GEOSS AIP Architecture GEOSS Architecture Implementation Pilot (AIP) Version: 28 February 2012 GEOSS AIP Architecture: AIP-5 CFP Version PREFACE This document defines a multi-viewpoint architecture for the exchange and dissemination of observational data and information in the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS). This architecture has been developed and is used in the GEOSS Architecture Implementation Pilot (AIP). The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is coordinating efforts to build GEOSS through a series of Tasks. GEO’s Members include 87 countries and the European Commission. In addition, 64 intergovernmental, international, and regional organizations with a mandate in Earth observation or related issues have been recognized as Participating Organizations. AIP supports the elaboration of the GEOSS Architecture. The requirements for AIP are based on meeting user needs and community scenario requirements. The Results of the AIP are transitioned to the GEOSS Common Infrastructure and other GEO Tasks for consideration as operational. AIP is and element of GEO Task IN-05 overseen by the GEO Infrastructure Implementation Board (IIB). The version of the GEOSS AIP Architecture in this document was developed to support a Call for Participation (CFP) in the fifth phase of AIP. AIP-5 builds on the prior phases of AIP along with requirements identified by the IIB and other GEO activities and tasks. This version of GEOSS AIP Architecture was prepared in tandem with two other AIP documents: • GEOSS AIP-5 CFP Summary, 28 February 2012 • GEOSS AIP Development Process, 28 February 2012 The AIP-5 CFP documents are available at this URL: http://earthobservations.org/geoss_call_aip.shtml How to read this document: • Interested in the system-of-system strategy for GEOSS? – See Section 2. • Interested in the Earth observations, metadata and quality? – See Section 2.3.5.1. • Interested in service-oriented architecture? – See Section 4. • Interested in components and use cases for deployment? – See Section 0. • Interested in operational components and capacity building? – See Section 5. This architecture document provides a comprehensive description of GEOSS. For a summary of the focus in AIP-5 see the AIP-5 CFP Summary. ii GEOSS AIP Architecture: AIP-5 CFP Version TABLE OF CONTENTS 1   OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................ 5   1.1   CALL FOR PARTICIPATION ....................................................................................... 5   1.2   ARCHITECTURE VIEWPOINTS ................................................................................... 5   2   ENTERPRISE VIEWPOINT .................................................................................... 6   2.1   GEOSS STRATEGIC VISION AND TARGETS ............................................................... 6   2.2   SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS ............................................................................................... 8   2.3   SOCIETAL BENEFIT AREAS IN AIP-5 ....................................................................... 11   2.3.1   Disasters preparedness and mitigation .......................................................... 11   2.3.2   Health: AQ and Waterborne .......................................................................... 14   2.3.3   Water Resource Observations ........................................................................ 16   2.3.4   Energy ............................................................................................................ 18   2.3.5   Agriculture ..................................................................................................... 21   3   INFORMATION VIEWPOINT .............................................................................. 24   3.1   EO INFORMATION MODEL ..................................................................................... 24   3.2   SPATIAL REFERENCING ......................................................................................... 25   3.3   OBSERVATIONS AND FEATURES ............................................................................. 25   3.4   MODELLING AND DATA ASSIMILATION ................................................................. 28   3.5   MAPS ..................................................................................................................... 29   3.6   ALERT MESSAGES ................................................................................................. 29   3.7   REGISTRIES AND METADATA ................................................................................. 30   3.8   DATA POLICY, RIGHTS MANAGEMENT, AND LICENSES ......................................... 31   3.9   QUALITY ASSURANCE, UNCERTAINTY, PROVENANCE ........................................... 34   3.10   SEMANTICS AND ONTOLOGIES ............................................................................. 37   4   COMPUTATIONAL VIEWPOINT ....................................................................... 39   4.1   SERVICE ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE (SOA) ............................................................ 39   4.2   CATALOG/REGISTRY SERVICES .............................................................................. 39   4.3   PORTRAYAL AND DISPLAY SERVICES ..................................................................... 40   4.4   DATA ACCESS AND ORDER SERVICES ..................................................................... 41   4.5   PROCESSING SERVICES AND SERVICE CHAINING .................................................... 42   4.6   SENSOR WEB SERVICES .......................................................................................... 42   4.7   USER IDENTITY AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES ....................................................... 43   5   ENGINEERING VIEWPOINT ............................................................................... 