Iti 2007 winter workshops

Introduction

The Winter 2007 ESIP Federation meeting structure continues to reflect the technical focus of previous Winter meetings, but with an explicit emphasis on identifying specific technical capabilities within the Federation that may be applied to clearly defined problems developed by the Federation's Application clusters.

The featured technology tracks for the meeting consist of:

• Metadata Requirements
• Semantic Technologies
• User Interface/Visualization
• Web Services Chaining

Applications of these technologies with be identified for the following application areas:

• Air Quality
• Coastal Management
• Disaster Management
• Ecological Forecasting
• Public Health
• Water Management

More detailed information about the content for the technical breakouts for each track may be found in the following sections.

The general structure for the technical breakouts is as follows:

• Wed. 1/3/2007, 3:45-5:45. Demonstrate existing state-of-the-art of technology teams within the Federation. Engage in

discussion among application cluster and technology track attendees to begin process of linking technical capabilities with identified high-priority science/application needs. Ideally, the demonstrations will be brief, and leave sufficient time for dialog about future potential deployment of technologies into application areas. (Parallel Sessions)

• Thu. 1/4/2007, 10:45-12:15. Define areas of collaboration and action items for after the meeting.

The final technical plenary will be on Thursday afternoon from 3:00-5:15 and will focus on any gaps in the technical or application areas covered in the meeting and seek to identify any additional factors that might prevent the development of successful solutions to the problems identified by the application clusters.

Technical Tracks

Metadata Requirements

• GCMD, ECHO, and GOS metadata tools for entry and search

• Data quality measures and requirements

• Search terms for application areas (joint session with Semantic Technologies)

Semantic Technologies

Semantic Web Definition: An extension of the current web in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation, www.semanticweb.org.

Primers: http://www.ics.forth.gr/isl/swprimer/ and http://www.semantic-conference.com/primer.html

ESIP Cluster Activity: http://wiki.esipfed.org/index.php/Semantic_Web

• Tutorial on Semantic Web and Technologies

Introduce the topic of semantic web and present examples of present application along with the tools and technologies being utilized.

• Presentation of NASA TIWG semantic web technical infusion roadmap

Version 0.4 - see http://teambps.mywsssite.com/seeds/wg/infusion/Semantic%20Web%20Documents/semanticwebinfusionroadmap0.4.ppt

• Demonstrations

NOESIS - Helen Conover and Rahul Ramachandran (UAH/ITSC)

• Joint meeting with metadata requirements group

• Identification of common needs with web services

User Interface/Visualizations

This track will concentration on the emerging user interface technolgies that are available for presenting data, data services, and information derived from those data and services to end users. Technologies to be considered and demonstrated include:

• Lightweight web-based interfaces

"Development of a 'Slippy-map' interface for OGC WMS services" Karl Benedict. In this demonstration I will discuss a new lightweight mapping client that supports the display of OGC WMS provided by multiple service providers/servers. This client makes use of current web development models to provide a responsive user experience without the requirement of software installation or configuration on the client machine (beyond a modern web browser and an internet connection).

The URLs for the demonstrated interfaces are:

http://rgis.unm.edu/mapper/esip.html

http://rgis.unm.edu/mapper/index.html

• Heavy web-based interfaces
• Customized COTS desktop applications

"Announcing the DIAL ACCESS authoring tools: Making data-rich user applications the quick and easy way." Bruce Caron

"Introducing the Matlab GUI suite for satellite-derived surface oceanographic data sets via OPeNDAP." Peter Cornillon. These GUIs are designed to expose complicated data sets such as the Pathfinder 4km SST, dramatically facilitating access to the data. The GUIs all have a similar look and feel and return the variables in similar structures. To date, GUIs have been developed for the following. SST: Pathfinder 4km, MODIS and GOES. Winds: QuikSCAT and SeaWinds. Model (OK, not really satellite-derived, but still of interest): HYCOM. Ove the next year we will add GUIs for ocean color, sea surface height and precipitation. We will also port some (or all) of these to IDL.

• Custom desktop applications

"Unidata's Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) is a freely available, Java-based application for the display and analysis of geoscientific data. The IDV can access remote data from OPeNDAP, ADDE, TDS and WMS servers as well as local datasets. Displays can be exported in Google Earth's KML/KMZ format as well as Quick Time and animated GIF movies. A new plugin facility enables users to create custom GUIs, new data source adapters and other extensions to the IDV which can be shared with others. The IDV is being used in a variety of geoscience disciplines including atmospheric science, oceanography and geophysics.

Web Services Chaining

• Service Chain Demonstrations

• Working Session to "brainstorm" NEW Application Chains

 - Identify data sources & services, determine feasibility, construct a chain, etc.
 - Please come prepared with scenarios, ideas, or wish lists.

• Live Construction of new service chains

 - What do you want to do?  Let's, just do it.