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The Virtual Radiation Belt Observatory (ViRBO) and the Future of the VxO Environment R.S. Weigel Department of Computational and Data Sciences George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
The Virtual Radiation Belt Observatory (ViRBO) and the
Future of the VxO Environment
R.S. WeigelDepartment of Computational and
Data SciencesGeorge Mason University, Fairfax,
Virginia
ContributorsSoftware * Eric Kihn (NOAA/NGDC, ViRBO Web and API) * Mikhail Zhizhin (RFO, ViRBO Web and API) * Dmitry Mishin (RFO, ViRBO Web and API) * Dmitry Kokovin (RFO, ViRBO Web and API) * Jeremy Faden (Cottage Systems, Autoplot) Data * Dan Baker (CU/LASP, Data and metadata) * Sebastian Boudier (Onera, Data calibration) * Janet Green (NOAA/SEC, Data and metadata) * Shri Kanekal (CU/LASP, Data and metadata) * Reiner Friedel (LANL, Data and calibration) * Paul O'Brien (Aerospace, Data and metadata)
The Heliophysics Data Environment
Outline• What is a VxO?• Goal of VO effort• Where to start• FAQ• Relevance of VO effort to Scientist• Steps to create VO environment• Needed services• ViRBO
What is a VxO
• Virtual Observatory where x represents a domain such as thermosphere/ionosphere or radiation belt
• For a given community, a VxO provides– A comprehensive list of available data– Community-specific services on data– Connections to other VxOs with relevant
services
Goal of VO effort• “VOs should make ‘standard’ scientific research
much more efficient.” [Roberts et al., 2005]
• Rate of science output must keep up with rate of potential science output given amount of available data
• The framework which is used must allow for this
• Requires improvements in:search interfacesanalysis visualizationaccess communication
• … all parts of the chain from instrument or model output to end user must continuously improve.
More ambitious goal
• Ultimately VOs and associated services should enable us to answer “higher-order” queries such as “Show me the data from cases where a large CME and its effects that was observed by SOHO was also observed in situ in the heliosphere, in the Earth's magnetotail, and in responses in the magnetospheres and ionospheres of any planets.”
Roberts et al, 2005 [http://hpde.gsfc.nasa.gov/VO_Framework_7_Jan_05.html]
Other goals
• … “If the new paradigm is successful, even the PI teams should be tempted to use VOs for looking at their own data.”
History• In (funded) development for about 3 years• A fundamental change in the data
approach• Virtual Observatories for Radiation Belt,
Thermosphere/Ionosphere, Magnetosphere, Solar, and Heliosphere.
• Newer services include an event list manager, waves, and an energetic particles.
Where to start
• Look at http://vspo.gsfc.nasa.gov/• Key function: High-level pointers to
known data sets. (Also another interface to data from CDAWeb/SPDF, which can be confusing).
• If you know of a data set that you can’t find a reference to there, let them know.
• For more detailed information and services, VSPO will return pointers to relevant Virtual Observatory.
Frequently asked Questions
• Do I need to learn more data interfaces?
• The boundaries between the VO and the traditional data center (“Big Box/Little Box”). To be discussed throughout
Big Box/Small Box implementations
• Two implementation extremes– Data Center/Big Box: Store all data in a
central location. – VO/Small Box: VO creates domain-specific
metadata and uses metadata to enable services. No local data storage.
• What is emerging– VO sometimes create services or work on
problems with overlap with Big Box. Usually means there is a un-met demand for a service.
– Services are generalized and designed to meet community need.
– VOs sometimes store data. Again because of an un-met need. VOs recognize existing “Big Boxes” will eventually fill the need.
Relevance to Scientist
• Many of us have become data managers and solve similar problems do not depend on science specialty.
• We build ad-hoc solutions• If you have a problem, ask if it is cross-
domain. – If it is, there is probably another person or VO
working on a similar problem. There is usually potential for leveraging effort.
• Example: Event list• Example: Web browser visualization
– Identify and develop cross-cutting services. They eventually become “core” services.
The Heliophysics Data Environment
Steps to create VO environment
1. Describe the data in a standard format (SPASE; http://spase-group.org/). Primary VxO activity in past 3 years. If you know of a data product that does not have associated metadata, tell a VO.
2. Create services3. Connect services
Steps to create VO environment
1. Describe the data in a standard format (SPASE; http://spase-group.org/). Primary VxO activity in past 3 years. If you know of a data product that does not have associated metadata, tell a VO.
2. Create services3. Connect services
Key Concept
•Everything should be viewed as a service
Example Services
• CCMC• VMR – Will add services to CCMC
data
• SSCWeb – Orbit calculations• ViRBO - L* calculations (using
SSCWeb data)
Needed Services, Tools, and Roles
• Metadata– Creators– Standard– Query– Edit– Management
• Data– Creators– Ingestion service (with
versioning!)
• Data Base– API– General– Mass store and backup– Fast Cache (Content
delivery service)– Filter service
• Visualization– Pre-computed– Static and on demand– Interactive and
dynamic
Notes
• Each is an intellectual challenge in its own right.
• Many entities do some of these things to some extent.
Specialized cross-domain needs
BasicDB
MassStore &Backup
Service
Data base
LoggingService
DataAPI
Filter Service
ContentDeliveryService
IngestService &API
Softwareinterface
Finished data and metadata products
API and software
Specialized cross-domain needs
BasicDB
MassStore &Backup
API
Service
Data base
LoggingService
DataAPI
Filter Service
ContentDeliveryService
IngestService &API
Softwareinterface
Includes version control!
Metadata Managementservice and API
Specialized cross-domain needs
BasicDB
MassStore &Backup
API
Service
Data base
LoggingService
DataAPI
Filter Service
ContentDeliveryService
IngestService &API
SoftwareinterfaceMetadata Management
service and API
Specialized cross-domain needs
BasicDB
MassStore &Backup
API
Service
Data base
LoggingService
DataAPI
Filter Service
ContentDeliveryService
IngestService &API
Softwareinterface
Specialized cross-domain needs
BasicDB
MassStore &Backup
API
Service
Data base
LoggingService
DataAPI
Filter Service
ContentDeliveryService
IngestService &API
Softwareinterface
Specialized cross-domain needs
BasicDB
MassStore &Backup
API
Service
Data base
LoggingService
DataAPI
Filter Service
ContentDeliveryService
IngestService &API
Softwareinterface
Specialized cross-domain needs
BasicDB
MassStore &Backup
API
Service
Data base
LoggingService
DataAPI
Filter Service
ContentDeliveryService
IngestService &API
Softwareinterface
Specialized cross-domain needs
BasicDB
MassStore &Backup
API
Service
Data base
LoggingService
DataAPI
Filter Service
ContentDeliveryService
IngestService &API
Softwareinterface
Autoplot + Time Series Server
ViRBO
• Breaking the VO paradigm in many ways (not just connecting services and creating metadata)
• Improved high-level tools and services are fine, but first– Increase data accessibility– Increase amount of available data
• We have:– Created many climatological data sets– Simplified access to many existing data sets.– Creating a time series server– See virbo.org for more …
ViRBO Current Projects
•VxOware•Autoplot•Time Series Server
Future and existing services
– L and L* data base– L-sort plots– Fly-through AP-8/AE-8 and AP-9/AE-9– Hosting SVN for AP-9/AE-9
development– Hosting meeting notes and documents– Work with RBSP to develop or connect
services– Many more …
Onward
• Virtual Observatories provide services
• Researchers guide Virtual Observatory activities
