Ontology based web simulation system for hydrodynamic modeling

Hydrodynamic models generally deal with large sets of data and utilize substantial computational resources. Powerful, robust servers with extensive storage capabilities are desirable for rapid execution. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to effort those kinds of facilities whereas a centralized computer system together with a user access interface can be a viable alternative for many clients. The simplest way a client can communicate with the central simulation server is by a web browser because it is available as a pre-installed application on most every computing platform purchased today. This type of environment is called web based simulation or WBS. In this study, the concepts necessary to design and develop a WBS for the simulation of hydrodynamic processes using legacy (FORTRAN) code are introduced. A formal specification of the simulation domain or an ontology has been developed that is the underlying concept to share, retrieve, and move the simulation data between the different components of the WBS. This ontology can also be used for future analysis and reuse of the simulation domain concepts and the associated data sets.