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Standardizing CF Metadata Conventions: Achieving Data Interoperability and Reusability

This document explores the CF Metadata Conventions, a set of standards for attaching metadata to data fields within files, enhancing software understanding of data. It delves into the development, principles, and benefits of CF Conventions, emphasizing the importance of standardization for broader application support and future data searching systems. The draft proposal submitted to NASA's ESDS Standards Process Group aims at endorsing the CF standard for Earth Science community value. Learn about the standardization process, goals, and guidelines to ensure CF compliance and format independence. Get involved in providing feedback for improvement and expanding endorsements for wider adoption.

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Standardizing CF Metadata Conventions: Achieving Data Interoperability and Reusability

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  1. A Draft Standard for the CF Metadata Conventions Cheryl Craig and Russ Rew UCAR

  2. What are CF conventions? • CF – older name was “Climate and Forecast Conventions”. Now used with observational data as well • Conventions for metadata attached to data fields within a file • Defines the placeholder names and in some cases values

  3. CF Conventions – not just for netCDF anymore • Originally developed for netCDF, but can be used with HDF5 as well • In HDF5, these would be attributes attached to datasets • Format independent • Conventions based on data model, not format • CF for netCDF-4, NcML, HDF5, OPeNDAP, CDM, …

  4. Why a CF convention? • CF conventions allow software to be written that “understands” the metadata • Enables the end user to easily identify data that is common between two data products • Encourages code reuse • Examples • Always looks for dataset’s units in an attribute called “units” • From standard_name=‘air_temperature’, can find the field even though one data product has the variable named “Temperature” and another “Model Temperatures”

  5. Why standardize the CF conventions? • Encourage broader use of CF conventions • Creates an open standard • Application support for CF more likely with a standard • Future data cataloguing and searching systems will be based on standards • Clarifies what CF compliance means

  6. Submitted CF standard to NASA ESDS Standards Process Group (www.esdswg.org/spg) • Solicits standards of value to the Earth Science community • Uses a lightweight process: endorsement, not development • May lead to other endorsements, such as IOOS • Has already approved six other related standards • OPeNDAP DAP-2 • OGC WMS • HDF5 • HDF EOS 5 • NetCDF classic • GCMD DIF

  7. Goals of CF submitted document • Explain the general need for standard conventions and the specific need for a CF Conventions standard • Overview the development of the CF Conventions • List the principles that have guided the development of the CF Conventions • Provide authoritative references to the three primary CF standards documents • Clarify the meaning of CF-compliance • Explain the sense in which CF Conventions are independent of data format • Reference descriptions of the process for continued development and maintenance of the CF Conventions

  8. The current draft document • Introduction • The need for conventions and for a CF Conventions standard • Development of the CF Metadata Conventions • Guiding Principles • Standard documents: linked to online documents • CF Metadata Conventions • CF Standard Names • Compliance: CF Requirements and Recommendations • Format Independence of CF • Community process for evolution of CF • Rules for changes to the standard documents • Working committees www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/russ/rfc-cf.doc (current draft) http://esdswg.org/spg/rfc/esds-rfc-021(will be posted soon)

  9. Remaining steps in standards process • SPG Initial screening determines track • Technical Note – or – ProposedStandard • Standards Process Group editor advises on content and format • SPG assembles a Technical Working Group • SPG composes review questions for TWG • Technical specification • Operational readiness • Suitability for use • Submitter provides Evidence of Implementation document • Evaluation and review by TWG leads to SPG recommendation • approval as a standard • approval as a technical note • rejection

  10. Concludingremarks • Timetable depends on reviewers and SPG workload • Standards approval not assured, may just become a Technical Note • Experience with netCDF standardization • Writing a short standards document aimed at interoperability was not too difficult • Over 20 reviewers responses provided useful feedback • A technical error still slipped through, but ESDS standards process worked to correct it • NASA ESDS standard may lead to other endorsements and wider use • Feedback is appreciated: • Russ Rew – russ@ucar.edu • Cheryl Craig – cacraig@ucar.edu

  11. For more information • ESDS Standards Process Group site www.esdswg.org/spg • ESDS SPG approved standards www.esdswg.org/spg/docindexfolder • Current ESDS netCDF format standard www.esdswg.org/spg/rfc/esds-rfc-011 • Current ESDS CF draft standard www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/russ/rfc-cf.doc (current draft) http://www.esdswg.org/spg/rfc/esds-rfc-021 (will be posted soon)

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