Overseas Visit Report
CEOS WGISS Subgroups and Task Teams Meeting
April 20-24, 1998
Bernried, Germany
Edward King, CSIRO Earth Observation Centre
Introduction
The following is a summary of the WGISS subgroup meetings that I attended in April 1998. Meetings of three separate subgroups (Network, Access and Data) were held concurrently over a period of five days. My principle focus was the Access subgroup, though I did attend some of the Network subgroup sessions and the joint Access/Data sessions. Below I provide a brief summary of the meetings I attended. There is an enormous volume of supporting documentation in the form of approximately 50 speaker's handouts, viewgraphs, and other giveaways which it is not practical to provide with this report. I hold these here in a folder and they are referred to in the text as Attachments. Anyone interested in viewing any of these documents should contact me and I will provide copies. For an alternative report of these meetings, with more of a Data Subgroup focus, see the contribution by Paul Tildesley.
Day 1, 20 April
Welcome by WGISS chair, Takashi Moriyama (viewgraphs - Attachment A)
WGISS Objectives:
Subgroup and Task Teams (TT) are well placed to recognise areas of strategic importance and to identify areas of future importance. WGISS-6 will be held May 13-15 1998.
Access Subgroup Opening (minutes Attachment Y)
Protocol Task Team Submeeting
Agenda:
1. Overview of PTT status (valids definition etc)
2. CIP Implementation activities
3. PTT interfaces to other groups (CCSDS, ZIG(Z39.50), TC211, OGIS)
4. PTT future:
Item 1
For the specification document, all action items have been fulfilled with the exception of the "order"part. Release 1.4 of the standard (due 15/2/98) depends on the specification which is not due until 4/5/98. The specification may yet be delayed by a further week. Thus there will remain some open issues in the next release of the standard.
Valids issues were discussed by Cristianne Nill (Attachment G)
Impacts on CIP:
No Impacts on CIP:
Remaining Activities
Item 2
INFEO implementation of CIP has passed preliminary testing. CSIRO should obtain a copy for evaluation purposes. (Attachments H, F)
Item 3
Interfaces to other groups including CCSDS, ZIG, OGIS and TC211 were discussed with a view to increasing interactions to ensure standard conformance wherever possible.
Item 4
A first exchange of comments regarding the issue of a possible CINTEX/PTT merger was made. Further discussion later in the week. The next PTT meeting will be in Washington DC in the week following the Boulder subgroup meetings. Marc Gorman will set a date for the implementors workshop in July.
IDN Submeeting (Part 1)
Version 6 is released and an accompanying version of the "Write a DIF" is document is also available.(Attachment H). Numerous new fields have been added, including language support, new location keywords (and associated location search scheme). It is also possible to represent collections by the incorporation of aggregate information with DIFs. There is a "Related URL" field also.
The MD6-Oracle component of the IDN has the following new features:
The MD6-ISITE component now uses ISITE 2.0 with geospatial and temporal numeric searching.
The "Write a DIF" document is fully updated.
A report of a detailed study of usage of the Dutch IDN node was tabled (Attachment C).
Work on version 7A of the IDN will involve or provide the following:
Other handouts for Day 1.
