leading noaa the critical role of technology vadm conrad c. lautenbacher, jr., usn (ret.) under...

Leading NOAA The Critical Role of Technology

VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.)Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere | NOAA AdministratorIndustry Advisory CouncilSeptember 26, 2007

Expanding Access to Environmental Information for Global Users

Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 2

Overview

NOAA: Technology’s Critical Role

Earth Observations: A Case Study

Managing IT for NOAA’s Future

NOAA Connecting with Users


NOAA’s Vision A Broad Mandate


NOAA’s MissionA Diverse Organization


Fulfilling NOAA’s Mission

For Users Across the Nation

NWSNESDISOARNOSNMFS


NWS Supercomputing System: “Frost” & “Snow”

Information Technology

Keeping a Diverse Organization Together

Global Monitoring Division—South Pole

Global Monitoring Division—

Samoa

NOAA Ship RON BROWN

Phased Array Radar

Argo Floats

PICO Buoy


Overview






Earth ObservationsAn Example of IT at Work

El Niño

Water Level Station, MA

Air Gap Sensor, Gerald Desmond Bridge, CA

DART II Buoy, ThailandUnmanned Aircraft Vehicle—Manta


Developing a Global Earth Observation System of Systems(GEOSS)

International Initiative Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Improving coordination of observation

systems Links all platforms: in situ, aircraft,

and satellite networks Facilitates exchange of data and information Improves decision-makers’ abilities to

address pressing policy issues

Earth ObservationsThe Value of Integration


Earth ObservationsLinking Products & Global Users

Implementation of GEONetCast:

Open exchange of data and information

Worldwide information distribution

Delivers products to global users

Implementation of GEONetCast:

Open exchange of data and information

Worldwide information distribution

Delivers products to global users


Earth ObservationsArchiving & Data Stewardship

The Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS) is NOAA’s premier on-line facility for the distribution of NOAA and DOD meteorological satellite data.

Major satellite systems archive growth 2000 - 2020

GOES-R

NPOESS


Earth ObservationsEnvironmental Modeling

NOAA’s Modeling Capabilities are Broad and Expanding

Example: Climate Models

Goal: Increase model resolution and complexity:

Result: More computationally expensive to run

Adding the global carbon cycle makes the model 2x as computationally expensive to run

Adding chemistry to address global air quality and climate change makes the model 3x as expensive to run

50 km resolutionShort-term

Target

200 km resolutionCurrent Climate

Model

4 km resolutionObservations

10x m

ore

computational pow

er


Correlation: 0.86

IssueSeasonal to Decadal Hurricanes &

ClimateWill landfalls of more intense hurricanes become more common in the future?

Additional computational resources are needed to:

Understand seasonal hurricane activity using models at scales of a few to ten kilometers, but in basin-scale or global domains.

Understand the impacts of present and future climate on hurricane activity through seasonal and multi-decadal model runs that require 4000X more computing

Transition this understanding into an operational predictive capability for seasonal hurricane activity up to a decade in advance Next generation

weather/ climate/hurricane

model

Decadal and Seasonal Variability Simulation


IssueHurricane Modeling

Increase model resolution: Increasing hurricane model resolution to 1km

makes it 14,580x more computationally expensive to run

28 yrs at current budget with Moore’s Law


Increasingly complex models are required to support Ecosystems Based Management – New Requirement

Ecosystems Forecasts Ocean Forecasting Space Weather Forecasts Deposition and Runoff

A global model for regional impacts, with carbon and air quality, is 384x (64 x 2 x 3) more expensive to run

Additional processes (glacial melt, ecology, nitrogen cycle) require more computing

IssueEcosystems & Global Ocean

Modeling


Overview






Managing NOAA’s ITCore Priorities

Risks Outcomes


March 5, 2007

“A section of the NOAA Website was hacked and packed with several pages promoting a muscle relaxant.”

– Source: Dark Reading website

Managing NOAA’s ITSecurity

Weeks


Managing NOAA’s ITContinuity & Resiliency

Construction severs underground cables –Silver Spring HQ’s only internet connection goes down

Hurricane directly hits the DC metro area – power loss with incomplete generator in Silver Spring HQ. Loss of critical operations centers

Pote

nti

al Im

pact

on

NO

AA

Op

s

LikelihoodLow HighLow

High

Train derailment by Silver Spring HQ – NWS Telecom Gateway destroyed, civilian and military meteorological data unavailable

Unknowns

Pandemic Flu – telework not supported by NOAA remote access capacity

Working to Eliminate Single Points of Failure in NOAA Systems


Sources: NOAA Human Resources Data SystemInformation Technology (IT) Workforce Capability Assessment Survey (2004), CIO CouncilComputer World 2006 Salary Survey

Managing NOAA’s ITMaintaining Critical Skills

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$60,000

$70,000

$80,000

$90,000

$100,000

$110,000

$120,000

$130,000

Information Security Officer IT Project Manager

Sal

ary

IT Management Series has over 2000 employees

24%Younger than 40 years old

43%Between 40 and

50 years old

33% Over 50years old

14.4%Younger than 40 years old

26.3%Between 40 and 50 years

old

59.3% Over 50 years old

Federal IT Workforce

NOAA OCIO Workforce


Managing NOAA’s ITScalability & Capacity

Data volume is outpacing the IT infrastructure to handle it

NOAA NESDIS Data Archive Volume Projections—March 2007

(includes backup)


Increasing Efficiency Through Enterprise-wide Solutions

Critical to identify and implement NOAA-wide solutions Important to minimize stovepipes

Managing NOAA’s ITEnterprise-Wide Solutions

63 Systems

4600 Seats4600 Seats

1 System


Managing NOAA’s IT Communicating with Users

New NOAA web presence

http://www.noaa.gov

Simplified front page

Consistency across organization

Increased resiliency to attacks

Reaching our clientele with life saving information


Provide the right information, in the right format,at the right time,to the right people,to make the right decisions.

Managing NOAA’s IT Staying Connected to Users

Leading NOAA The Critical Role of Technology

VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.)Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere | NOAA AdministratorIndustry Advisory CouncilSeptember 26, 2007

Expanding Access to Environmental Information for Global Users

Backups


DemandSupply

Earth ObservationsBenefits to Society

Earth ObservationsBenefits to Society


What is GEOSS?Global Earth Observation

System of Systems

Comprehensive

Coordinated

Sustained

An end-to-end system of existing systems (both in-situ and remote sensing observation platforms)linked with new systems


One NOAA/Regional Collaboration:

Improved services for the benefit of NOAA’s customers

Increased value and productivity of partnerships

Improved stakeholder relations and support

Improved internal communications and efficiency across line offices and programs

A more visible and valued NOAA brand

Success will be measured by NOAA’s ability to advance the work of the agency towards

these goals


How IT keeps a diverse organization together

leading noaa the critical role of technology vadm conrad c. lautenbacher, jr., usn (ret.) under...

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