_____   __________________  ____  ____
              /  _/ | / /_  __/ ____/ __ \/ __ \/ __ \
              / //  |/ / / / / __/ / /_/ / / / / /_/ /
            _/ // /|  / / / / /___/ _, _/ /_/ / ____/
           /___/_/ |_/ /_/ /_____/_/ |_|\____/_/

               _   __                  __     __  __
              / | / /__ _      _______/ /__  / /_/ /____  _____
             /  |/ / _ \ | /| / / ___/ / _ \/ __/ __/ _ \/ ___/
            / /|  /  __/ |/ |/ (__  ) /  __/ /_/ /_/  __/ /
           /_/ |_/\___/|__/|__/____/_/\___/\__/\__/\___/_/
*************************************************************************
Number 13     ***         INTEROP NEWSLETTER      ***      April 2002
*************************************************************************

In This Issue:
--------------

I.     Preparations for Next CEOS meeting in Frascati
       (See information at http://idn.ceos.org)

II.    GCMD's Science User Working Group To Meet on May 1st and 2nd, 2002.
       (and GeoConnections update)
       - Scott Ritz

III.   ZOPE Now Running on CEOS IDN Site.
       - by Rosy Cordova

IV.    New MD8 Operations Client Streamlines Database Maintenance
       - by Kathleen Moreland

V.     Proposed MD9 Write-A-DIF, Aligned with ISO 19115, To Be
       Discussed in Frascatti.
       - by Cheryl Solomon

VI.    The IDN's Antarctic Master Directory Portal Flourishes
       - by Stephanie Leicester and Lee Belbin

VII.   Keyword Synchronization Between CEOS IDN and the Catalogue
       Interoperability Protocol (CIP)
       - by Gene Major

VIII.  Tentative Agenda for Upcoming May Meeting.
       - L. Olsen

IX.    Requests for IDN Node Presentations
       - R. Cordova

*************************************************************************
*************************************************************************
I.   Preparations for Next CEOS meeting in Frascati
     -Lola Olsen and Rosy Cordova

     Preparations are being made by the International Directory
     Network (IDN) participants for the next CEOS subgroup meetings
     in Frascati, Italy.  See http://ceos.idn.org

     The IDN session is scheduled for Thursday morning, May 9th.
     See Item VIII for the agenda.  We are anticipating your
     participation.


**************************************************************************
II.  Science User Working Group To Meet on May 1 and 2, 2002.
     (GeoConnections Update Included here.)
     - by Scott Ritz

     Ms. Andrea Buffam, from the Canadian IDN Node, GeoConnections, will
     represent the CEOS IDN at the annual GCMD's Science User Working
     Group Meeting on May 1st and 2nd in Greenbelt, Maryland.  Other
     members participating include:
     Dr. John Porter from the University of Virginia, Dr. Jonathan
     Callahan from NOAA/PMEL, Dr. Wendell Brown from UMA-Dartmouth,
     Dr. Elissa Levine from Goddard Space Flight Center, Dr. Benno
     Blumenthal from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia
     University, and Dr. Hubert Staudigel from Scripps (Geophysics).
     Dr. Bernard Minster will not be able to fully participate this
     year but will join us briefly.  Dr. Martin Ruzek, Earth Systems
     Science (Education) from USRA will also attend as a guest.

     The GCMD and the Canadian GeoConnections Discovery Portal had a very
     productive year. The twelve months from March 2001 to March 2002 was
     the first year since collaborations began in 1998 where there was a
     successful export of metadata from GeoConnections to the IDN every
     month. Overall 117 new metadata entries were contributed to the IDN by
     GeoConnections. The information in 1,356 entries was also
     modified.

**************************************************************************
III.  ZOPE Now Running on CEOS IDN Site.
      - by Rosy Cordova


Several months ago, the CEOS International Directory Network (IDN) web
site was activated.  The reorganization of the American Coordinating
Node's website highlighted the benefits of incorporating a content
management system to streamline the input by contributing sites.
By capitalizing on the direct input by IDN representatives, this site
can become a truly cooperative venture.

