designed to be extensible and maintainable. Its functionality allows researchers to not only search but also explore and collect relevant data sets. They can then preview them within their web browser, share them, and download multiple sets at once.
We verify the functionality of the system through a set of testing scenarios, showing its feasibility. This includes the integration of an external data repository as a proof-ofconcept. The scalability of the system is then analyzed by simulating a high number of users simultaneously accessing the search functionality. Contrary to the design goals, the measurements indicate a decrease in performance when replicating the search engine. In addition to the validation of technical aspects, we present the application to researchers and interviewed them. This first user study indicates that it can provide a benefit and support in their daily work.

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