45   5.1   ENGINEERING COMPONENTS .................................................................................. 45   5.2   USER INTERFACE COMPONENTS ............................................................................. 46   5.3   MEDIATION TIER COMPONENTS ............................................................................. 47   5.4   ACCESS COMPONENTS ........................................................................................... 49   5.5   ENGINEERING USE CASES ....................................................................................... 50   iii GEOSS AIP Architecture: AIP-5 CFP Version TABLE OF CONTENTS - CONTINUED 6   TECHNOLOGY VIEWPOINT ............................................................................... 53   6.1   OPERATIONAL COMPONENTS AND CAPACITY BUILDING ....................................... 53   6.2   GEOSS COMMON INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................... 53   6.3   GEONETCAST ..................................................................................................... 53   6.4   REGISTERED OPERATIONAL COMPONENTS ............................................................. 54   6.5   CAPACITY BUILDING ............................................................................................. 54   6.6   TUTORIALS ............................................................................................................ 56   7   ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................. 57   8   CONTRIBUTORS .................................................................................................... 59   TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1 – A Global Earth Observation System of Systems GEOSS ................................. 8   Figure 2 – GEOSS AIP Use Case Summary Diagram ....................................................... 9   Figure 3 – Components of the water cycle ....................................................................... 16   Figure 4 – Energy Systems Life Cycle ............................................................................. 18   Figure 5 – The cascade steps for market introduction of renewables ............................... 19   Figure 6 – Geopsatial Web Services for decision support in agriculture ......................... 22   Figure 7 – EO Information Viewpoint Topics .................................................................. 24   Figure 8 – GEOSS Registers............................................................................................. 31   Figure 9 – Publish-Find-Bind Pattern ............................................................................... 39   Figure 10 – Engineering Components with Services ........................................................ 45   Figure 11 – GEOSS Common Infrastructure .................................................................... 53   Figure 12 – Results of AIP-4 and Associated Activities .................................................. 55   TABLE OF TABLES Table 1 – Architecture Viewpoints ..................................................................................... 5   Table 2 – GEOSS Actors .................................................................................................... 9   Table 3 – Priority EO parameters and usage in SBAs ...................................................... 26   Table 6 – Media for EO data delivery .............................................................................. 42   Table 7 – User Interface Components .............................................................................. 46   Table 8 – Mediation Components ..................................................................................... 48   Table 9 – Access Tier Components .................................................................................. 49   Table 10 – Publish Resources Use Cases ......................................................................... 50   Table 11 – Discover Resources Use Cases ....................................................................... 50   Table 13 – Process and Automate Use Cases ................................................................... 51   Table 14 – Maintain and Support Use Cases .................................................................... 52   iv GEOSS AIP Architecture: AIP-5 CFP Version GEOSS AIP Architecture 1 Overview 1.1 Call for Participation This document defines the architecture used in the GEOSS Architecture Implementation Pilot (AIP). Requirements were identified from the GEOSS Ten-Year Implementation Plan and from the GEO Tasks undertaken by GEO Members and Participating Organizations. This architecture was developed based upon the multiple phases of AIP. This document has been prepared as part of the Call for Participation (CFP) in AIP-5. The three documents of the AIP-5 CFP package should be read as a set as each provides provide vital information for understanding the process and priorities of AIP-5. This architecture document provides a comprehensive framework for the overall development. This document provides just an overview of the results of extensive development by hundreds of individuals from GEO Members and Participating Organizations. A list of individuals that have contributed to the current and previous versions of this architecture document is provided in Section 8 - Contributors. 