1. NERC Data Grid Helen Snaith and the NDG consortium …

2. What is NDG? NDG provides the infrastructure which allows users to ◦ Find data ◦ Explore what is known about datasets (including information about the observing or simulating tools) ◦ Access, manipulate and visualise data!

3. NDG Services The “ NDG Discovery Service ” ◦ A database of discovery information ◦ A web-site, to provide a portal to that database ◦ A set of web-services, allowing NDG consumers to exploit that database The “ NDG Vocabulary Service ” ◦ Databases of environmental thesauri and ontology tools to map between terms ◦ Supports “ machine assisted ” browsing: eg, search for rainfall and find datasets with precipitation

4. What Can NERC Data Grid Do For You? Depends on who you are! ◦ Data User - eg scientist looking for data ◦ Data Provider - eg data centre, large research group ◦ Developer - providing access tools or using data sources

5. As a Data User? Discovery leads directly to data ◦ Simple search page or “ google-like ” toolbar gives direct access to data, not just the metadata Comprehensive coverage Seamless access Hides data format differences and provides generic visualisation tools Enhances interdisciplinary research

6. As a Data Provider? Provides a standards based metadata hierarchy ◦ Exploit the NDG metadata structures to design a metadata system from the ground up, or use them as an interoperability tool No need to run multiple security systems Increases visibility and usage of datasets ◦ Inclusion in NDG does not prevent inclusion in other data discovery or access initiatives Minimise user support load NDG Security

7. As a Developer? Exploit NDG web services Exploit NDG modular development Exploit NDG metadata standards NDG developments are non-proprietary NDG standards compliance implies less future development

8. Discovery ◦ ISO standard MOLES - Metadata Objects for Links in Environmental Science ◦ Detailed metadata for browsing CSML – Climate Science Markup Language ◦ For accessing “ features ” within data MetaData Framework

9. CSML in Action

10. What Can’t the NDG Do? NDG can ’ t generate the metadata! ◦ Automated manipulation and searching relies on comprehensive metadata, which require quality data management to create and maintain ◦ NDG does provide a clear framework for metadata requirements NDG doesn ’ t provide information services:- it provides data services! ◦ NDG does provide a framework within which it is possible to link data to derived information services:- research publications, reports, policy etc..

11. Competitors! How is NDG different from the rest? e2edm, End-to-End Data Management: Similar aims but using different technologies NDG is more standards compliant Thredds: Provides only catalogue services Thredds is significantly more mature than NDG Suitable for data providers with hierarchical data / metadata OPeNDAP: A protocol for accessing data Limited support for access control Requires the user to know exactly what the data are

12. NDG Status Approaching Beta ◦ Discovery Gateway ◦ Discovery Service ◦ CSML V2 ◦ MOLES ◦ Security Infrastructure ◦ Vocabulary Service ◦ MOLES browser Population (MOLES & CSML) by NDG partners Implementing & testing gateways, browsers & interfaces ndg.nerc.ac.uk Trac wiki site