The IDN site will be used to experiment with the open-source web
application server, Zope.  Zope uses Document Template Markup Language
(DTML), a server side scripting language based on SGML, to create dynamic
web pages.  DTML tags are embedded in HTML to create DTML documents that
are displayed to users as HTML documents.

One of the products or utilities that can be run using Zope is the Content
Management Framework (CMF).  It is used to efficiently create websites -
'portals'.  It can be quickly installed and customized in a short period
of time.  The CMF allows users to register with a site and submit content
directly to the website.   A registered user does not need an account on
the machine running Zope.   With this product, it is also effortless
to separate the content and the presentation of the website.  This
feature makes CMF very appealing for anyone administering sites where
multiple users contribute content and in situations where the look and
feel of the site needs to be consistent.

The features from Zope and CMF planned be used on the IDN site include:

* A standard header and footer for the website (using DTML).

* A log-in option to allow IDN participants to view restricted information.

* A News section that allows node representatives to announce upcoming
  events to the entire IDN community (using CMF).

* Personalized IDN node sections with directories allocated to the node
  responsible for maintenance.  The nodes may use their sections to
  include a site's contact information, current status of software
  or content, future plans, etc.   In general, a site could include
  anything it considers relevant to the entire IDN community (using CMF).

Note:  A demo of the IDN website using Zope and CMF will be presented at
       the IDN meeting in Frascatti.  Any node representative that
       wishes to participate should submit a request at the meeting.
       IDN participants who indicated their interest and provided
       passwords at the Darmstadt, Germany meeting do not have to
       resubmit their requests.

For further background information on Zope, see:  http://www.zope.org
New IDN Website: http://idn.ceos.org

***************************************************************************
IV.    New MD8 Operations Client Streamlines Database Maintenance
       - by Kathleen Moreland

The new GCMD MD8 Operations (OPS) software has revolutionized the
management of the GCMD Oracle 8 database.  The new OPS software is
easy to use and allows the GCMD staff access to all database
operations.  These operations include converting document descriptions
automatically from colon-delimited to XML documents, loading new and
revised descriptions, extracting and deleting descriptions, managing
the associated personnel and managing the valids associated with the
descriptions.

Currently, the loading process involves the document descriptions
being emailed by the database coordinator and/or the science
coordinators to a metadata account.  In this process the metadata
descriptions are automatically converted from colon to XML format.
They are immediately displayed in the QA filters as "Ready to Load" or
"Needs Attention".  The "Ready to Load" filter indicates that the
metadata has passed a preliminary validation process of syntactic
checks and is ready to be inserted in the GCMD database.  The "Needs
Attention" filter indicates the need to repair any syntactic error(s)
in the metadata before a document can be successfully loaded.  After
the metadata enters the "QA Incoming Documents", the user can click a
button and load one or more of the metadata records at one time. When
a syntactic error does occur within the metadata record, the user can
easily launch the editor, edit the XML record, save it, and try to
load it again without ever having to leave the window.  The process is
more efficient and faster this way.

During the loading process, the user can easily check metadata
personnel valids against existing personnel, update the metadata
record, and add new personnel valids simultaneously.  When a personnel
record differs from one already in the database, an alphabetical
listing of similar first and last names appears in a pick list box.
The user can easily view the existing personnel record, which holds
the last name, first name, middle name, email, phone and address.  The
user can then choose to use the existing personnel record or update
the database with the record.  The pick list has made the process of
checking existing personnel, adding new, and modifying existing
personnel records much more intuitive.

The user can also view other valids (Parameters, Sensor_Name,
Source_Name, Chronostratigraphic_Unit, Location, Project, Data_Center,
Data_Center_URL, URL_Content_Type, IDN_Node) through a new search
capability to ensure uniqueness of the valid, update and insert the
valid when appropriate, and add a bucket (or classification) during
the loading process.  This can all be done within the OPS loading
process without having to exit and move to another operation to manage
valids associated with a metadata record.  This saves time and eases
the entire loading process.

The new extractor allows users to build their own unique query,
extract by a single Entry_ID or a file of Entry_IDs.  A user can
easily use the select box to extract different sections of the
metadata record and print the records to a screen or to a text file.

