# Presentation: 525704

## What NASA needs from us?

**Presented to the Workshop:****VOs in Space and Solar Physics**
**27-29 October 2004**
**Chuck Holmes & Joe Bredekamp**
**Science Mission Directorate**
**March 26, 2003**

## Vision for the LWS Data Environment

**“****Report and Recommendations of the LWS Data System Planning Team”, Winter, 2002.**
**The LWS data environment:**
- Will be based on existing services and evolve in response to user needs.
- Will allow for the selective inclusion of essential data sets and modeling from other sources.
- Requires science participation in data management...the environment will be distributed and virtual.
- Will have peer-reviewed process for elements of the environment.
- Begin now ... integral to the Target Research & Technology program.

## Authors’ Extensions to the Vision

**LWS data environment needs to support all SEC research activities and programs.**
**The “Right Amount of Glue” sets the philosophy.**
- J.B. Gurman (Fall 2002 AGU, SH52C-03)
- Technology is or will be ready
- XML plus software tools become the new standard (the ‘glue’)
- A standard of behavior - share one’s data with everyone
**The Virtual Solar Observatory is a path-finder.**
**Activate/Energize discipline-based approaches to the evolution of the data environment.**
**Distributed funding and implementation activities.**
**Blend ‘bottoms-up’ implementation approaches with ‘top-down’ vision for the whole scope of an integrated data environment.**

## A Concept for the SEC/LWS Data Environmentvia ‘small boxes’

**Virtual Solar Observatory**
**Virtual Heliospheric Observatory**
**Virtual Magnetospheric Observatories**
**Virtual ITM Observatories**

- Services <-> VxOs  <-> Analysts’ tools

## A generalized data environment concept

**Data services:**
- Data online
- Searchable capability
- Dynamic -> updates to existing services plus new services can be included
**The VxO broker mediates between the data services and data user:**
- Metadata library employing XML Schema as the standard
- Discipline-specific query engine
- Returns set of instructions to retrieve queried data
- APIs to analysis tools
- Logged searches would be cited and acknowledged in published articles
**The analysts’ work bench:**
- Accesses the VxO
- Software library of analysis tools, data manipulation and translation
- Some results can in turn become new or updates to the data services

## Progress

**Data Services**
- Sustaining a community attitude of making high resolution data ‘on line’.
- Taking steps in organizing data directories and metadata for remote query and retrieval.
- We have sponsored ‘small’ grants programs for upgrading online data services
- The LWS program is initiating a metadata services approach.
- We are developing the concept for “Resident Archives” for managing data services after termination of a science mission.
**VxOs**
- VSO is a mature prototype; close coordination with the EGSO activities
- VHO is starting up - using SPASE as the reference data model
- VSPO is taking inclusive evolutionary approach; adopted SPASE
- Several groups are studying concepts for VxOs in magnetospheric and ITM areas
- Developing NRA opportunity for new VxO developments: Released in Feb 2005
**Analysts’ work bench**
- COSEC is under development
- Evolving NSSDC/SPDF data analysis services
- Opportunities for new developments are advertised in AISRP, LWS/TRT, and elsewhere

## Towards the future:what does NASA need from us?

**Keep up the good work!**
**Continue to promote & facilitate the universal data standard: “share your data”**
**Need to consider integrating of cross-disciplinary items**
**Follow the paths and and lessons learned.**
**Participate in our future research announcements.**
- To foster and promote the elements of the SEC/LWS data environment.
- Promote research and technology for integrating the environment
- E.g., cross VxO interactions, data mining, grid-like features, etc.
**Adhere to the ‘market principle’ => are the fruits of our labors being used?**
- Yes: we will continue to support future operations and evolution
- No: we will not!
- Use ‘peer’ process as a means of gauging the market
**Get me some new graphics => **

## Backup

## The Virtual Solar Observatory

**Beginning prototype development**
**Organized by the solar data services**
- SDAC
- NSO
- Stanford
- Montana State Univ
**Small box approach but ‘extensible’**
**See the Design Proposal and other info at http://virtualsolar.org**

## Think ‘small box’

**Limit the initial set of data services**
- Place additional or future data services on the ‘to do’ list
**Limit functionality and capability**
- Focus on the core functions of data query and retrieval
**Share (publish) the schemata**
- Schemata are referenced via registered URLs
**VxOs work w/ data services to create and maintain schemata**
**Analysts work w/ the VxOs to create, debug and update the query engines and APIs**
**Each VxO needs an associated software library of data manipulation and analysis tools**
- E.g.  SolarSoft library serves the solar research community