MaxBCG: The Importance of Database Systems for the Virtual Observatory and the Grid
Maria A. Nieto-Santisteban, Alexander S. Szalay, Aniruddha R. Thakar, William O’Mullane, J. Gray, James Annis · 2005
The Maximum-likelihood Brightest Cluster Galaxy algorithm, MaxBCG, finds galaxy clusters within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We have coded a SQL version of the algorithm and compared the performance with an earlier Tcl-C-file-based implementation. The SQL database implementation runs 20 to 40 times faster. Our prototype and tests illustrate the benefits of combining computing clusters and database systems for data-intensive astronomical applications. Taking a step further, we extend our clustering conception to grid environments.