LTER Site Byte
LTER Site: Palmer Station (PAL)
Contributor: Karen Baker (Sep 13, 2007)
Site Byte:
1. Annual Site Byte
There were two major foci this year: growth of the information infrastructure and launch of a queriable site information system. In terms of physical infrastructure, a second server (iSurf) was deployed providing increased storage together with isolation of web and collaboration services and also providing an LDAP server for single sign-on authentication. In terms of organizational infrastructure, department arrangements for a computational recharge facility were supported as a growth strategy central to cross-project infrastructure and resource sharing. Our physical work area was moved from a long-time laboratory to a more compact Design Studio, centered on a refurbished design table and posting spaces that serve as memory traces. In terms of conceptual infrastructure, we continue to develop the tie between theory and practice through the framework of Ocean Informatics. In terms of social infrastructure, an informatics team approach coalesced to include KBaker, MKortz, JConners, LYarmey, JWanetick together with part-time associates and stronger ties with other local data initiative efforts (CalCOFI and SWFSC).
Throughout the year, Datazoo, an online information system, was designed and developed, combining a MySQL backend with an object-oriented, PHP-based web frontend. Data practices that included the information system were discussed with site researchers and students during demonstrations of the system conducted in the summer. The system architecture addresses critical data integration issues so that multi-dataset browsing, comparison, and joins are possible. Though the core functions had all been addressed by June, subsequent recoding improved the interface and created new functionality. We expect this process to continue according to the iterative design principle that “Data-using informs Information-Managing informs Data-using”.
Population of the database began over the summer, during which the data ingestion procedure and template were streamlined. Datazoo is now a cross-site information system using an augmented EML specification where metadata describes datasets to the column level through use of attribute, unit, and qualifier dictionaries. Work on attribute naming conventions and re-naming conventions was carried out. Capacity to publish dataset metadata to the community catalogue was demonstrated by submitting our first dataset to the Metacat server this summer.
Tools were added as a feature of the information system. A grid converter, which calculates line and station given latitude and longitude (and vice versa) and uses Google maps for visual display, was given a second interface for batch mode input. Code was refactored to separate input from display functionality. A time formatting tool permits construction of time in a format required for dataset ingestion. Finally, a joining tool permits matching a dataset file against an existing eventlog dataset so that designated columns can be added to the original dataset file.
Three posters were presented at the annual IMC: Data Integration in the Decade of Synthesis, (MKortz, LYarmey, JConners, and KBaker); Environmental Data Management: Infrastructure Studies Insights (FMillerand and KBaker); and Long Term Informatics (KBaker, CChandler, AGold, FMillerand, and JWanetick). More than a dozen Databits contributions over the year included news articles, reports, and good reads as well as an editorial and an FAQ. Work with the NSF Comparative Interoperability Project continued bringing forward the concepts of ‘enactment’, ‘articulation work’ and of ‘knowledge provinces’. A joint keynote with FMillerand at the IMC07 presented to the community the notions of roles, informatics, and sociotechnical systems. A history associate worked at SIO early summer focusing on historical data models.
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2. Planned IM Projects
Planned projects include continuing to migrate data from the original PAL data system to the new Datazoo system and populating our augmented metadata schema by working through the metadata web forms with participants. We recognize this as an opportunity to elicit tacit data collection information and to facilitate category building and vocabulary development with local participants. Having added a user-friendly view of the metadata in addition to the xml view, we will be considering methods for download of the metadata with the data. With Datazoo, we will reconsider both project-study and cross-project relations as well as dataset creation and ingestion. Further, there will be a more extensive online help system developed in coordination with user input. Finally, working groups on Matlab and on a plotting review held in the last year. We are planning to develop visualization in general and a plot gallery that builds from the redesign of existing media galleries in particular.
Ongoing partnerships within LTER and with Ocean Informatics Woods Hole and MIT will continue as will collaboration with Science Studies, NOAA, and international partners. Within LTER, we will continue to contribute to efforts to articulate and/or demonstrate strategies that enable site contributions to network efforts. Specifically we are working locally on units, dictionaries, quality control, semantic bridges, and learning environments so are engaged with the LTER Information Management Unit Registry Task Force, Dictionary Process, Quality Control, and Training Working Groups.
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