The OPS "Manage Valids" function has been optimized to include many of
the maintenance tasks associated with the Oracle database.  Prior to
the MD8 OPS software, the database coordinator wrote several SQL
scripts related to several Oracle tables to make one update to a GCMD
valid.  For example, to change a data center short name and/or long
name, several SQL statements were written.  With the new OPS, these
statements have been incorporated into the "Manage Valids" function.
Currently, one can view the existing valid(s), choose the valid to be
updated, enter the new valid in a bottom window, and click the button
to update the valid.  This eliminates possible mistakes made in
writing SQL queries.  Two other frequently changed valids are
Data_Center_URLs and Personnel Valids.  The new OPS makes it easier to
change the Data_Center_URLs without having to reload the entire
metadata record.  When a data center personnel contact changes at a
particular data center, one can easily view the existing personnel
information and use the merge function to replace the outdated record
with the most current one.

With all of the features described, the OPS software has distributed
the work involved in managing the contents of the GCMD Oracle
database.  In the future, CEOS IDN node representatives will also be
able to participate using this distributed functionality.

**************************************************************************
V.     Proposed MD9 Write-A-DIF, Aligned with ISO 19115, To Be
       Discussed in Frascatti.
       - by Cheryl Solomon


       The Draft International Standard (DIS) 19115 was accepted in fall
       2001. We are anticipating that there will be a Final Draft
       International Standard (FDIS) 19115 in May 2002,
       in Bangkok, Thailand.  The expectation is that ISO will be
       accepted as an International Standard in July or August 2002.

       In preparation for this, we have created a Write a DIF v. 9 that
       assures that all mandatory ISO core fields exist in the DIF.
       The table below shows the mapping between mandatory ISO core fields
       and fields within the DIF. Nearly all of the ISO fields already are
       contained in the DIF:

       ISO                                 MD8 DIF
       ---                                -------
       Dataset title                     Dataset_Citation: Dataset Title
       Dataset reference date            Dataset_Citation: Dataset_Release_Date
       Dataset language                  Data_Set_Language
       *Dataset topic category           *N/A
       Abstract describing the dataset   Summary (R)
       Metadata point of contact         Personnel: DIF Author
       Metadata Date stamp               DIF_Creation_Date

      *This field refers to a set of non-parallel topic keywords required by
      ISO. These words can be mapped to IDN controlled vocabulary and
      can perhaps be automatically generated. For MD9, this field might be
      called "ISO_Topic_Keyword".

      Other possible MD9 DIF updates include making Data_Set_Citation and
      Data_Resolution required fields.


***************************************************************************
VI.  The IDN's Antarctic Master Directory Portal Flourishes
     - by Stephanie Leicester and Lee Belbin

Since the last report in April 2001, the collaboration between GCMD and
Joint Committee Antarctic Data Management has continued to flourish.  The
GCMD Antarctic Master Directory Portal (AMD),
http://gcmd.nasa.gov/Data/portals/amd/, now offers customized
interfaces for the AMD homepage and the on-line AMD metadata authoring
tool.  The customization of the homepage involved adding a free text
search box, emphasizing the metadata authoring tool and implementing a
new color scheme.  The customized tool now has the same new color scheme
on all pages associated with the tool.   Future customization
to the AMD portal is anticipated to be a polar projection map applet for
Antarctic spatial coverage searches.

Currently, the number of DIFs in the AMD is 2116, which is up by 790 from
last year. The DIFs are primarily written by individual Antarctic
researchers and distributed to the AMD by national data center managers.
The present distribution of DIFs by JCADM IDN Nodes is as follows:
    1427 AMD/AU (Australian Antarctic Data Center)
     268 AMD/US (National Snow and Ice Data Center, USA)
      58 AMD/JP (Japan's National Institute of Polar Research)
      41 AMD/UK (British Antarctic Survey)
      30 AMD/CN (National Antarctic Data Center of China)
      29 AMD/AR (Direccion National del Antartico, Argentina)
      20 AMD/ES (Centro Nacional de Datos Antarcticos, Spain)
      14 AMD/NZ (New Zealand Antarctic Institute)
       1 AMD/IT (Progetto Anartide, Italy).