The Future of WGISS Moriyama (Attachments I, J)
Data Subgroup meeting agenda (Attachment K)
Notes on the digital mapping of global observation data by Mike Botts (Attachments L,M)
A report on DFN support for networks in Germany (Attachment O)
Day 2, 21 April
Browse Task Team Meeting
The Guidelines Document is in a fairly advanced draft stage. It consists of:
1. An introduction
2. CIP Browse Attributes independent of the type of dataset:
3. CIP Browse Attributes dependent upon the dataset:
3.1 AVHRR
3.1.1 AVHRR Level1
The AVHRR Browse Guidelines Document is (Attachment P)
The proposed timeline for the completion of the Browse TT work is as follows:
Aug '98 Draft of Guidelines Document
Sep '98 Review and discuss Browse Guidelines document at next BTT meeting
Mar '99 Complete revision and recirculation
Apr '99 Final discussion and approval of BTT, possible closure of BTT
WWW Task Team Meeting
Agenda:
1. EOGEO '98
2. EOGEO '99
3. Web gateway CIP/Z39.50
4. Simple Search/HGS alignment plans (CCRS/CEO)
5. JAVA clients for catalogues and protocols, and server side JDBC
6. New web technologies (XML,VRML,CORBA)
Item 1
EOGEO '98 was a highly successful conference with approximately 150 people and 50 papers. All papers are online at http://www.ceo.org/eogeo98/agenda.html. A copy of the proceedings and the accompanying CD was distributed (Attachment N).
Item 2
It is proposed that EOGEO99 be held in Feb '99 somewhere in the Washington DC area.
Item 3
The principal user interfaces are INFEO (CIP) and the NASA IMS system. A lengthy description of the INFEO "Customer Interface" was provided by Cristoph Reck from DLR. The viewgraphs are available (Attachment AB). There is also a relevant paper on page 42 of the EOGEO proceedings(Attachment N).
Yonsook Enloe said that the most significant development for the IMS system was the imminent release of a feature to permit persistent users.
Item 4
There was some discussion about plans to align the parallel developments of the Simple Search system devised by CCRS and the HGS search system from CEO (http://www.ceo.org/hgs). A document describing elements of an HGS search was tabled (Attachment V). Information about Simple Search is available on the CCRS web site.
Item 5
This is the make or break year for JAVA. It is maturing fast, consequently there are compatibility problems from version to version.
Item 6
There was a brief description of XML (Extensible Markup Language) and VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language). An example VRML application is visible at http://vr.jrc.it.
Additional Handouts
Notes on the GLOBE 1km DEM (Attachment Q).
Plans for GLOBE (Attachment R).
Report on Status of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (Attachment S).
Network Subgroup document re. Acceptable Use policy for ceos.org domains(Attachment T).
Network Subgroup Action Item Status (Attachment U).
Summary of Planned EO Satellites and the impact on Data Interoperability by R. Suresh of NASA/GSFC (Attachment X).
Joint Data/Access Subgroup Session
A number of examples of integrated data/interoperability tools and implementations were discussed during this session. These included:
Talk by Takashi Moriyama
Moriyama, the WGISS Chair, spoke on the role of WGISS in supporting EO projects and also the WGISS 2 year plan and WGISS outreach. (Attachments AA, I, J).
Day 3, 22 April
Network Infrastructure
Shin-ichi Sobue from NASDA in Japan made a presentation describing progress towards the CEOS Information Infrastructure. The long-term goals of this effort include:
The viewgraphs from this presentation are available (Attachment AD).
A document describing network performance testing was tabled (Attachment AE).
Agency Reports
Yonsook Enloe gave a brief agency report for NASA. The main point of which was that AM-1 launch is expected in Dec 98. The Landsat 7 launch has been delayed.
Hartwig Schroter delivered a report for DLR/DFD (Attachment AF). This described activities in relation to the IDN, ISIS, IMS being undertaken by DLR. There was also an overview of the DFD activities and (substantial) infrastructure in support of EO.
Sasada from NASDA reported on the launch of TRMM in Nov 97 and also described plans to improve the solar paddles on ADEOS-II and its anticipated launch in 1999.
A short report from (didn't write down the speakers name) about activities at CCRS in Canada described CEONET, the CCRS catalogue system and the CCRS online archive.
David Clark made a presentation describing NOAA activities (Attachment AH). These include several new integrated data products, and also tools (principally written in IDL) for data access and visualisation. The attachment contains many useful URLs.
