World Meteorological Organization Working together in weather, climate and water

1. WMO World Meteorological OrganizationWorking together in weather, climate and water Expected Benefits of WIS for WMO Members WMO RA VI WORKSHOP ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WIS Sofia Geerd-R-Hoffmann (Chair, RA-VI Task Team on WIS development and implementation)

2. Contents • What is the WMO Information System (WIS)? • Which services will it provide? • Who will be its users? • What is the underlying concept? • What will be its rôle for the various WMO programmes? • How can the Members best use WIS?

3. WMO Information System (WIS) In 2003, the World Meteorological Congress stated that an overarching approach for solving the data management problems for all WMO and related international programmes was required: a single coordinated global infrastructure, the WMOInformation System (WIS). • WIS would be used for the collection and sharing of information for all WMO and related international programmes. • WIS would provide a flexible and extensible structure that would allow the participating centres to enhance their capabilities as their national and international responsibilities grow. • Implementation of WIS should build upon the most successful components of existing WMO information systems in an evolutionary process. • WIS development should pay special attention to a smooth and coordinated transition. • The basis for the core communication network should be the communication links used within the World Weather Watch (WWW) for the high priority real-time data. • WIS should utilise international industry standards for protocols, hardware and software.

4. WIS services WIS provides an integrated approach suitable for all WMO Programmes to meet the requirements of: • Routine collection and automated dissemination of observed data and products (“push”); • Timely delivery of data and products (appropriate to requirements); • Ad-hoc requests for data and products (“pull”). • Data discovery service for all data stored by any WMO programme regardless of location.

5. WIS users • WMO programmes who will benefit from the services offered by WIS for the implementation of their data exchange tasks. • NMHS’s who will be able to interactively alter their operational data provisions • Individual users, either a person or an institution, who will be the main beneficiary of WIS, because WIS will provide a single entry point for any data request, be it on a routine basis by dissemination of certain user defined information sets or on an ad-hoc basis for a special data set.. • GEOSS because WIS could also form the base for its information systems.

6. WIS concept Virtual structure • National Centres (NC) • Global Information System Centres (GISC) • Data Collection or Production Centres (DCPC) • Data communication network The names of these virtual centres describe their functionality, not the actual organisational entities. There may be organisations, such as NMHSs, which combine all three virtual centres within one facility.

7. International Organizations (IAEA, CTBTO, UNEP, FAO.. ) • World Radiation Centre • Regional Instrument Centres • GAW World Data Centres • GCOS Data Centres • Global Run-off Data Centre • Global Precip Climatology Centre Internet DCPC NC Internet NC Area Meteorological Data Communication Networks (AMDCNs) • IRI and other climate research institutes • Universities • Regional Climate Centres NC/ DCPC NC/ DCPC GISC Commercial Service Providers NC NC GISC WIS core network GISC NC NC DCPC GISC GISC DCPC WMO World DataCentres Internation projects (eg GMES HALO) Internet Satellite DisseminationIGDDS, RETIM, etc. Internet SatelliteTwo-Way System NC NC NC NC KEY: NC = National Centres GISC = Global Information System Centres DCPC = Data Collection or Production Centres Real-time "push" On-demand "pull" Major Components of WIS

8. Additional services provided by WIS For all users: • Metadata

9. WIS metadata • WIS metadata describes WMO data and products and is essential for discovery • Metadata is maintained by NCs and DCPCs • GISCs already synchronize catalogue information • The figure shows an example status of the catalogue synchronization

10. Additional services provided by WIS For all users: • Metadata • Request / reply • Discovery and retrieval

11. SearchRequest marine warnings in area bounded by 40W to 10W and 45N to 70N SearchResults Information request to custodian http://weather.gmdss.org/I.html Centre publishes metadata to GISC DAR catalogue Retrieve information Security/authentication/authorization and even charging is managed by each service provider DAR GISC – DAR service User searches for metadata then retrieves information from data custodian NC/DCPC information access service

12. Rôle for WMO programmes • WIS concerns only telecommunication and data management functions of the WMO Programmes. • Programmes will benefit from the services offered by WIS for the implementation of their data exchange tasks. • Provision of data and products on the basis of request/reply services will be the most significant addition. • Supporting various communication protocols for data transmission and by making use of off-the-shelf technologies of a lower cost, WIS should allow least developed Members to actively participate in the WMO Programmes, specifically the WWW.

13. Additional services for Members For all users: • Metadata • Discovery and retrieval For NMHS‘s: • Access to all data routinely disseminated, independent of location • Option to modify distribution list interactively • Insert new data for routine dissemination without delay • Act as national focal point for all users of WIS • Highlight ownership of data through WIS metadata

14. Technical requirements for accessing WIS • Connection to GISC / DCPC • WEB interface • Use WIS metadata

15. Outlook • WIS is at present close to becoming operational • There is still a major task to make sure that all Members appreciate the new options available in WIS and make use of them in their various programme activities • The success of WIS depends upon volunteering Members actively supporting and contributing to projects that have the potential to facilitate the implementation of WIS.