Advancing cyberinfrastructure for accessing ecological data

新的信息学工具和资源有可能促进我们对生物过程如何在多个空间和时间尺度上相互作用以构建自然社区和生态系统的理解。该项目将通过增加长期生态数据的可获得性来加强其再利用和整合。这些改进可以促进数据合成，并通过为长期环境数据创建一个文件齐全、随时可用的储存库，提出新的调查思路。两项相辅相成的活动将通过种源意识综合跟踪架构(PAPA)数据储存库稳定地获取长期生态研究数据。上传到意大利面的数据包(数据和元数据)符合与社区标准一致的高标准质量和完整性。第一个任务将是确定一个可扩展的基于性能的元数据搜索引擎，并将其部署到意大利面中，作为当前使用但老化的Metacat存储库的替代。一旦选择了一种搜索引擎方法，将对示例进行研究和测试，以使用以生态元数据语言存储的内容，并在意大利面框架内使用。Metacat的最终更换将需要一种过渡战略，以最大限度地减少意大利面的停机时间。通过消除导致搜索“瓶颈”的旧技术，代之以经过广泛社区使用测试的更快的搜索算法，性能和稳定性都将得到提高。第二项任务是完成对新的意大利面成员节点的测试，以便与DataONE一起使用。这一新节点将通过全球数据网络传播数据产品，从而提高长期生态数据的可用性。一旦确定了合适的元数据搜索引擎，当新的数据包被上传到意大利面时，意大利面成员节点将与DataONE基础设施同步。一旦发生同步，将测试DataONE协调节点元数据档案，以确保所有可用的数据包，包括元数据和数据，都已在DataONE中注册。该项目将增加合成的机会，并将通过改善获得高质量的长期数据来增进对自然生态系统的了解。来自广泛学科的研究人员、教育工作者、学生、政策制定者和管理人员都可以很容易地访问数据。

New informatics tools and resources have the potential to advance our understanding of how biological processes interact over multiple spatial and temporal scales to structure natural communities and ecosystems. This project will enhance the reuse and integration of long-term ecological data by increasing its accessibility. These improvements could stimulate data synthesis and raise new lines of inquiry by creating a well-documented and readily accessible repository for long-term environmental data. Two complementary activities will stabilize access to long-term ecological research data through the Provenance Aware Synthesis Tracking Architecture (PASTA) data repository. Data packages (data plus metadata) uploaded into PASTA meet high standards of quality and integrity consistent with community standards. The first task will be to identify a scalable performance-based metadata search engine and deploy it into PASTA as a replacement for the currently-used but aging Metacat repository. Once a search engine method is selected, examples will be researched and tested for use with content stored in the Ecological Metadata Language and for use within the PASTA framework. Final replacement of Metacat will require a transition strategy to minimize downtime of PASTA. Both performance and stability will increase by removing older technology that results in search 'bottlenecks' and replacing it with faster search algorithms that have been tested through extensive community use. The second task is to complete testing of a new PASTA Member Node for use with DataONE. This new node will improve usability of long-term ecological data by disseminating data products through a global data network. Once a suitable metadata search engine is identified, the PASTA Member Node will be synchronized with DataONE infrastructure as new data packages are uploaded into PASTA. Once synchronization occurs, the DataONE Coordinating Node metadata archive will be tested to ensure all available data packages, including metadata and data, have been registered in DataONE. This project will increase opportunities for synthesis and will improve understanding of natural ecosystems by improving access to high quality, long-term data. Data will be readily accessible by researchers from a broad range of disciplines, educators, students, policy makers, and managers.