SCAR Data ManagementSSG Plenary30th July 2010

Kim Finney (Manager, Australian Antarctic Data Centre & Chief Officer, SCAR

Standing Committee on Antarctic Data Management)

SCAR ScientistsData Management Needs

• As a data provider: – Data submission - simple, least amount of work, – Acknowledgement of their role in capturing the

data/product,– preservation for long-term re-use,– globally discoverable and accessible.

 • As a data user: 

– access to data in a wide variety of formats,– harness Google or Google-like facilities to search

distributed repositories,– unfettered access to “qualified” data, and– integrate similar data sourced from distributed stores.

The SCAR Community Data Infrastructure

Antarctic Master Directory(NASA)

Human Readable Metadata

registe

ring

meta

data

National Data Centres

A user can search a metadata catalogue. Data might be linked ??

Building A Better SCAR Data Infrastructure

Antarctic Master Directory (with a

registry interface)(NASA)

Standardmachine to machine

interfaces

data store

Data Portal

Scientists are able to use a data discovery portal from one country,

that can also access data from another country’s data store.

data store

Harvests from

Service Registry

Portals Standard Interfaces

Protocols

Building A Better SCAR Data Infrastructure

What if I don’t have anywhere to put my data but I’m happy to share

it ?

data

bucket

Internet Cloud

Tom

Jerry

I wonder what data is out there for the polar regions ?

Su

bm

it data

Metadata Catalogue &

Registry

Regis

ter i

nDiscover/retrieve

Polar data

Search

Publish to

Building A Better SCAR Data Infrastructure

• What is in place ?• A few National Data Centres with “capability” to

deliver data via Portals (e.g. UK, Belgium, Australia),• GCMD trialling registry interface with GEOSS

community,• Prototype of the Cloud-based repository service.

• What must we do ?• Join with other communities (e.g. Arctic, ICSU World

Data Centres, International Oceanographic Data Exchange, WMO) to build a “Polar” information network.

DIMS Implementation Plan

• Consist of 3 projects with sub-tasks.• Crafted so that ALL countries can

play a role.• Two key projects:

• Interoperable data repository network• Collaborating to build our SCAR

repository network in harmony with a Polar Data Network (the Polar Information Commons).

• SCADM CO was purposefully part of the PIC Steering Committee

www.polarcommons.orgLaunched in June IPY Conference Oslo

PIC Components• Digitally “badge” data as belonging to the PIC,• Assume that data providers and users adhere to

community norms (for sharing and accessing data),

• An (internet) cloud based repository service to manage data without an immediately obvious home.

• A network of Data Centres, or Institutions willing to act as long-term hosts and publication points for polar data.

Badging Data

• Three functions of badge:• Labels data with conditions of use• Labels data as being part of commons• Links to norms (expected behaviours for data usage)

Norms

• For both data providers and users,

• Articulate sensible terms of use:• cite the source• contribute data back• notify source if you

find errors• data is public

Cloud Services

PIC Cloud

Repository Network ?• In discussions with the World Data Centre

System,

• BUT this is where SCAR members need to stand up and be counted !• Some interest (but very little from SCADM members)• Can’t get GCMD to discuss the registry interface

• Need to organise around delivery into science (have a focus for activity):• SOOS or ANTABIF ?

Conclusion• Lots of “proven” technologies out there

now to leverage.

• Science needs seem pretty clear.

• Have some good science drivers to focus activity.

• Many architecture components already exist.

• Lack of willingness to contribute effort and resources is limiting ability to move forward.