The GEO ADC Standards and Interoperability Forum

1. The GEO ADCStandards and Interoperability Forum Richard Ullman Slide # 1

2. GEOSS Approach • The purpose and design of the GEOSS architecture is centered on the goal of enabling and promoting synergy among diverse and independent systems • Thus the emphasis in GEOSS on interoperability • Interactions of contributed systems are confined to well-defined service interfaces • Minimizes the impact to the component systems participating in GEOSS • The goal is to define and record precisely what happens at these system interfaces • It is important that these interactions take place according to well-defined standards, preferably open, international standards. Slide # 2

3. Interoperability Process • Underscoring the fundamental importance of interoperability in GEOSS, the first task in the first GEO Workplan in the Architecture category (Task AR-06-01) was to “Establish and maintain a process for reaching interoperability arrangements,...” • Process for recognizing existing standards in use by GEOSS components, and promoting and encouraging their adoption by other participants • helps extend and broaden whatever consensus has been achieved on common solutions. Slide # 3

4. GEOSS Standards Registry • The GEOSS Standards Registry is the reference database of interoperability arrangements for GEOSS • Contains information on service types, access protocols, data formats, schemas, and other information necessary to access and utilize the resource • Services registered in the Service Registry reference standards, or other interoperability “Special Arrangements,” registered in the Standards Registry Slide # 4

5. The SIF • Although GEO encourages the use of open international standards, GEOSS must also accommodate the use of non-standard practices • So the Standards Registry also contains information on these non-standard practices, what are called “special arrangements.” • The process for entering special arrangements into the Standards Registry is handled by the Standards and Interoperability Forum or SIF Slide # 5

6. SIF Purpose and Goal • The Standards and Interoperability Forum provides advice, expertise and impartial guidance on issues relating to standards and interoperability for GEOSS. • The SIF’s goal is to enable ever greater degrees of interoperability among GEOSS components through facilitation, technical analysis, advocacy and education Slide # 6

7. SIF Objectives • The primary function of the SIF is to address situations where GEOSS components cannot interoperate using one of the registered standards or other interoperability arrangements. • The SIF will perform analyses and make recommendations to GEO Members and Participating Organizations that come to it for assistance with interoperability issues. • The ADC will call upon the SIF to support consensus-seeking in matters of GEOSS interoperability. • The SIF will support education and outreach to increase awareness of standards used in GEOSS. Slide # 7

8. SIF Objectives - Continued • The SIF will encourage the broader use of existing standards in recommending interoperability solutions for GEOSS, using formal international standards organizations as much as possible. • Where appropriate, the SIF will identify gaps in current standards and promote the creation of standards through existing Standards Development Organizations to fill such gaps. • The SIF will help to maintain content of the GEOSS Standards and Interoperability Registry which contains information on the interoperability arrangements employed among GEOSS components Slide # 8

9. ToR: Composition, Organization and Reporting • The SIF will be composed of experts nominated by GEO Members and Participating Organizations. The SIF may also draw on subject matter experts globally to support its objectives and goals. • To carry out its work most effectively, the SIF will form regional teams consisting of subject matter experts representing each (or most) of the societal benefit areas of GEOSS. The lead of each regional team will serve as the regional representative on the SIF. • The SIF will organize itself and will work by consensus of its participants. • The SIF will maintain a publicly-accessible data base of SIF actions and their status. • The SIF will be reviewed by the ADC periodically. Slide # 9

10. GEOSS Clearinghouse GEOSS Component and Service Registries Community Catalogs Services Registry Components Registry Standards and Interoperability Forum GEO Portal GEOSS Contributor GEOSS Components& Services GEOSS Standards and Interoperability Registry Standards Special Arrangements Users Slide # 10

11. Entry into Standards Registry • Standards or special arrangements not already in the registry (i.e. not selectable from pre-populated lists during the service registration process) should be submitted to the SIF if the component contributor wishes to have that standard or special arrangement considered for inclusion in the special arrangements registry. Slide # 11

12. GEOSS Registries UDDI ebRS CSW Web UI Web UI SRU GEOSS Standards GEOSS Components GEOSS Special Arrangements GEOSS Services may become reference offer expose nominate U.S.A. IEEE GEO Members and Participating Organizations External Standards Bodies SIF Subject Matter Experts Slide # 12

13. Standards and Interoperability Forum Process • Request for Comments posted to SIF website. • Announcement made to SIF list. • Other discipline experts invited to comment.. • Consult component contributor. Pre-evaluation SIF receives proposed Interoperability Arrangement Fail Pass Picklist in Services Register updated to include new Interoperability Arrangement Interoperability Arrangement entered in Special Arrangements Register Expert Review Pass Task Group formed Fail Work with contributor Arrangement remains as metadata to registered component service Slide # 13

14. Criteria for Entry into Registry • The proposed Interoperability Arrangement supports the GEOSS architecture principles in effect at the time of the proposal • “must be based on non-proprietary, open standards, and profiles must be specified when standards are not sufficiently specific.” • “interoperability specification states exactly how the service and the data must be described” • The proposed Interoperability Arrangement is well-documented (in terms of semantics, syntax, service, security, internationalization) • The proposed Interoperability Arrangement has support within at least one user community. • The proposer asserts a commitment to maintaining, and making the proposed Interoperability Arrangement more interoperable, e.g. building gateways to other standards and arrangements already registered. • The proposer asserts a commitment to provide additional information as necessary for implementation within the GEOSS context. • The proposed Interoperability Arrangement is suitable for wider use within GEOSS These criteria will be reviewed by the SIF for possible revision Slide # 14

15. SIF Activities to Date • SIF CFP released, June • 24 responses • First meeting, July, Barcelona • 13 in person + 11 WebEx participants • Discuss ToR • Email list, ftp site, website established • Second meeting, Aug, telecon • 12 participants • Agree on draft ToR • Third meeting, Sept, D.C. • 13 participants • Discuss Ops procedures • Proposed special arrangements evaluation Slide # 15

16. Future Activities • SIF outreach at ISO/TC211 Xi’an, China, end of October • Presentation to ADC Co-Chair meeting in Cape Town • Formation of Regional Teams Slide # 16

17. Summary • The SIF has been formed • A ToR has been drafted and submitted to the ADC co-chairs • Operating Procedures have been established • Needs: • Identify Subject Matter Experts • Enhance breadth of representation from GEO Members and Participating Organizations • Identify leads for Regional Teams Slide # 17