Pathways for Discovering Earth Science Data and Services using NASA's Global Change Master Directory's (GCMD)

Ted Haberman – introduction

·         Documentation cluster noticed that some session doing documentation cluster issues… so there will be a tread in the New Hampshire room about documentation

·         Strategic plan session is after lunch on Friday

Tyler Steven

·         Website Keyword (control key words), free-text search (open key words), portals

·         Web API – Keyword Management Services (KMS), Metadata Web Service (MWS), Open Search, RSS/ATOM feed

o   Most of these come from meeting with different groups and their recommendations

o   If enough people ask for a it (ex. Service) then get permission to build it

·         Last year Thomas and Adam talked about the web services – they were new

·         Metadata formats

o   When data imported into the system it is in DIF, but can export any format

·         Science and Service Keywords

o   Recognize the importance of key words and free text

o   5 level keyword hierarchy

o   http://gcmd.nasa.gov/learn/keywords.html

·         docBuilder

o   online metadata editing tool

o   recommend as many fields as appropriate

o   http://gcmd.nasa.gov/collaborate/docbuilder

o   Can see what is completed based on check marks – very useful

o   Each record is validated before it is incorporated – go back to provider to fix information – helpful with maintaining single records

Scott Ritz

·         NextGen user interface

o   Looked into the best way to provide search interface to the users

o   Website was released in Spring 2013

o   Choose – dataset, services/tool/ancillary description searches

o   Key word search interface section incorporates legacy search

·         Search refinement

o   Click on record number to get to this page

o   Dynamically updated search results based on left side menu bar

o   Now more dynamic/easier to use with this new interface

o   Can also be done for spatial and temporal search

·         Search Ancillary Descriptions

o   New search options

o   Descriptions of platforms, project, and service providers

·         Portals - Virtual snapshots of the services in the directory (ex. ESIP, EOS)

·         Q – if we have a suggestion of how to get something changed, do we submit to interoperability forum

o   Submit to the user forum

·         Q – is there a forum for non-idn discussion

o   Thomas will show one

·         Q (Ken) – customizable portals – can you give more details

o   Takes 5 min to modify config file for basic search criteria

o   Q – are they java script or JSON handling responses

§  Hacked how server uses JSPs – “protalization” function

o   Q - What is the most complicated?

§  Showed more data than GCMD portal does – created to show mpegs

o   Q – did that take a few months

§  Communication takes more time

·         Q – do you think any use for a reference client in open source so someone can house it on their website, a quick way to set something up – built their own portal

o   Portal development has to coincide with software development

o   Hosting outside of GCMD software would require more discussion, but is possible

·         Q (Ken) – are there any response format that user can request it from

o   Yes – Thomas will show – ex. Can do csv – can get the identifiers – for csv, most want to compare different database

Thomas Cherry

·         MWS overview

o   This is a quick and dirty interface

o   Could build a client better than docBuilder using mws interface

·         Start with connect page http://gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov/Connect/

o   Need password – but can have short use account (ex. ESIP Winter)

·         Still using secret parameters… but some will be out next week – able to get pdf to describe each interface (http://gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov/Connect/docs/mws/MetadataWebServiceAPI.pdf)

·         New features since last talk

o   Ticketing system – you can query where your ticket is in the process

o   POST Validator – demonstration

§  Called curl to get zzz415

§  Then feeds back to get validator

o   On website have cURL, Java, and Objective-c

·         Keyword Management System (KMS)

o   Needed something in-house for managing science keywords

o   More than just key words – platforms, instruments, researchers, projects, data center names, chrono units, ….

o   Top object is scheme

§  Inside scheme is science keywords

§  Ten branches out to what is being described

o   Developed like a typical SKOS (simple knowledge organization system) only one broader relationship per concept…

o   3 choices – scheme, concept, or searches

o   Can now just put an extension on the end of the url and get it in specified format

o   MD5 and last modified date – are upcoming

·         Static interface

o   Most people don’t want to log in – just want to search by keyword

o   Did a kitchen sink approach – most of csv, xml, rdf…  - tar.gz and MD5, and one historical copy before overwriting a file

o   Similar to the RESTFUL interface, but static

o   Compressed files are ready to go – PRO

o   CON – many of the files reference dynamic KMS – looking into how to have more self-sufficient exports (more human readable)

o   CON – no search functionality

·         Keyword Search (web)

o   RDF/ATOM feeds are all over

o   Includes RSS feed that will update – also has old global RSS feeds

§  Global RSS feeds are being updated in ATOM and RDF

o   Opensearch – how firefox was able to add location as a search site

o   Q – do you have ATOM response

§  Yes… example

·         Q if support granule open search query is there a way to support?

o   Can do this à would be interested in this

o   Want to chain open search query

§  Working on this in QUICK

·         Gcmd.nasa/gov/r/report – goes directly into bug tracking ticketing system

·         Q (Doug) –controlled vocab vs text search, in ECHO have done a query.  Have you gathered metrics along these lines

o   But results are skewed because they promote type word

o   ACTION – send Doug report next month

o   Also have ancillary key words – feels like a free text

o   A lot of people navigate website using science key word – drill down through the tree

o   Words in keywords are added by user community – get new key words requests

·         Concerned more about why the key words are not being used

·         Q – curious about the location key words – search GCMD and haven’t seen definitions for the keywords – just searching, some datasets the researcher adds their own key words, ex. Drainage basin name

o   15-18% use key words for search refinement

o   Possibly seeing location key words that are not in the taxonomy because they are in detailed location which are not in the formal key word list

o   Q – there are formal definitions for key words

§  Not for location key words

·         Q (Jeff) – searched on data provider for NOAA – there is stuff in there from NOAA that was registered a long time ago and isn’t being updated.  Who would he talked regarding issues cleaning up the NOAA entries

o   Going to flush out all NOAA records and reload

o   Just wiped all NDGC records and are reading them

o   From a software – need to key in more code – to actively notify people (meta - author), want a dashboard to see records that have future revision dates à this is in the process

o   Jeff D. – would like NOAA data provider create metadata and then have a conduit that “you” would talk to

§  Do that… it is more automated