GCMD staff will provide a full update on the collaboration at the next
JCADM meeting in Shanghai, PRC in July 2002.

**************************************************************************
VII.  Keyword Synchronization Between CEOS IDN and the Catalogue
      Interoperability Protocol (CIP)
       - by Gene Major

Over the years, the GCMD's science staff developed a 5-tier hierarchical
Earth science controlled vocabulary (also known as "valids") for the
search and retrivel of IDN data set information.  The hierarchy consists
of CATEGORY> TOPIC> TERM> VARIABLE> DETAILED VARIABLE (detailed
variables are uncontrolled).  The CEOS INTeroperability EXtensions
(CINTEX) developed the CEOS Catalogue Interoperability Protocol (CIP)
to facilitate the access, searching and retrieval of Earth observation
data across different catalogs.

The CIP uses the GCMD's Earth science keywords, but currently requires
only the first 3 levels of the GCMD hierarchy:  CATEGORY> TOPIC> TERM
To improve interoperability and better synchronization with the GCMD
keywords, the GCMD and CIP have begun discussions on the process of
extending the CIP valid keywords from a 3-tier to a 4-tier hierarchy
to include the VARIABLE level.

Extending the CIP Earth science keyword valids to 4 levels will
improve CINTEX interoperabilty with systems such as the EOSDIS Data
Gateway (EDG), which uses the TOPIC> TERM> VARIABLE part of the GCMD
keyword hierarchy).  It will also improve search and retrieval across
catalogs.  However, other issues need further discussion in to
ensure synchronization between GCMD keywords and CIP valids.
These include:

- the process of adding or modifying keywords in the hierarchy.

- indexing the collection when keywords are added or modified.

- how to avoid duplicate keyword production between GCMD and CIP.

These issues will be addressed at the CIP Workshop to be held in
conjunction with the upcoming CEOS meeting in Frascati, Italy.

**************************************************************************
VIII.  Draft Agenda for IDN Task Team Meeting

     A.  Review of Minutes From The Darmstadt Meeting
         http://idn.ceos.org/Meetings/Darmstadt_09_2001/IDN_Task_Minutes
         Presentations from Darmstadt are available from:
         http://idn.ceos.org/Meetings/Darmstadt_09_2001

     B.  Review of the IDN Profile

     C.  Status at the American Coordinating Node
         - Metrics for content and usage
         - Ongoing Activities
         - Software Sharing Status (NASA legal office concerns)

     D.  IDN Node Reports
         *See Item IX for requested content for these reports.

     E.  Status of DLR Thesaurus Revitalization
         1.  Administrative Client
         2.  Look-Up Client

     F.  MD8

         1.  MD8:  Status of Server
         2.  MD8:  Status of Operational Client
         3.  MD8:  Status of Local Database Agents (LDA)

     G.  IDN Use of ZOPE for http://idn.ceos.org
         - by Rosy Cordova


     H.  Update on Portals


     I.  MD9 (Spring 2003)

         1.  Goals

         2.  Schedule

     J.  Issues - Discussion

For more information or questions about this agenda, please contact
Lola Olsen, (olsen@gcmd.nasa.gov ) IDN Task Team lead.

**********************************************************************

IX.     Request for IDN Nodes Presentations
        - Rosy Cordova and Lola Olsen

In preparation for the upcoming CEOS Subgroup meeting, we are requesting
that all IDN Nodes prepare a status report to present at the meeting.

Please include in these reports, sections on:

    1. Metrics
       i. Content Metrics - Number of DIFs contributed
      ii. User Metrics - Website Usage
    2. Status of Software/System Installations
       i. Current/Proposed Hardware
      ii. Software Versions Running/Planned
    3. Content Synchronization/Update Frequency
    4. IDN Node Pages (URL)
    5. IDN Node Contact Person(s)
    6. Advertising and Results
    7. Issues/Concerns

For node representatives who will not be attending the meeting, please
forward your reports by April 26th, 2002 to Rosy Cordova
(cordova@gcmd.nasa.gov ).

Other node representatives are welcome to forward their reports ahead.

Thank you,

Lola Olsen,
Editor
****************************************************************************