Technological Aspects

April 27-28, 2011Fairbanks, Alaska

Design StrategyTop Down Approach

• Identify requirements• Develop specific science questions to be answered

and analyses to be conducted based on requirements

• Determine data required for analyses• Approach ensures that focus is on realizing tools for

ice road planning• Requirements and science questions drove

development of NSDSS architectural design:• Cyber infrastructure (CI)• NSDSS.net

Information Solution

Catalog Service

Metadata for all Databases

Field Data: WERC, Publish(ODM-based)

North Slope DSSWeb Portal

GIS-based

Climate ForecastsReAnalysis(NetCDF)

GIS Data(WMS, WFS)

Cyber InfrastructureData, Tools, Reports

LocalCache Combination of

new and Existing Databases, owned by data partners

Model Data: Publish

An example of how it will Work?

Catalog Service

Metadata for all information

FieldData

NorthSlopeDSSWorkbench

GIS-basedDesktop Tool

Climate Data

GINAGIS Node

CyberInfrastructureData, Tools, Reports

LocalCache

Intent is to Evaluate Potential Ice Road

Route(s)

1

Decide to do Ice Road Planning Study; select

start and end point

2

Ask Catalog Service for Data Nodes that contain

suitable data (Terrain, GIS – Lakes, Sensitive Areas)

3

Catalog Service provides names and call methods

and parameters for Nodes

4

Workbench Requests Data

5

Node Serves Data6

User Conducts Analysis and documents findings

7

User Completes Evaluation Report

8

User saves findings and brings into decision process.

9

NSDSS Data Sources

NSF Data Conservancy/ EOL

Endangered Species ServiceNSDSS ArcGIS

-Lakes DB-Transportation-Hydrography-DEM

Catalog ServiceMetadata for all

Databases

WERC Field Data(ODM-based)

NorthSlopeDSSWorkbench

GIS-basedDesktop Tool

NSDSS NetCDF-GCM Climate Scenarios-Re-Analysis

CyberInfrastructure

LocalCacheData

Models

NSDSS Publish Database

(ODM-based)

NSDSS ModelDatabase

(xml-based model descriptions)

ESRI World Map(ODM-based)

Read-Only Publishable External

Federated Databases

WERC (UAF) ODM: Environmental, meteorological, and hydrologic data MS SQL-Server database using the CUASHI standard for storage of field observations, ODM

NSDSS NetCDF Database: Standard data file format for storing geospatial time series information in the atmospheric science world Forecasting water availability - General Circulation Models (GCMs) data: scenarios for how green house gases may be controlled in the coming century.

NSDSS ODM Publish Database: Publishing new field observations or through re-analysis of existing field observations Web methods added for publishing the data to the ODM database

A NetCDF Data Service

Catalog Service

Metadata for all information

Historical Field Measurements

NetCDF Data Service

GIS Data

CyberInfrastructureData, Tools, Reports

• In Atmospheric Research Field, data is stored in binary files (netCDF), not relational databases (ODM).

• Historical data is Re-Analyzed into gridded formats too.

• Net CDF Data Service

• Stores gridded data files,

• Ask for GeoWindow and Variable,

• Catalog Service Mediates,

• Provides back stream of data in XML, or spawns mini netcdf file.

Federated Databases

NSDSS Model Publish Database: Facilitate sharing of ice road plans, water budget models, and water quality models for the review processMS SQL Server Database for storing models. Web service created for searching, serving, and publishing the models

NSDSS ArcGIS Server: Geographic data which serves road networks, watersheds, and a North Slope-wide digital elevation modelPrimarily products of the North Slope Science Initiative North Slope lakes database created as part of a joint NSDSS-Alaska DOT project. ArcGIS Server is an ArcGIS Server 10.0 installation

Federated Databases - Existing

ESRI Base MapUsed in the NSDSS.net web portal

GINA Map ServicesGeographic Information Network of Alaska, provides multiple OGC-standard map services for remotely sensed data across the North Slope. Includes digital elevation models (Satellite and LIDAR based), aerial imagery, MODIS-based infrared imagery, among others. NSDSS is working with GINA to create web feature services for hydrographic elements and sufficiently detailed DEM data.

Tying It All Together

Metadata Catalog ServiceCreated to facilitate searching for data within NSDSS’s multiple databasesStores information on each time series in the various ODM databases, the NetCDF Database, and each publish databaseConsumer asks for data, the catalog leads the consumer to the various databases that contain the data.

Semantic MediationProcess used by the metadata catalog service to equate data of different variable namesExample:

IPCC-standard for temperature is termed “tas”WERC ODM database observations of temperature “WERC_tmp”Time series named differently, but contain data of the same variableSemantic mediation maps one name to the other to ensure that a search for temperature results in finding both sets of data

Tying It All Together

Unit MediationWeb service allows data consumers to request data with their desired unitService automatically converts the data in the database from its raw unit to the requested unit before providing it back to the consumerAccomplished by providing a central conversion coefficient serviceKeeping the conversion service central ensure that the conversion coefficients only have to be stored in one place

 Automated Time Series Processing Each database’s web service allows the data consumer to request data with a desired interval (annual, monthly, daily, hourly, raw) and statistic (min, max, average, sum, count, raw)Web service converts the time series to the desired interval and statistic prior to providing it to the data consumer.

Authentication

• Big Question relates to who can see the data,

• Added Authentication, so consumers of web services must have valid username and password before data is provided back.

• User Base Maintained in Catalog Service.

Catalog Service

Metadata for all

information

Historical Data

WorkbenchGIS-based

Desktop Tool

Climate Projections

GIS Data

CyberInfrastructureData, Tools, Reports

LocalCache

NSDSS Web Portalnsdss.net

• MS Silverlight-based web application

• Enables exploration of data, analysis, and publication of findings

• Data stored in statewide cyber infrastructure, and is accessed directly through the web portal through web services

• Map-based application containing four modules that interact with map:

• Data Exploration• Data Publishing• Environmental Analysis• Ice Road Planning

NSDSS Software Layout

Search for all data within the NSDSS CyberinfrastructureUses Semantic Mediation