The Process for Achieving Interoperability in GEOSS

1. The Process for Achieving Interoperability in GEOSS AGU Fall Meeting IN43C-08

2. Contributors • Siri Jodha Singh Khalsa • National Snow and Ice Data Center, Univ. Colorado & IEEE • Stefano Nativi • Italian National Research Council • University of Florence at Prato • David Thomas • World Meteorological Organization • Tim Ahern • IRIS Data Management Center • Ryosuke Shibasaki • Center for Spatial Information Science, University of Tokyo

3. What is GEOSS? • GEOSS is a distributed data and information system of systems based on international cooperation efforts and focused on providing societal benefits. • The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is a voluntary partnership (72 countries + EC and 52 POs) focused on creating a system that will provide earth observations in a Comprehensive, Coordinated and Sustained fashion. Interoperability in GEOSS is a primary concern of GEO, given the wide diversity and essential independence of component systems contributed to GEOSS.

4. GEOSS Approach • The purpose and design of the GEOSS architecture is centered on the goal of enabling and promoting synergy among diverse and independent systems • Interactions of contributed systems are confined to well-defined service interfaces • Minimizes the impact to the component systems participating in GEOSS • Requires that we define and record precisely what happens at these system interfaces • Interactions should take place according to well-defined standards, preferably open, international standards.

5. Interoperability Process • The 1st task in the 1st GEO Workplan under the Architecture category was • “Establish and maintain a process for reaching interoperability arrangements..” • Process should recognize existing standards in use by GEOSS components • promote and encourage their adoption by other participants • extend and broaden whatever consensus has been achieved on common solutions • This task also established a Standards and Interoperability Forum to provide advice, expertise and impartial guidance on standards and interoperability issues for GEOSS.

6. GEOSS Interoperability Principles • Many components contributed to GEOSS are already capable of interoperating • Disparate disciplines that do not traditionally interact may lack established common standards necessary for interoperability • Not all GEOSS components will interface to a single common architecture • It is likely that GEOSS, at least in its initial stages, will comprise many unique arrangements in which a small number of systems exchange data to achieve specific goals • Process aimed at resolving interoperability issues that arise in the course of establishing these goal-oriented data exchanges

7. GEOSS Standards Registry • The GEOSS Standards Registry is the reference database of interoperability arrangements for GEOSS • Services registered in the Service Registry reference standards, or other interoperability “Special Arrangements” registered in the Standards Registry • These standards describe the access protocols, data formats, schema, and other information necessary to access and utilize a GEOSS resource

8. GEOSS Registries Supported access protocols UDDI ebRS CSW Web UI Web UI SRU GEOSS Standards GEOSS Components GEOSS Special Arrangements GEOSS Services may become reference offer expose nominate U.S.A. IEEE GEO Members and Participating Organizations External Standards Bodies SIF Subject Matter Experts

9. Interoperability Special Arrangements • Although GEO encourages the use of open international standards, GEOSS must also accommodate the use of ad hoc standards and other community practices • The GEO ADC Standards and Interoperability Forum oversees the process for entering special arrangements into the Standards Registry

10. GEOSS Architecture GEOSS Clearinghouse GEOSS Component and Service Registries Community Catalogs Components Registry Services Registry Standards and Interoperability Forum GEO Portal GEOSS Contributor GEOSS Components & Services GEOSS Standards and Interoperability Registry Standards Special Arrangements Users

11. Interoperability Process Pilot Project • An Interoperability Process Pilot Project was conceived as a way to begin implementing the GEOSS infrastructure and exercising the interoperability process • An initial set of disparate data systems was identified to participate through a set of interoperability scenarios

12. IP3 Scenarios

13. Implementation of Biodiversity Scenario Ecological Niche Model Implemented on OpenModeller Server Mediation Metadata Model: ISO 19115 core profile GI-cat/GI-go In-situ Biodiversity Records IPCC (NCAR) and Environmental Data GBIF Registry GEOSSRegistry

14. Some Issues Revealed by IP3 • Attempting to register components and services unveiled issues with initial versions of GEO registries • Yielded valuable input from specific communities • Catalog metadata must be adequate to support decisions on appropriate use • NCAR helped component developers fine tune their requirements, which is not something that can be automated. • Clearinghouse and Portal functions required in order to fully exercise the process • Conformance testing and capturing user experience being addressed by SIF

15. Summary • The IP3 is helping to develop and refine the core infrastructure and interoperability process for GEOSS • GEOSS interoperability process must operate within a voluntary consensus framework • There are technical, political and social dimensions to consider • Nominations for SIF Subject Matter Experts sought

16. Links • Standards Registry • http://seabass.ieee.org/groups/geoss • Components and Services Registry • http://geossregistries.info/ • GEO Homepage • http://www.earthobservations.org/