# Presentation: 170583

## NOAA Observing Systems Architecture (NOSA) and NOAA Observing Systems Council (NOSC) 

**Eric Miller**
**Acting NOAA Observing Systems Architect**
**July 20, 2004**

## Overview

**How we got here**
**NOSC**
**NOSA**
**ISOS and NOSA**
**Goals for ISOS Forum and Observing Systems Issues**
**Partnering**

## Taskers & Drivers

**NOAA Program Review Team Recommendation 32 (Aug 2002)**
**Centrally plan and integrate all observing systems**
**Develop a NOAA-wide observing system architecture**
**Baseline (Present)**
**Target (10-20 years)**
**NOAA Strategic Plan (May 2003)**
**Develop integrated global environmental observation and data management system**

**Notes:**
The initial driver for the NOSA effort was articulated during the Program Review process that directed that all NOAA observing systems be centrally planned and integrated.  We needed to eliminate the stove pipe management and separate data management systems.  In order to get to this point we needed to develop an observing system architecture.
As the NOAA Strategic Plan developed another key driver became the overarching goal of developing an integrated environmental observation and data management system.

## Enterprise Architecture

**	****“****Thousands of years of history establish that architecture is fundamental to accommodating complexity and managing change, and yet those of us in the information community seem to be searching for some kind of technological magic to accommodate rapid expansion of enterprise complexity and dramatic escalation of the enterprise rate of change.  There is no ‘silver bullet!’  Actual work will have to take place.”**
**John Zachman**

**Notes:**
John Zachman, the guru of enterprise architecture said this.  

Bottom line is that all this will take time.  What we’re undertaking is a very big and complex task, a marathon—not a sprint.  So, expecting a lot of “stuff” out of a process that is being built where one didn’t exist before, while concurrently trying to construct the enterprise architecture is premature.  

## NOAA Information Services Enterprise 

## NOSC Membership

**Co-chairs AA’s from NESDIS and NWS**
**Members represent the Line Offices and PPI**
**Goal Team members and other key individuals are part of the action team**
**Meet monthly**
**Two significant groups**
**Data Stewardship Committee**
**NOSC-NOC ad hoc Working Group**
**www.nosc.noaa.gov**

## NOSC Mission

- Principal advisory body to the Under Secretary for NOAA's Earth observation and data management (end-to-end) activities.
- Principal coordinating body for NOAA to the White House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR) Subcommittee on Earth Observations in developing an international, comprehensive, coordinated and sustained Earth observation system.

## NOSC Tasks

**Provides NEP/NEC recommendations on observing system requirements, architectures and acquisitions **
**NOSC and NOSA are NOT the “final” decision makers**
**Oversees NOSA Architect.  Provide guidance on development of NOAA Integrated Global Environmental Observation and Data Management System**
**Partners across local to international spectrum to develop global to local environmental and ecological observation and data management systems**

**Notes:**
The NOAA Executive Council issued the decisions listed here to facilitate the achievement of the tasks. 

## NOAA Observing System Architecture
(NOSA)

**(NOSA)**

## What is an Observing System  Architecture?

***It is analogous to a set of building blueprints***

**To make a change to a building...**
**	**** *****one *****c*****onsults the blueprints***** **

**To make a change to an observing system...**
**	****consult the***** Observing System  ******	******Architecture*****.**

## Benefits of an Architecture

**Benefits of an Architecture**

-  **Facilitates true alignment of mission goals and programs to technology **
** ****Provides the information needed for informed decision making **
** ****Provides an ability to prioritize budget initiatives/alternatives**
** ****Provides a mission goal to technology blueprint**
** ****Provides reliable impact analysis**
** ****Provides ability to find cost reductions and/or realignment of resources**

***Architecture establishes a semantic bridge between******...***

## NOSA Role

**Assist PPI and PA&E in developing and implementing **_**processes**_** to develop integrated global environmental and data management system**
**Provide **_**integrated**_** view of **_**NOAA’s**_** observing systems **_**linked**_** to mission **_**requirements**_
**Provide **_**framework**_** for future requirements & costs**
**Reveal how changes in funding levels for one system will impact others**
**Reveal **_**gaps**_** and **_**duplication**_** resulting in more cost-effective overall observation system**
**Facilitate accessibility to **_**all**_** NOAA observations by **_**all**_** NOAA customers**
**Facilitate **_**international**_** partnering**
**Identify opportunities for **_**migration**_** of research to operations**

**Notes:**
The value of an architecture is represented here where many benefits are depicted.

## NOSA Near and Far-term

**Near-term:**
**Baseline architecture**
**Assist with PR07 PBA process**
**Investment and efficiency recommendations for PR07 PPBES cycle**
**National and international partnering**
**Far-term**
**Target Architecture**
**Input to PR08 and beyond PPBES cycles**
**National and international partnering**

## Baseline NOSA

**NOAA-wide effort conducted Aug 2002 - Jan 2003**
**Used detailed survey to document existing observing systems**
**99 Operational and research observing systems**
**Hooks to capture requirements and data management systems but data incomplete – required further info gathering**
**NOAA-wide observing requirements collection**
** ****Updating and refining database**
**Target architecture work begun.  Integrated with requirements gathering process**

**Notes:**
The initial driver for the NOSA effort was articulated during the Program Review process that directed that all NOAA observing systems be centrally planned and integrated.  We needed to eliminate the stove pipe management and separate data management systems.  In order to get to this point we needed to develop an observing system architecture.
As the NOAA Strategic Plan developed another key driver became the overarching goal of developing an integrated environmental observation and data management system.

