Data Management for IPYMark A. Parsons, Taco de Bruinco-chairs IPY Data Policy and Management Subcommittee :Data Management for IPYMark A. Parsons, Taco de Bruinco-chairs IPY Data Policy and Management Subcommittee European Geosciences Union General Assembly Vienna, Austria 4 April 2006 World Data Center for Glaciology, Boulder Facilitating the international exchange of snow and ice data


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What is a Utility? :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 6 What is a Utility? Simple Predictable Reliable Extensible Accessible, i.e. usable Durable It is infrastructure


IT is Infrastructure :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 7 IT is Infrastructure “The core functions of IT—data storage, processing, and transport— … are becoming costs of doing business that must be paid for by all but provide distinction to none” – Nicholas G. Carr, “IT Doesn’t Matter” 2003 “We need to start thinking about software in a way more like how we think about building bridges, dams, and sewers” – Dan Bricklen, “Software that lasts 200 Years” 2004


Timeline of a Utility :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 8 Timeline of a Utility Users or Units Unit Cost IPY?


What does this mean? :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 9 What does this mean? It can guide our thinking about: Interface design Interoperability Transfer mechanisms Communication protocols Usability Software design Cost models Data preservation Distributed vs. centralized data management


What has IPY done? :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 10 What has IPY done? Formed the IPY Data Policy and Management Subcommittee Developing an IPY Data and Information Service. Goal of data management is to serve IPY objectives, esp. International exchange Interdisciplinary science Building a legacy


Organization of IPY Data Management :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 11 Organization of IPY Data Management IPY Joint Committee Data Policy & Management Subcommittee Programme Office Data & Information Service eGY Projects Data Centers, Virtual Observatories, etc. Users


The Challenge! :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 12 The Challenge! Will you be able to find all the data relevant to your research and see relationships between data sets. Access Will you be able to merge and integrate different data sets across experiments and disciplines and assimilate them into your model? Interoperability Will you be able to subset, visualize, and transform the data? Usability Will your students be able to retrieve and understand IPY4 data in 2050? Preservation


Preservation and Access—Two Peas in a Pod :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 13 Preservation and Access—Two Peas in a Pod “An archive consists of an organization of people and systems, that has accepted the responsibility to preserve information and make it available for a Designated Community.” — Open Archive Information System Reference Model (ISO 14721:2003)


The People Part :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 14 The People Part Service counts. “A striking proportion of project difficulties stem from people in both customer and supplier organisations failing to implement known best practice.” — Oxford University/Computer Weekly survey of public and private sector IT projects (emphasis added) However, people are much more able to adapt to change, uncertainty, and messy systems


Documentation :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 15 Documentation Use existing standards, e.g. ISO19115 metadata standard OAIS Reference Model Describe uncertainty Challenge your assumptions “We must not … start from any and every accepted opinion, but only from those we have defined — those accepted by our judges or by those whose authority they recognize.” —Aristotle c. 350 BC


Design for Durability :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 16 Design for Durability TransparencyInteroperabilityExtensibilityStorage economy “Fold knowledge into data, so program logic can be stupid and robust.”


This is only the beginning :Parsons, de Bruin; Data Management for IPY; EGU, 4 April 2006 17 This is only the beginning For details and discussion of the IPY data management plan, please attend the Town Hall Meeting Wednesday, 19:00 Room 3 We want your feedback!


Slide 18: Thank you Mark A. Parsonsparsonsm@nsidc.org Taco de Bruinbruin@nioz.nl