2019 ESIP Winter Meeting

Session Abstract:
This session will cover and invite discussions on challenges in implementing and managing a Cloud environment. Topics will include costs, collaboration, data stewardship, usability, and governance in Cloud environment.

Presentations:
NASA Archives and Data Stewardship in the Cloud – Lauren Frederick, Cumulus Scrum Master, NASA EED-2

Increasing Security through a Collaborative Model, Kevin Mentzer, Sr DevOps Engineer, Element84

Cloud costing and governance, Dede Dascalu, CEO Stratus Solutions

Panel
· Dan Pilone, Chief Technologist EED-2
· Dede Dascalu, CEO Stratus Solutions
· Jeff de La Beaujardiere, PhD, Director, NCAR/CISL Information Systems Division

Session Takeaways (post-meeting)
1) New open-source systems building on Amazon Web Services (leveraging AWS Lambda) allow huge earth-science datasets to be stored in the cloud. Example: NASA Cumulus software to support EOSDIS data archive.
2) Considering how organizations control access to cloud components is crucial for building a productive data-management workflow with AWS, while protecting from errors and data loss.
3) Cloud environments can create lots of complexity in governance, data security, and financial management, but also create an easier environment for managing and using petabyte-scale data archives across the Earth Sciences.

Session Abstract:
FAIR principles need to be applied to all outputs of scientific research, including physical materials such as natural and synthetic specimens that are collected as part of the scientific process. Making physical samples and collection FAIR requires virtual representations of the physical objects that can be located on the web via a persistent identifier and that are documented with sufficient metadata that are persistently accessible in trustworthy metadata catalogs to be findable and reusable, and that follow standard protocols for accessibility and interoperability. While best practices for sample identification, documentation, and citation are emerging, there are many open questions and challenges that need to be solved, including vocabularies and ontologies for describing and classifying samples; effective and consistent ways to link samples with the literature and digital data; as well as policies and infrastructure for trustworthy curation of the sample metadata and of the actual physical objects. In this session we will look at ongoing and new initiatives related to physical samples as part of digital research data infrastructure and explore how ESIP can facilitate collaborative solutions to some of the most urgent problems.

Session Takeaways (post-meeting):
1) Physical sample behind the data needs to be findable. Need licenses on physical samples.
2) Need to work on the guidelines of what metadata is necessary
3) Priority topics: Metadata, Policies for citations, Trustworthiness of metadata catalogs and sample repositories, Open access policies for physical objects & digital representations, Easily usable system for uploading metadata

Session Abstract:
The Disasters Lifecycle cluster in collaboration with the All Hazards Consortium developed initial ORLs with the electric utilities, and is now “operationalizing” ORLs for data-driven decision-making support to improve situational awareness. The criteria for the ORLs and a flowchart assessment tool, exercised by the AHC team at Duke Energy for response to the 2018 Hurricane Florence, proved very useful. The initial ORL criteria were defined for the electric sector’s use to transport work crews and restore power after destructive storms. However the usability criteria is expected to change for different disaster scenarios. Some factors may go across many use cases for many applications, such as security criteria that is key to establishing trust. However other factors are driven by the use case to address latency or resolution criteria. Work continues on refining strategies and criteria for assessing candidate datasets for specific operational use cases, and maturing the ORL concept as a Framework for different applications.

During this session we plan to address the issue of terminology to seek a common vocabulary relevant to various disasters application, leveraging what we’ve learned from the electric utility sector. We also would like to examine the ORL assessment tool and how the current ORL criteria are applied and look for gaps and lessons learned. The goal is to refine a framework strategy enabling the ORL concept to be applied to other disasters applications.

Speakers & Presentations

• Karen Moe & Dave Jones, Disasters Lifecycle cluster Co-Chairs: Introduction and highlights from 2018 
• Tom Moran, Executive Director All Hazards Consortium: Emergency management perspectives on the ORL approach - https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7599911
• Jason Fleming, Seahorse Coastal Consulting: Real-time ADCIRC storm surge model, mapper, and ORLs - https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7599908
• Sophie Hou, National Center for Atmospheric Research NCAR / UCAR: The importance of end user terminology from a usability standpoint - https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7599914
• Maggi Glasscoe, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory / Cal Tech: Earthquake Clearinghouse sensor data request form - https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7599917
• Ge Peng, NOAA Affiliate / NCSU: Data Maturity Matrix concept and the User Service - https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7599920

Session Takeaways (post-meeting):
1) Speed of impact of the data
2) Need to have training and socialize the product
3) Need to look at dynamic data vs. forecasts vs. real time