## NOSA & PBA Process 

**NOSA developed questions to determine Program observing needs**
**Used many PA&E PR06 questions (PBA Template from Serial #4)**
**Data mined the PR06 PBA’s to populate the CasaNOSA (web based template)**
**Demonstrated to PPI/PA&E team members **
**PPI, PA&E requested NOSA create PR07 PBA template using CasaNOSA **

**Notes:**
At this point we logon to CasaNOSA and walk thru the Program survey, how to analyze data within the survey, print out a PDF of the Program, show the relationship between the Program and their observation requirements

Then move to the NOSA surveys showing the observing system information and why we need to relate to the Programs

## Benefits to NOAA (from NOSA, PPI and PA&E Collaboration)

**PPI and PA&E will have common database for Planning component of PPBES process**
**Simplifies PBA process for the Programs**
**PBA input in common format**
**Enables comparisons/queries across NOAA**
**Provides NOSA & Requirements teams information necessary for architecture development**
**Facilitates movement toward a true NOAA-wide enterprise approach**

**Notes:**
We want to have a credible, explainable and easily understood process ( corporate process)  that produces repeatable and defendable results and recommendations.

## Proof of Concept

## NOSA Investment AnalysisStage 1

**Value of Observing Systems**

**Cost of Observing Systems**

**Gap Determination**

**Cost Determination**

**Observing System Investment Analysis**

**Notes:**
Current effort (Stage 1) is limited to top of diagram.   Bottom part of diagram would be done as part of Goal Team programming efforts.

## Purpose of Analysis

**Tied to Program Review Team Recommendation #32**
**Centrally plan and integrate all observing systems**
**Develop a NOAA-wide observing system architecture**
**Base all prospective observing systems on validated requirements consistent with target architecture**
**Goal: **
**Identify shortfalls, or excesses, in NOAA’s programmed and planned observing system capabilities**
**Near-term Objective:  NOSC Input to PR07 Process**
**Provide recommendations for investment options and efficiencies**
**Input to development of Annual Guidance Memorandum (AGM)**

**Notes:**
The initial driver for the NOSA effort was articulated during the Program Review process that directed that all NOAA observing systems be centrally planned and integrated.  We needed to eliminate the stove pipe management and separate data management systems.  In order to get to this point we needed to develop an observing system architecture.
As the NOAA Strategic Plan developed another key driver became the overarching goal of developing an integrated environmental observation and data management system.
Then PA & E’s Program Review process produced the task of developing an integrated planning and programming process.  Although, this may belong to PPI and PA & E, we developed a straw  man process, that we’re prepared to deliver to PA & E for their review and subsequent ownership.

## NOAA Line Office to NOAA

** ****Program Translation**

**Consolidated**
**Observations**
**Requirements **
**List**

## Survey Status

**Over 60 Participants representing every Goal and the 22 Programs with observing requirements**
**Over 400 different investment options (current and future) were proposed**
**Evaluated against 400+ specific Priority-1 observing requirements**
**Over 400 survey forms were administered encompassing over 4500 individual value assessments**

## Focus Areas of  Recommendations 

**Consolidate weak performing systems ...**
**Focus on increasing coverage for in situ platforms ...**
**Seek technology improvements for ...**
**Seek to add additional capabilities to ...**
**Transition research systems to NOAA operational systems ...**

## NOSA Website

**Information on our observing systems **
**Links to other NOAA observing system portals**
**National Ocean Service NOWCAST**
**National Weather Service Information Retrieval System (MIRS)**
**Functional but still under construction **
**www.nosa.noaa.gov**

## Internet Maps: A View For Everyone

- These maps are produced on the internet using ArcIMS, the internet map server from ESRI.

**Notes:**
And the next several slides are outputs available with the NOSA websites GIS capabilities.

## Open GIS Map Comparisons

- This collection of maps was drawn using the Open GIS Consortium Web Map Server (WMS) standard. This standard allows users to request and receive maps using open non-proprietary tools.

## Desktop GIS: A View for Science

- This map was produced using a desktop GIS tool (ArcMAP). It combines Sea Surface Temperature from the NESDIS Satellite Active Archive with observatory layers from the NOSA Geospatial Database at NGDC.

## Building on Existing Resources

**Building on Existing Resources**

- Geospatial Database

- Scientists throughout NOAA contributed

- Spatial
- Query

- COTS
- IMS

- Links back to existing WWW resources

- Other
- Users

## ISOS and NOSA

**A component of NOSA**
**Has several internal collection and data management systems**
**NOSA goal is to achieving **_**NOAA-wide**_** integrated data management system--is biggest challenge**

## NOSC Goals for ISOS Meeting

**Look at cross-Goal observation requirements**
**Review Goal’s near term investment strategies to maximize all Mission Goal outcomes **
**Agree on a set of PR07 observing system recommendations**
**Agree to continue to work together towards a future target observing system architecture**
**Agree on a set of observing system guidance comments to forward to Goals and NOSC for possible insertion into the AGM this summer**

## Observing System Issues

**Goals, Programs and Councils have all been criticized for not having an integrated observing system**
**Each Goal’s desires for observing system investments are at risk until consensus is reached on OS investments**
**Current focus seems to be on observing systems solutions**
**Focus should be on all mission goal requirements, then solutions to meet those requirements**
**Suggest at future meetings that other observing system support programs be included in discussions**

## Partnering

**Within NOAA**
**Other Federal Agencies**
**Interagency Working Group on Earth Observations (IWGEO)**
**Group on Earth Observations (GEO)**

## Questions?