The Semantic eScience Framework AGU FM10 IN22A-02 Deborah McGuinness and Peter Fox (RPI) Tetherless World Constellation and the SESF team: Patrick West, Eric Rozell, Stephan Zednik, Cynthia Chang and Jim Hendler

Introduction The origins of this effort Why a framework and not a system? Moving from core semantics to framework semantics – integration and configuration The design and development method Open source ontologies and software! A role for participation 2Tetherless World Constellation

Origins In 2004 we started a virtual observatory project based on semantic technologies 2004 – OWL was a W3 recommendation!! Use case driven – in solar and solar-terrestrial physics with an emphasis on instrument-based measurements and real data pipelines We needed implementations – and we achieved that, also needed integration and provenance We pushed semantics into applications that were already built on advanced cyberinfrastructure Tetherless World Constellation3

Prior to 2005, we built systems Rough definitions –Systems have very well-define entry and exit points. A user tends to know when they are using one. Options for extensions are limited and usually require engineering –Frameworks have many entry and use points. A user often does not know when they are using one. Extension points are part of the design Tetherless World Constellation4

Lineage Virtual observatories – semantic data frameworks, ontologies, reasoning, etc. Semantic data integration Semantic provenance All very successful, but did not want to keep building more of these… Lead to: need for a configurable framework … so that others could build theirs, easily… toolkit form Tetherless World Constellation5

Framework overview Tetherless World Constellation6

Core and Framework Semantics - Multi-tiered interoperability used by

Semantics - Modern informatics enables a new scale-free** framework approach Use cases Stakeholders Distributed authority Access control Ontologies Maintaining Identity

Real use cases: e.g. marine habitat - change Scallop, number, density Scallop, size, shape, color, place Scallop, shell fragment Rock What is this? Flora or fauna? Dirt/ mud; one person’s noise is another person’s signal Several disciplines; biology, geology, chemistry, oceanography Several applications; science, fishing, habitat change, climate and environmental change, data integration Complex relations, questions Use case: What is the temperature and salinity of the water and are these marine specimens usual or part of an ecosystem change? Src: WHOI and the HabCam group

Modular semantics and applications – S2S see Rozell - IN23A-1349 Service: an OpenSearch- described resource that supports S2S queries Query: a GET or POST service with parameters defined as S2S parameters Parameter: an input to S2S queries for requesting specific results Widget: a user interface element that visualizes results of S2S queries and facilitates user input (i.e., parameter selection)

Application integration! Rozell et al. IN23A-1349

Core and framework semantics

Provenance aware faceted search Tetherless World Constellation13

Open Source {null} - {null} SVN Application ontology approach (see Rozell et al.) provides the ability for user contributions to the framework (e.g. widgets) Tetherless World Constellation14

Participation Current test-beds –VSTO reimplementation and HELIO –BCO-DMO (biological and chemical oceanography) –Ecosystem assessment –Want to join? Community-based project collaboration site – you can request a login Use case, requirements and framework use workshop in 2011 Tetherless World Constellation15

Summary Ontology modularization efforts are well underway Expansion of application integration via ontology-driven mediation Non-specialist/ application use case implementation and vocabulary mediaiton First phase of configuration capability coming by summer 2011 Many opportunities to participate Tetherless World Constellation16

Further Information NSF/OCI STCI (ARRA) Contacts: Tetherless World Constellation17