Astonis Virtual Studio (Avisto)

Avisto is derived from the Spanish verb meaning 'to see'.

As a software product, Avisto is 'visionary' to its users because it provides an innovatively simple user environment to sort out and visualize confusing, tedious, difficult and complex computing processes.

What is Avisto?

Avisto is an application software platform based on Java. It is designed to improve the usability and interoperability of remote applications, data sources, and computing resources through an innovative Internet-driven desktop environment running on the user laptop/desktop computer.

Avisto eliminates the pain and the frustration of users having to:

• Navigate through an array of software applications and tools that are not interoperable; manipulate data files in different formats; search various types of databases on different computers for their work,
• Be dependent on in-house IT expertise for installation and maintenance of the software,
• Rely on the availability of in-house computing resources,
• Pay for expensive software licenses even when the usage is infrequent.

Avisto transforms complex and tedious computing processes into seamless, intuitive, enjoyable and playful tasks. Consequently,

• Avisto improves efficiency and productivity by allowing the user to focus on the most important issue, the solution itself;
• Avisto does not require a high level of technical expertise and thus enables a much broader spectrum of users.

Avisto supports a variety of Java applications, such as those for:

• Using server-based applications such as those computing intensive modeling and simulation software tools,
• Accessing private, 3rd-party, and public databases at various locations,
• Managing data on user computers or on Astonis-provided resources,
• Analyzing and visualizing data,
• Sharing data with other users,
• Communicating with other users around the world

Avisto enables users to:

• Create automated workflows from these applications, which can be executed on various computing resources,
• Manage and share data in a seamless and transparent manner.

With Internet connection, users can access their Avisto work environments anywhere at any time.

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Case Study Example

The problem: Predict the electronic properties and infrared spectrum of a nano-molecule known as dodecahedrane.

Solving the problem involves completing the following tasks:

1. Create a text file for the 3D structure of the molecule. You can search the Internet or public databases for it then download it to your computer. If not available, you must use other means such as a molecular editor or manually write it. Either is not a trivial task.
2. Manually prepare the input file for optimizing the structure at a low level of theory, such as using a molecular mechanics force field. The user must be familiar with the input format in order to use the tool.
3. Transfer the input data to a remote computer where the job can be run, then create a script to run the job.
4. Once the job is completed, transfer the data back to the local computer to analyze.
5. Cut/paste the results of this run to manually prepare the input for a quantum calculation of the electronic properties using a different tool. The input is in different format and thus the user must be familiar with this tool.
6. Transfer the new input data to a remote computer where it can be executed, using a different script.
7. Submit the job, and then transfer the results back to the local computer for analysis.
8. Cut/paste the results to manually prepare the input for the IR spectrum calculation.
9. Transfer the input data to the computer where it can be run, modify the script for running the job, then submit it.
10. Transfer the results back to the local computer for analysis and/or storage.

These tasks would take a couple of hours for a graduate student in computational chemistry to complete with a typical computing environment at a university. Most of these tasks are time consuming, tedious, error-prone, and non-science related.

With Avisto, a user with the high-school education can graphically setup a complete workflow for getting the same answer in less than 1 minute!