Remote visualization of large datasets with MIDAS and ParaViewWeb

In the recent years, the scientific community has been focusing on the management and dissemination of datasets. Challenged by the rapid growth in the number and size of scientific data and supported by new governmental policies, data sharing has become a necessary step in scientific discovery. In parallel, publishing companies have shifted their business to provide not only publications but also associated datasets to their readers. In fact, the publishing industry has been investigating ways to disseminate datasets and more importantly, to present this data to readers in a meaningful manner. In this paper, we present a combination of two leading technologies which allows for online exploration and visualization of scientific datasets. We have combined a digital archiving system, MIDAS, with an online parallel visualization framework, ParaViewWeb. The system has been deployed at several organizations and has been proven to facilitate knowledge dissemination across scientific teams.