1.2 Architecture Viewpoints This architecture was developed using RM-ODP: ISO/IEC10746, Information technology — Open Distributed Processing — Reference model. The RM-ODP standards are used in multiple geospatial and earth observation architectures, e.g., the ISO 19100 series of geographic information standards, and the OGC Reference Model. Following the RM-ODP process is also in line with the existing efforts of numerous Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) efforts that work towards providing geospatial services. RM-ODP defines five viewpoints that separate the various concerns in developing an architecture. A summary of RM-ODP Viewpoints is provided in Table 1. Table 1 – Architecture Viewpoints Viewpoint Name Description of RM-ODP Viewpoint as used herein Enterprise Articulates a “business model” that should be understandable by all stakeholders; focuses on purpose, scope, and policies. Information Focuses on the semantics of the information and information processing performed, by describing the structure and content types of supporting data. Computational Service-oriented viewpoint that enables distribution through functional decomposition of the system into objects that interact at interfaces. Engineering Identification of component types to support distributed interaction between the components. Technology Identification of component instances as physical deployed technology solutions, including network descriptions. 5 GEOSS AIP Architecture: AIP-5 CFP Version 2 Enterprise Viewpoint 2.1 GEOSS strategic vision and targets1 2.1.1 GEOSS defined The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) is a coordinating and integrating network of Earth observing and information systems, contributed on a voluntary basis by Members and Participating Organizations of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO). 2.1.2 GEOSS vision and purpose The vision for GEOSS is to realize a future wherein decisions and actions for the benefit of humankind are informed by coordinated, comprehensive and sustained Earth observations and information. The purpose of GEOSS is to achieve comprehensive, coordinated and sustained observations of the Earth system, in order to improve monitoring of the state of the Earth, increase understanding of Earth processes, and enhance prediction of the behaviour of the Earth system. GEOSS will meet the need for timely, quality long-term global information as a basis for sound decision making, and will enhance delivery of benefits to society in the following initial areas: • Reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters; • Understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well-being; • Improving management of energy resources; • Understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating, and adapting to climate variability and change; • Improving water-resource management through better understanding of the water cycle; • Improving weather information, forecasting, and warning; • Improving the management and protection of terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems; • Supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification; • Understanding, monitoring, and conserving biodiversity. GEOSS is a step towards addressing the challenges articulated by the United Nations Millennium Declaration and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, including the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. GEOSS will also further the implementation of international environmental treaty obligations.” 1 For more information on the topics in this section see “GEOSS Strategic Targets,” GEO-VI Plenary, Document 12 (Rev 1), 17-18 November 2009. http://www.earthobservations.org/documents/geo_vi/12_GEOSS%20Strategic%20Targets%20Rev1.pdf 6 GEOSS AIP Architecture: AIP-5 CFP Version 2.1.3 GEOSS strategic targets AIP-5 supports achievement of the following GEOSS Strategic Targets: • Architecture Achieve sustained operation, continuity and interoperability of existing and new systems that provide essential environmental observations and information, including the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) that facilitates access to, and use of, these observations and information. • Data Management Provide a shared, easily accessible, timely, sustained stream of comprehensive data of documented quality, as well as metadata and information products, for informed decision making. • Capacity Building Enhance the coordination of efforts to strengthen individual, institutional and infrastructure capacities, particularly in developing countries, to produce and use Earth observations and derived information products. • Science and Technology Ensure full interaction and engagement of relevant science and technology communities such that GEOSS advances through integration of innovations in Earth observation science and technology, enabling the research community to fully benefit from GEOSS accomplishments. • User Engagement Ensure critical user information needs for decision making are recognized and met through Earth observations. • Agriculture Improve the utilization of Earth observations and expanded application capabilities to advance sustainable agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry in areas including early warning, risk assessment, food security, market efficiency, and, as appropriate, combating desertification. • Disasters Enable the global coordination of observing and information systems to support all phases of the risk management cycle associated with hazards (mitigation and preparedness, early warning, response, and recovery). • Energy Close critical gaps in energy-related Earth observations and increase their use in all energy sectors in support of energy operations, as well as energy policy planning and implementation, to enable affordable energy with minimized environmental impact while moving towards a low- carbon footprint. • Health Substantially expand the availability, use, and application of environmental information for public health decision-making in areas of health that include allergens, toxins, infectious diseases, food-borne diseases, and chronic diseases, particularly with regard to the impact of climate and ecosystem changes. • Water Produce comprehensive sets of data and information products to support decision-making for efficient management of the world's water resources, based on coordinated, sustained observations of the water cycle on multiple scales. 