Space Physics Data Facility SPDF Status Report R'E' McGuire and R'M' Candey Heliospheric Physics Lab

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Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF) Status
ReportR.E. McGuire and R.M. CandeyHeliospheric
Physics Laboratory (Code 672) / NASA
Goddard http//spdf.gsfc.nasa.gov
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Outline

• Short overview of current data and services
• Metrics
• Select Recent Activities
• Our Discussion Topic for Wednesday Session

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Extensive Multi-Mission Data and Services

• CDAWeb includes current data from essentially all
  (non-solar) current heliophysics missions and
  experiments since 1990s and some earlier
• Functions include plots, lists, data subsets and
  file downloads, computed variables
• Data available via FTP, user and webservices
  application interfaces, OPeNDAP
• Often add extensive metadata through concept of
  master CDFs
• Webservices and CDAWeb Plus Java interface also
  support file level access and multi-dataset file
  retrievals for NSSDCs currently online (NSSDC
  ftp site) archival data holdings
• SSCWeb offers current/predicted multi-mission
  orbit data and comparison logic for coordinated
  science planning and retrospective analysis
• Listings, displays, file downloads in many
  coordinate systems and by regions
• Extensive logic to identify s/c-s/c, s/c-region
  and s/c footpoint - ground station conjunctions
• Choice of internal/external field models for
  tracings
• TIPSOD 3-D Orbit Animation Java client
• Ongoing updates from projects, NORAD TLEs and
  other sources
• Host and maintain OMNI hourly and OMNI High-Res
  (1/5 minute) database of interplanetary
  parameters mapped to Earth at 1AU (and OMNIWeb
  services)
• Developed and maintain Common Data Format (CDF)
• Core s/w library, IDL and MatLab data access
  routines, CDAWLib library CDFX program in IDL
• Data translation webservices and user i/f, s/w
  (CDF lt-gt XML, netCDF, FITS, some HDF)

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Metrics

• We capture system execution (request
  file/plot/listing) statistics
• Survey JGR Space Physics and GRL for
  acknowledgements (via script)
• In 2005 and 2006, 20 of published JGR Space
  papers acknowledged SPDF
• Present and respond to projects, providers and
  users
• Most users seem happy occasionally real issues
  are noted and must be addressed
• SPDF Science Assessment Group (presently chaired
  by Terry Onsager)

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A Different Metric

• CDAWebs database has continued its steady growth
  in time span and range of simultaneous data
• Plot only shows more recent data - full holdings
  include significant early data

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A Few Recent SPDF Data Activities

• Maintaining ongoing data flows from current
  missions
• Some FTP push, some FTP pull, some Rsync
• Working closely with THEMIS project
• THEMIS has adapted CDF and ISTP metadata
  guidelines with some Cluster extensions as a
  project-wide data standard for Level-1 and
  Level-2 products
• Now serving extensive new THEMIS ground-based
  magnetometer Level-2 data
• CDAWeb will serve full range of Level-2 THEMIS
  products shortly
• SSCWeb is supporting orbit display and queries
  for THEMIS and STEREO
• Agreed with STEREO IMPACT, PLASTIC and SWAVES
  groups to serve their Level-2 products in CDAWeb
  as delivered to STEREO Science Center
• SWAVES data will become available shortly
• Working with Cluster Active Archive to acquire
  public high-res FGM magnetometer data (supercedes
  Prime Parameters) for CDAWeb
• Working extensively with TIMED experimenters
• Displays / webservices to make appropriate data
  available in SPDF multi-mission context
• Displays that are scientifically interesting and
  complementary to PI and MDC
• Added 1 minute and 5 minute OMNI data to CDAWeb
• Working with VSPO, we have created a first set of
  product-level SPASE XML descriptions of our major
  data holdings (SPDF, NSSDCFTP and PWG)
• Supplied to VSPO and can be posted if interest
• Working on a initial SPASE descriptions of CDAWeb
  holdings to parameter level

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Recent SPDF Work on Functions Services

• CDAWeb has been upgraded to output postscript and
  PDF graphics
• Multiple detailed and ongoing file output, plot,
  list enhancements
• 3-D Animated Orbit Viewer now supports zoom on
  s/c
• Also parallel/perspective views, new surfaces
  (neutral sheet), improved surface shadings and
  clip planes, and new distance outputs
• New standalone DEMO capability
• Full range of SSCWeb list, file output and query
  functions now available via webservices (document
  literal) calls
• Extensive and continuing work on CDF performance
• THEMIS approach to using CDF focused attention on
  attribute handling
• In a specific test case, factor of 6 performance
  improvement so far
• Developed automated approach to literature
  searches
• List of keywords played against a downloaded set
  of PDF articles
• Search acknowledgements plus articles and show
  sample usage lines
• Upgrading hardware for improved performance and
  reliability
• Working with NSSDC as a test case for a Resident
  Archive
• Data archivally held for NSSDC but not ingested
  into NSSDC
• VSPO progress is being reported separately

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Our Planned Talk on Wednesday

• Review in a little more depth how were now
  making SPDFs unique span of data and extensive
  range of functions accessible
• Directly to users
• To applications via webservices (e.g. to VxO
  middleware)
• Discussion to what we could or should do next to
  best enable the VxOs and a more effective
  heliophysics data environment
• Users want and expect an integrated environment
• Where and how do VxO groups see tapping our
  capabilities
• How can we offer easier access to SPDF data and
  services
• Functionality, structure/technology and
  description of applications interfaces
• Noting there are other centers that offer
  services beyond just data

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A Short Demo of the 3-D Animated Orbit Viewer