Conclusions

1. Conclusions How were major areas of improvement signalled by Users addressed? A summary for the main problems signalled on: Authorisation and Quota to Access Data Delivery Order Tracking Conflict Management User Interface & Data Identification Interoperability ... and some feedback on: Security Service Support Environment

2. Top-Level Analysis Improvement Suggestions limited to User Services were mainly on minor issues Major Proposals for improvements require end-to-end interventions in the Ground Segment Several problems can be most efficiently solved by changing the underlying operational concepts To make it BETTER and CHEAPER, it has to be SIMPLER !!!

3. Authorisation and Quota to Access Data Users were concerned about the lengthy process to be allowed to access the data and about absolute quota limitations that tend to suddenly block the data flow. Sentinels will follow a “free and open” data policy: self-registration will be sufficient to access the data (not necessarily all services, e.g. NRT) Absolute quota will be replaced by load balancing mechanisms to ensure fair access; the most demanding user won’t be blocked as long as there are free resources Higher Service Levels for specifically recognized users will ensure the required guaranteed performance for key users New Concept requires integrated renewal of overall G/S

4. Delivery Users strongly suggested an increased ability to download products directly via FTP, with a minimum number of clicks after product identification and keeping full control of the process. Next Generation will be centred on systematic on-line product availability This includes the entire archive population, which shall be perceived as “virtually on-line” by the user Implied “on-the-fly” processing capability requires an integrated renewal of the full G/S end-to-end chain to support the “next generation” paradigm. Implicitly delivery times will be faster via such an automated process Media delivery will be maintained as exceptional service (e.g. for bulk orders)

5. Order Tracking Main complaint on User Services was the inefficient Order Tracking. User wants to be fully informed about the progress with reliable delivery times. “Ordering” replaced by fully automated “Download” Fully automated chain with integrated monitoring by the user based on HMA demonstrated in USNG prototype New Concept requires integrated renewal of overall G/S

6. Conflict Management Users were particularly annoyed about the unpredictability of future acquisitions (all created individually by single user requests), too frequently suppressed by higher priority requests. Sentinels will be based on a systematic plan, which take into account cumulated user needs. Only very few highly privileged users (e.g. linked to emergency services) can override the short-term planning Users can be highly confident in the anticipated systematic planning

7. User Interface & Data Identification Main problems raised were: Preview and image navigation capabilities not up to other services on the Internet Lack of support for image selection among multiple candidates Lack of information on population distribution for Multi-Mission searches Preview and image navigation enhancements explored in demonstrator (high additional load on processing and storage capabilities for user services). Image comparison prototyped in demonstrator Faceted Catalogue Search prototyped in demonstrator

8. Interoperability Homogeneous access to data of several missions was an important concern to the users. HMA successfully validated in demonstrator, also as internal protocol Next Generation Architecture has a focus on the Coordinated Customer Interface as main entry point for Coordinated Data Access A standard behaviour towards this Coordinated Data Access point has been defined for all missions (ESA and non-ESA); the multi-mission user services for the single ESA missions ensure that each of them behaves as any “GMES Contributing Mission”

9. Security Security will change the User Services: Email is not secure – user interaction fully migrated to Web Operator/administrator community is the most difficult security thread to handle Demonstrator has shown that a standard web browser as operator interface is sufficient (allowing standard http-based security measures) Security analysis shows that when security is considered from the beginning and relying on security devices provided by a general security infrastructure, the cost impact for application implementation is not important

10. Service Support Environment The study addressed possible integration between User Services and Service Support Environment: Service Support Environment external customers are service providers who want to host/publish their service as “collaborating” element The functionality to achieve this is highly different from the services provided to “Data Users” Service Provider community collaborating with the Agency to provide applications or collaborating processing elements will remain separated from the Data Customer community with a separate specialised interface outside the User Service Infrastructure Extended product suite produced by these collaborating services shall be seamlessly accessible by Data Customers by User Services Infrastructure