Integrated Global Data Dissemination Service (IGDDS)

1. Integrated Global Data Dissemination Service (IGDDS)

2. IGDDS – Main Goal • “Ensure the definition and operational implementation of an efficient circulation scheme of space-based observation data and products meeting the needs of WMO programmes, and in the context of the WIS”

3. IGDDS – Functional Scope and Focus • Main functions: • Data concentration and inter-regional data exchange • Data dissemination (predominantly via telecom satellite direct broadcast) with quasi-global coverage • Data access on request (allowing data discovery and delivery to authorised users) • Data and user management including interoperable catalogue, quality of service monitoring and user support • Focus on real-time aspects (time-critical data)

4. IGDDS – Dissemination Requirements • All Continents in all WMO Regions to be covered by the IGDDS (possibly using a combination of dissemination mechanisms) • Data from multiple observing systems to be disseminated in an integrated manner • Reception terminals to be openly available at an affordable price • Data to be disseminated in internationally agreed formats • Data-handling priority scheme to ensure optimal timeliness • Operational nature (reliable and continuous) • …….

5. IGDDS components All WMO programmes data & products (mostly non-satellite) Data Collection & Product Centres Data from operational Polar and Geostationary satellites available within region Data Collection or Product Centres Other regional data:R&D, high-level products National Centres Inter-operability Inter-regional Global Information System Centre Data Collection or Product Centre(For Met. Satellite products) and data exchange data exchange Other data-communication means Data Dissemination (via telecom satellite) Other data communication means footprint #1 footprint #2 Users User Community #1 User Community #2 Conceptual Architecture IGDDS within WIS in each region

6. IGDDS – Satellite Dissemination Physical Architecture • Currently the IGDDS Satellite Telecommunications physical architecture consists of • In addition Roshydromet operates the MITRA system which covers the whole of Europe and a significant part to Asia

7. EUMETCast HB-6, AB-3, NSS806 FengyunCast (Asiasat-4) Americas - Notional Coverage IGDDS – Satellite DisseminationCoverage Footprints

8. IGDDS – Satellite Dissemination Technical Features • Significant part of the dissemination network currently provided by EUMETCast: • Generic, multi-service dissemination system based on standard Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) technology • Commercial broadcast channels on TV, DTH telecommunication satellites • Off-the shelf, commercially available, reception equipment • IP over DVB standard coding • Transparent transfer of files, i.e. files received exactly as sent • Use of standard formats - XRIT, BUFR, GRIB, HDF • Secure access control at individual file and User level • Open, flexible, scalable architecture • Availability better than 99.5% • Near real-time with guaranteed timeliness • Suitable for any file-based datastream • FengyunCast system very similar in concept to EUMETCast – main difference is in the multi-cast software

9. IGDDS – EUMETCast Dissemination Dataflows

10. IGDDS - Implementation Issues • Implementation mechanisms used include: • IGDDS Implementation Plan • IGDDS Implementation Group • Successor to the IGDDS Workshops • First meeting of IG: July 2007 in Geneva • 1st Meeting of Implementation Group identified 5 priority actions/challenges • Identification of data requirements in each region • Quasi-global dissemination coverage on a sustainable basis • Identification of suitable data exchange mechanisms for transferring data between regions • Provision of appropriate user support arrangements • Robustness

11. IGDDS - Priority Actions and Challenges (1) • Identification of regional data requirements • For Europe and Africa the data requirements are relatively well-developed, and reflected in the relevant EUMETCast dissemination schedules • For the Americas and the Asia-Pacific regions this is not the case, and actions are underway to collect/consolidate the requirements • Outputs are expected for the A-P region, following the APSDEU-8 meeting • Roshydromet will provide sub-regional requirements at the next IG meeting • CMA will indicate the current FengYunCast dissemination content and A-P partners will propose additions for consideration by CMA • Focus of the IGDDS IG is on • ensuring that appropriate mechanisms are in place for gathering requirements (with an emphasis on real-time aspects) • Adoption of a harmonised format for the requirements

12. IGDDS - Priority Actions and Challenges (2) • Quasi-global dissemination coverage on a sustainable basis • For Europe and Africa the current status is satisfactory (with the EUMETCast Ku-Band Europe and EUMETCast C-Band Africa services) • The Americas are currently served by the EUMETCast C-Band Americas service (apart from a gap over N-W America). However this service is not assured beyond 2008 • A NOAA service is in preparation but only in the framework of GEONETCast • it is not planned to carry image data on the new NOAA service • It is assumed by NOAA that their new service will coexist in parallel to the EUMETCast C-Band Americas service • The FengYunCast service, and its extension to the Asia-Pacific region, is currently the subject of a pilot activity

13. IGDDS - Priority Actions and Challenges (3) • Identification of suitable data exchange mechanisms for transferring data between regions • For the foreseeable future it is anticipated that a combination of the following mechanisms will be used: • Dedicated links • GTS and extensions thereof • Internet • Overlapping dissemination footprints • Situation is still embryonic • Uncertainty about number of regional hubs (3 or 4) – could affect the data exchange network architecture • Unclear situation regarding the data that needs to be exchanged (linked to identification of regional data requirements)

14. IGDDS - Priority Actions and Challenges (4) • Provision of appropriate user support arrangements • The Asia-Pacific user community with a number of different languages in use within the region • The extension of the Chinese national FengYunCast system to the full Asia-Pacific region requires the establishment of appropriate user support arrangements • ABoM is assisting as a pilot user in the A-P region and this pilot activity is expected to identify the main user support areas which need further development

15. IGDDS - Priority Actions and Challenges (5) • Robustness • Integrating many data flows within a limited number of dissemination services results in the increased exposure to single point failures • With this increased concentration strategic redundancy (as opposed to the redundancy required to meet operational availability performance figures) becomes increasingly important to ensure long-term data continuity • IGDDS standards will aim to ensure that “strategic redundancy” is addressed at appropriate levels taking advantage of both the ground and space-based telecommunications capabilities and of the interconnectivity between DCPCs and GISCs

16. Compliance with Applicable WIS Standards • Following a presentation of the Status of the WIS development at the IGDDS Implementation Group meeting, there was discussion as to the standards that were of particular relevance to the IGDDS • It was concluded that the main items of relevance to the IGDDS were: • The WIS filenaming convention • The WIS Core Metadata Profile standards • It was noted that EUMETCast carries multiple data sources with different applicable standards, with filenames often used as a source of high-level metadata (with the more detailed metadata embedded in the actual data file). • To better understand the implications of compliance, EUMETSAT undertook to investigate the implications of applying this convention and standards to a relevant test case (ATOVS data was suggested) with a due date of mid-November 2007

17. IGDDS and GEONETCast • GEONETCast could be simplistically viewed as the extrapolation of the IGDDS satellite dissemination functions to include data from the GEO Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs) • With the notable exception of the Americas, GEONETCast generally makes use of the same basic dissemination infrastructure as the IGDDS and often simply involves the purchase of additional bandwidth to include data from other SBAs • For the Americas, the current planning means that GEONETCast and the IGDDS could become decoupled • The EUMETCast C-Band Americas service will continue to provide the IGDDS component (at least up to 2008) • The planned NOAA GEONETCast Americas service will provide the GEONETCast component (planned for the 2nd half of 2007)

18. EUMETCast HB-6, AB-3, NSS806 FengyunCast (Asiasat-4) Americas - Notional Coverage IGDDS – Satellite DisseminationCoverage Footprints