IDN Splinter Group
This was an extensive discussion of developments with the IDN system. Briefly the agenda included
1. Review of previous minutes
2. Status of MD6
3. IDN Nodes
4. IDN Interfaces to other groups
5. IDN Future
6. Issues
Most of these topics were addressed in some detail by Lola Olsen and Rosy Cordova. The extensive viewgraphs from this presentation are available (Attachment AK) and are recommended if you want to know more. A proposal to modify personnel groups was tabled (Attachment AJ).
Additional Handouts
Description of ESA Archive (Attachment AL).
Description of Tromso SAR Archive (Attachment AM).
Notes on CEOS Document Interchange Procedures from the Network Planning and Coordination Task Team (Attachment AN).
Description of the Alaska SAR Facility by David Cuddy from JPL (Attachment AO).
The second half of the afternoon was spent on an excursion to a nearby monastery and brewery where the conference dinner was held (and some German beer sampled).
Day 4, 23 April
CINTEX Meeting
The Catalogue Interoperability Experiment (CINTEX) was another major component of the meeting and involved extensive discussion of the IMS system, the Web gateway ("Version 0") and the variety of support structures that have been created around these tools.
Mark Nestler from Raytheon/STX presented viewgraphs describing operational and developmental systems (Attachment AT). This included:
Jim Closs from IMS Science and Operations gave a talk entitled "CINTEX Federation Help Desk and Outreach Coordination". His viewgraphs are available (Attachment AP). Topics include a description of the helpdesk charter and coordination, and also the outreach coordination. Copies of the CINTEX Handbook for users, and a NASA Earth Science Data brochure/folder were handed out (Attachments AQ and AR).
Jim also presented viewgraphs (Attachment AS) updating the CINTEX/IMS valids procedures. This comprised a valids submission refresher, a review of valids selection guidelines and keyword definitions.
Someone from the Centre of Processing and Storing the Space information (Moscow) presented a report on the CINTEX activities there. This included a description of the data available via their IMS installation and and overview of their support infrastructure. The viewgraphs from this presentation are available (Attachment AU).
Bernhard Buckl from DLR/DFD reported on the CEO INFEO Search CIP/IMS Facility. This complex facility seeks to provide interoperability between a subset INFEO and the IMS operations. It is anticipated that the system will be developed and made operational over the next year or so. Viewgraphs are available from this presentation (Attachment AV).
Takeshi Sasada reported on the status of the NASDA CINTEX server. The system is installed and as soon as the web gateway is upgraded to version 2.0, it will become fully operational. Some problems with the server were described. The supported datasets include:
It is anticipated that future datasets will include TRMM and ADEOS-II. NASDA is planning to install an experimental CIP/ODBC gateway using the same database as the CINTEX (IMS) server. Viewgraphs from this presentation are available (Attachment AX).
Lastly, Yonsook Enloe (NASA) and George Percivall (Raytheon) delivered a presentation discussing the CIP/IMS Search Scenario and possibilities for interoperability in great detail. This presentation covered many complex issues and much of the description was by means of diagrams which are best seen rather than described. You should get the viewgraphs if you are interested (Attachment AY).
The topics covered included and overview of searches in both CIP and the IMS and an examination of two scenarios where CIP and the IMS search each other.
Day 5, 24 April
The majority of the business of the meeting concluded on the 23rd. For those interested, the morning of the 24th was taken up with a tour of the nearby DLR facilities at Oberpfaffenhoffen. An overview of many DLR activities, particularly with regard to Earth Observation, was provided. "Event" highlights were observing the mobile AVHRR reception station record a satellite pass, visiting the space operations centre, and a demonstration of the terabyte DLT robotic store. The meeting concluded after the tour of DLR.
NEXT MEETING - 21-25 September 1998. Boulder Colorado, USA.
Spring 1999 - Osaka, Japan.
Fall 1999 - to be determined.
Edward King
CSIRO Office of Space Science & Applications/
Earth Observation Centre
GPO Box 3023, Canberra, ACT, 2601
Edward.King@eoc.csiro.au