Interoperability = Leverage + Collaboration

Chris Lynnes

GES DISC

Types of Interoperability

Catalog Find...Datasets / Granules

Access Get... Files / Subsets

Usage Open... File / URL

Interoperability Frameworks

CatalogCatalog

AccessAccess

UsageUsage

ECHOGCMD /

DIFOpenSearc

h

HTTP FTP

OPeNDAPWeb

Coverage Service

netCDF/CF-1 Web Map

ServiceHDF-EOS

Sem

an

tic W

eb

Hype vs. RealityInteroperability in Earth

Sciences

TechnologTechnology Triggery Trigger

Peak of Peak of Inflated Inflated

ExpectationExpectationss

Trough of Trough of DisillusionmentDisillusionment

Slope of Slope of EnlightenmentEnlightenment

Plateau of Plateau of ProductivityProductivity

Semantic Semantic WebWeb

OpenSearchOpenSearch

Catalog Catalog Services for Services for

the Webthe Web

Web Web Coverage Coverage ServicesServices

ECHOECHO

HDF-EOSHDF-EOS

OPeNDAPOPeNDAP

GCMD DIFGCMD DIF

Web Map Web Map ServiceService

netCDFnetCDFCF-1CF-1

httphttp

ftpftp

We are currently working to improve interoperability

ESIP Federated OpenSearch

OPeNDAP for HDF4 and Level 2 Data

Web Map Service and Web Coverage Service for ACP

ESIP Federated Search with OpenSearch

Problem: find datasets and files from a diverse collection of providers Space-time region Keywords

Solution: Federated (distributed) search following a simple protocol OpenSearch: developed/used by Amazon; supported in most

browsers ESIP Conventions to extend and constrain OpenSearch

http://wiki.esipfed.org/index.php/Federated_Search

The Federated OpenSearch Two-Step

Client

Dataset Query Engine

Granule Query Engine

granule query

granule results

OpenSearch Description

Request

Granule Search

DatasetDiscovery

OpenSearch Description Document

Store

OpenSearch Description Document

dataset query

dataset results

OPeNDAP for Distributed Data Access

Open-source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol www.opendap.org Formerly Distributed Oceanographic Data System

Remote access via HTTP Supports subsetting Supports HDF4, HDF5, netCDF, ASCII, binary

OPeNDAP can make data easier to both get AND use

AIRS Surface Air Temperature read via AIRS Surface Air Temperature read via OPeNDAP with experimental HDF4 handlerOPeNDAP with experimental HDF4 handler

Open Geospatial Consortium

Web Map Server (WMS) Request and receive maps (pictures) Easy, widely used

Web Coverage Server Request and receive coverages (data) More complicated, not so widely used

Catalog Services for the Web Search for (?) Even more complicated, less widely used

Atmospheric Composition Portal

• Joint effort with DLR and DataFedJoint effort with DLR and DataFed• Relies on OGC WMS + WCS (as far as we can push Relies on OGC WMS + WCS (as far as we can push

them)them)

What good is interoperability?

Interoperability helps leverage other resources

S4PAS4PAarchivearchive

MapServerMapServermapsmaps

GiovanniGiovannianalysisanalysis

MiradorMiradorsearchsearch

OPeNDAP

WMS

WCSWCS

OPeN

DA

PO

pen

Searc

h

Interoperability fosters collaboration

MODAPSMODAPS GES DISCGES DISC

Univ. Alabama HuntsvilleUniv. Alabama Huntsville

TalkootTalkoot

DQSSDQSS

Interoperability Network

Why so difficult?

Technical challenges Semantic differences Provenance

Psychological and sociological challenges Got to give up control (vs. self-reliance)

Got to share the credit

But credit is NOT a zero-sum game

Someday…

A user should be able to start from her analysis tool of choice, outline a spatial area, set a time frame, type keywords in a search box…

…and the tool would then search the web for the data, obtain just the relevant subsets and load them directly into the tool.

We have the technology…