**Achievements in reporting period:**\\
//Last update Dec 16 20:30, reports are in from **JIVE**, **MPI**, **ASTRON**, **NRAO**, **ESO**, **BORD** and 0.5*(**UMAN**).//

  * List of working documents
    * Notes on ALBiUS Developers' meeting (Laing)

  * Main Activities during 2009 Q3 and Q4 and Work Plan for Q1 and Q2:
    * **1.1.1. JIVE**: work on interoperability 
      * Python / ParselTongue utilities relating to Wide field imaging and Analysis.
      * Python / Pyrap utilities that can be used in conjunction with Meqtrees for simulation of interferometry data.
      * Python / Pyrap module to convert Flag, Tsys and Gain curve data into Measurement Set tables.
    * **1.1.2 ESO** Dirk Petry joined the team in October 09
      * identified main ALBiUS tasks for the coming months FITS IDI to CASA MS conversion. To be used for EVN, VLBA and MERLIN use cases
      * Produced outline of the AIPS/CASA VLBI interoperability scheme
    * **1.1.2. JIVE**: work on parallel processing:
      * AIPSLite enhancements, including rsync support, 64bit support.
      * Continued support and bug fixes for ParselTongue
      * Some issues/requirements regarding FITS-IDI to MeasurementSet conversion have been written down and passed on to ESO.
    * **2.2.1 UMAN** Investigating use cases for wide-field, wide-band imaging and limitations of present AIPS and CASA.
      * Identifying capabilities which are likely to only be offered by one package, or which require interopeability, and the obstacles (e.g. handling of Clean Components).
    * **2.2.2 NRAO** Work started on 2.2 Mosaicing by implementing fixes and maintenance 
      * Support/discussions with CASA users working on LOFAR and GMRT data.
    * **2.2.2. ESO** testing and improvement of CASA advanced imaging algorithms (A-projection) in mosaicing applications, as required for ALMA, EVLA and e-MERLIN use cases
      * Set up collaboration with Oxford group on wide field imaging
    * **2.2.4. ASTRON** Work has started. The first internal milestone (CASA Imager in distribution framework using MWImager script) was reached.
    * **2.3 BORD** work on hiring new staff, local funding secured
    * **3.3.1 MPI** initiated hiring


  * Meetings attended by people involved
    * MCCT-SKADS Workshop, Nancay. Sept 27 - Oct 10: Bourke (JIVE)
    * ALBiUS developers meeting, Dwingeloo. 12-13 Oct: Bourke, Cimo, Kettenis (JIVE), Nijboer, van Diepen, Noordam (ASTRON), Elias (NRAO, by telecon), Petry, Laing (ESO)

**Problems / Issues**
  * Issues - organizational, administrative or other problems foreseen
    * **General** Some institutes appear fairly non-committal towards the project. Nobody seems to own ALBiUS in these places other than the (busy) board member. No other leverage than through the RadioNet board? When is the next board meeting?
    * **NRAO** Looking for resources to investigate global fringe fitting algorithms. These were identified in South Africa, but work has not started. Otherwise the delivery will be a task with classical fitting techniques.  This will still be a considerable advance as CASA will then be interoperable with VLBI and eMerlin instruments, which require the fringe fitting capability which is otherwise not available within CASA.
    * **1.2 ESO** Delay in recruitment, now solved
    * **3.1.2 ASTRON** Work within task 3.1.2 (Data inspection) has not started yet.
    * **2.3 BORD** Plan shifts 4 months due to late hire 

  * Red flags - major problems
    * Must formalize collaboration with South Africa urgently

**Forward Look**

  * Plan for next quarter/half year– 3 and 6  month outlook, more detail in first 3 months (including budget)
    * **1.1.1 JIVE** work on interoperability:
      * Definition of data reduction use cases.
      * Packaging software (eg. parseltongue, pyrap) in casa compatible form.
      * Table conversion software for getting AIPS calibration into Casa.
    * **1.1.2 ESO** implementation of FITS IDI import to CASA. It is now scheduled to be included in CASA release 3.1.
    * **1.1.2 JIVE** on paralellization:
      * Merge AIPSlite into ParselTongue; this will greatly ease deployment of AIPS and ParselTongue on HPC clusters.
      * ParselTongue distribution with enhanced data distribution capability; optimizing data distribution is crucial for efficient parallelisation.  At intermediate stages we will distribute only AIPS calibrartion tables instead of full data sets.
      * Identify project that can benefit from distributed ParselTongue.
    * **2.1 NRAO** Planning work on global fringe fitting
      * Evaluate global fringe fitting algorithms (TBD), target date 1 June 2010.
      * Implement version of fringe fitting task within CASA sufficient for EVLA/ALMA commissioning and related activities (NRAO), target date 1 October 2010.
      * Implement VLBI/eMerlin CASA fringe fitting task by augmenting the task developed in Phase 2 (JBO/JIVE), target date 1 April 2011.
      * Testing/tuning of fringe fitting task (All), 31 December 2011.
    * **2.2 ESO** Report on current and proposed mosaic imaging software.
    * **2.2.4 ASTRON** will continue to work on task 6.2.5. The next milestone is the ability to make facet corrected images.
      * Task 3.2.1 (source parametrization) will start in month 13 (January 2010).
    * **2.3 BORD** Work to start in Q2 2010
    * **3.1.1 MPI** work starts in Q2 implementing Roshi & Perley (2003) multi-rate filtering in DiFX

  * Expected milestones/deliverables
    * //Nothing to report// Must recalculate shifting dates due to various late starts

  * Expenditures - equipment, material and services
    * //Nothing to report//

  * Person month spent/to be spent until next EC Report
    * //Nothing to report// Most partners did not quite understand this question

  * Number of Persons working in JRA
    * **JIVE** Bourke full time (350h), short on matching
    * **MPI** few hours/month currently
    * **ASTRON** 1.84 man-months in 2009
    * **NRAO** work started in October at 1 FTE level
    * **BORD** 1 day
    * **UMAN** Contributed efforts from Richards, Beswick, Muxlow
    * **ESO** 230h