7 GEOSS AIP Architecture: AIP-5 CFP Version 2.2 System of systems 2.2.1 Enterprise components As a “system of systems”, GEOSS is composed of contributed Earth Observation systems. Although all GEOSS systems continue to operate within their own mandates, GEOSS systems can leverage each other so that the overall GEOSS becomes much more than the sum of its component systems. This synergy develops as each contributor supports common arrangements designed to make shared observations and products more accessible, comparable, and understandable.2 Figure 1 – A Global Earth Observation System of Systems GEOSS As a federated system, GEOSS grows more useful as components are contributed. Examples of components include observing systems, data processing systems, dissemination systems, capacity building or other initiatives. The GEOSS Strategic Guidance Document sites several components already contributed to GEOSS: • Components to acquire observations: based on existing local, national, regional and global systems to be augmented as required by new observing systems; • Components to process data into useful information: recognizing the value of modeling, integration and assimilation techniques as input to the decision support systems required in response to societal needs; and • Components required to exchange and disseminate observational data and information: including data management, access to data, and archiving of data and other resources. 2 GEOSS Strategic Guidance Document, GEO Task Team AR-06-02, 14 Dec. 2006 8 GEOSS AIP Architecture: AIP-5 CFP Version 2.2.2 GEOSS Common Infrastructure In order to meet several core functions of the System of systems approach to GEOSS, a set of components have been design and deployed. This set of shared common infrastructure is known as the GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI). The GCI allows the user of Earth observations to access, search and use the data, information, tools and services available through the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. Details on the deployed operational components of the GCI is provided in Section 6.2. Each element of the GEOSS Common Infrastructure has been contributed by GEO Members and Participating Organizations. Their commitment and generosity in assuring its operation and continuity will remain vital to the success of GEOSS. 2.2.3 GEOSS users and functions As with the Internet on which it is largely based, GEOSS will be a global and flexible network of content providers allowing decision makers access to an extraordinary range of information. A core element of the AIP process is the deployment of societal benefit Scenarios through cross-cutting Use Cases. Use Cases are reusable functions deemed most essential to using GEOSS. The GEOSS use cases provide easy, familiar processes for providers to publish GEOSS components, as well as for users to discover and access them across many communities of practice. A summary of GEOSS AIP Use Cases is shown in Figure 2 with details provided in Section 5.5. In addition to the actors shown in Figure 2 the GEOSS Actors involved in GEOSS use cases are listed in Table 2. Publish Resources Discover Resources Visualize and Access GEOSS GEOSS Resource User Provider Process and Automate Maintain and Support SoS Figure 2 – GEOSS AIP Use Case Summary Diagram Table 2 – GEOSS Actors Actor Description Role Type GEOSS User Discovers, consumes, and exploits GEOSS resources Principal GEOSS Resource Deploys, operates, registers GEOSS resources Principal Provider SBA Integrator Builds network of organizations and components to Secondary achieve objectives on an SBA community GCI Operator Operates GCI components and approves registrations Administrative 9 GEOSS AIP Architecture: AIP-5 CFP Version 2.2.4 Interoperability arrangements GEOSS depends on resource providers accepting and implementing interoperability arrangements, including technical specifications for collecting, processing, storing, and disseminating shared data, metadata, and products. GEOSS interoperability is based on non-proprietary standards, with preference to formal international standards. Interoperability is focused on component interfaces thereby minimizing impact on systems other than those interfaces to the shared architecture. GEOSS Components are bound by the requirements on contributed systems as stated in The GEOSS 10 Year Implementation Plan and its companion Reference Document. These stated requirements, referenced in GEOSS documents as "interoperability arrangements", are being further expanded, clarified, and otherwise modified over time. Any new GEOSS Component is understood to be bound by the GEOSS interoperability arrangements as documented at the time it was contributed3. The “Process for Reaching GEOSS Interoperability Arrangements” document defines the steps by which an interoperability arrangement is determined including the activities of the Standards and Interoperability Forum (SIF). This GEOSS AIP Architecture depends greatly on Interoperability Arrangements in particular in Information and Computational Viewpoints. 2.2.5 Data sharing principles The GEOSS 10 Year Implementation Plan defines the GEOSS Data Sharing Principles: "There will be full and open exchange of data, metadata, and products shared within GEOSS, while recognizing relevant international instruments and national policies and legislation. All shared data, metadata, and products will be made available with minimum time delay and at minimum cost. All shared data, metadata, and products for use in education and research will be encouraged to be made available free of charge or at no more than the cost of reproduction.” GEOSS has committed to: 1) maximize the number of documented datasets made available on the basis of full and open access; 2) create the GEOSS Data Collection of Open Resources for Everyone (GEOSS Data-CORE), a distributed pool of documented datasets with full, open and unrestricted access at no more than the cost of reproduction and distribution; and 3) develop flexible national and international policy frameworks to ensure that a more open data environment is implemented, thus putting into practice actions for the implementation of the GEOSS Data Sharing Principles; 3 GEOSS Components Registration, GEO Task Team AR-06-04, 26 January 2007. 10