Information Technology for Ocean Observations and Climate Research TYKKI Workshop, December 9-11, 1998, Tokyo, Japan Nancy N. Soreide NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

Vision Societal benefits through climate studies and improved climate prediction –Investing in observations, satellites, models, research –Investments in Information Technology Remove restrictions of the past Build a pipeline to the future Maximize the return on investments

TAO as an example...

TRITON/TAO TAO/TRITON data integration –Mechanism for data intercomparisons –Web pages for seamless delivery of integrated Improved delivery of TRITON/TAO data –User defined plotting options –Sophisticated Web component –JavaScript and Java Servlets* –Highly interactive, all-Java application Collaborative PMEL/JAMSTEC effort * A Servlet is a Java application that runs in conjunction with a web server. Java Servlet technology has built-in functionality that makes it a good server technology, with faster response time, better performance, and reliability.

TAO TAO set a standard in the climate community Data dissemination in initial project planning –Researcher involvement has assured data quality Benefits of data dissemination –Wide use of TAO data –Traditional research, modeling, forecasting groups –Over 200 refereed publications in past 5 years –Related disciplines, educational, administrative, public With recent advances in technology, we can do much more...

How can Information Technology benefit Climate Programs? Data Access –Centralized, uniform, consistent access to geographically distributed data in a common data format Realtime data Satellite data Model outputs Data & information products “Data Portal” –A “doorway” to climate data

The Data Portal: a “doorway” to climate data Why do we need a Data Portal? –Each Project Office provides a highly customized Web sites for their data but different datasets have different navigation and interface characteristics so the user faces a bewildering spectrum of data access interfaces and locations Data Portal is single, uniform, consistent “doorway” to to climate data in a common format User goes to a single location and sees a consistent interface Complements the customized data access

How do we build a Data Portal? Build on a proven prototype Next Generation NOAAServer software –connects 5 geographically distributed data servers in Silver Spring, Boulder, Seattle –CORBA for network connections –unified interactive Java graphics –data from distributed servers are co-plotted together on the same axis on the users desktop Atmospheric and oceanic profiles, time series, ADCP data, global gridded data

Next Generation NOAAServer

Other technology advances: Networks (100 Megabits/sec) –Next Generation Internet (NGI) and Internet 2 Visualization –3D –Virtual reality –Immersion technology Collaboration tools –advanced high-speed telecommunications systems for collaboration applications –tele-immersion systems allow individuals at different locations to share a single virtual environment –Use networks not airplanes

Other technology advances: 3D Visualization and Virtual Reality (VRML)

Data Portal / Visualization/Collaboration Traditional users: Modelers Forecasters Researchers New users: Educators Students General Public Data & Information Users Distributed data Observed data Satellite data Data and information products Model outputs Visualization Uniform network access

Web Browser Java Application User NetworkNetwork CORBA* Client Support Java Servlet Graphics One or more Web Servers TAO data support CORBA* Data Observing System Server Data Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is an industry standard Middleware. CORBA is used in the NOAAServer software from which this effort will leverage. Based on performance indicators, Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI), an alternative middleware, could easily be substituted for CORBA. CORBA* Network Data Server Data Portal

Web Browser Java Application User NetworkNetwork CORBA* Client Support Java Servlet Graphics One or more Web Servers Drifter Data support CORBA* Data TAO data support CORBA* Data Observing System Servers Satellite data support CORBA* Data Satellite Data Servers Model data support CORBA* Data Model Output Servers Data Gridded data support CORBA* Data Gridded Data Servers Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is an industry standard Middleware. CORBA is used in the NOAAServer software from which this effort will leverage. Based on performance indicators, Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI), an alternative middleware, could easily be substituted for CORBA. CORBA* Network Data Servers Data Portal

Information Technology Climate Centers (ITCCs) Focal point for utilization of Information Technology for the advancement of climate programs Provide technical software/hardware support Data Portal Unified, central access to distributed data servers –Observing system data, model outputs, satellite data, data & information products Visualization –3d, virtual reality, immersion technology Collaboration tools –use networks not airplanes

Typical ITCC requirements Facility or building Data Portal: –Computer and networking hardware and software –Increased network bandwidth/speed –Next Generation Internet (NGI) connection Visualization –3D, Virtual Reality, collaborative virtual environments –SGI workstations, CAVE, ImmersaDesk... Personnel Relationships: –Observing System Project Offices –Research community, academia... –other ITCC nodes –Steering Committee

Climate Program Resource Allocation

International Steering Committee ITCC ITCC Customers Providers of Data & Information Users of Data & Information Observations & Satellite Groups Modeling & Forecasting Groups Research Groups New Users Educational Administrators General Public Information Technology Climate Center Structure