Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

The UNIDART Project

Jürgen SeibDeutscher Wetterdienst

Referat für Datenbanksysteme

e-mail: juergen.seib@dwd.de

Monday 10 April 2023 - 2 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

General Project Info• UNIDART: Uniform Data Request Interface• Project Manager: Dr. Jürgen Seib (DWD)• Advisory Committee: Chris Little (UKMO)

Dr. Frans van der Wel (KNMI)• 3 Phases:

– requirements analysis and assessment of feasibility– definition of a technical concept– implementation

• Start: 1st September 2001• End of phase I: Mai 2002

Monday 10 April 2023 - 3 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

which store any kind of any kind of meteorological data and productsmeteorological data and products

Development of a Web-based information system that allows a

uniform and integrated accessuniform and integrated access

The main goal

to heterogeneous and distributed data heterogeneous and distributed data sourcessources

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Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

What is UNIDART? (1)• UNIDART should not be a system which tries to

solve all the data exchange problems of the meteorological community.

• UNIDART should not be seen as a rival or successor of the GTS.

• UNIDART should not be an e-commercial one-stop shop for meteorological data and products.

• UNIDART should not be a system which stores meteorological data by itself.

Monday 10 April 2023 - 5 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

What is UNIDART? (2)• UNIDART should be a broker or a proxy for the

access to meteorological data and products.

• UNIDART should be a supplement to the GTS functionality providing a request/reply facility.

• UNIDART should be a metadata information system.

• UNIDART should be a meteorological Web portal which is open for registered persons.

Monday 10 April 2023 - 6 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

Who are the users?

• National Meteorological Services (EUMETNET members)

• users from the data providers

• Scientific institutions (e.g. universities)

• International organisations (e.g. ECWMF, EUMETSAT)

• commercial users in a future version of UNIDART

Monday 10 April 2023 - 7 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

How to meet user requirements?• Access through the Web

• Personalisation

• Easy to use and self-explainable

• searching and navigation capabilities

Concept of a Web Portal

Enterprise Information Portal

Monday 10 April 2023 - 8 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

Architecture

Internet Internet

user

user

userAgent

Data source

meta DB

DataProvider

VirtualDatabaseSystem

VirtualDatabase

authentication

futurebilling system

Administrativedatabase

coremetadata

query dispatcher

UNIDART

Monday 10 April 2023 - 9 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

Workflow

Use

rP

rovi

der

Un

idar

t

connect toUNIDART

logi

n

wel

com

e

start sessionwith authentication

enquire order receive disconnect

Start End

checkauthentication

transmit

Met

adat

a

querymetadata

query data

Met

adat

a

log

out

receive

requ

est

requ

est

dat

a

dat

ad

ata

Monday 10 April 2023 - 10 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

Data Provider• Every organisation which offers meteorological data

and products

• has to run an UNIDART agent on one of its hosts accessible through the internet

• has to set up a database for metadata information

• has to map its own data structures to agreed common structures (e.g. for climate data)

• is responsible for the availability and the actuality of the data as well as the metadata

• implements its own security mechanisms (e.g. firewall)

Monday 10 April 2023 - 11 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

Example of a star schema for a virtual Climate Database

Stations

Station_NameLatitude

LongitudeElevationCountry

Station_ID Elements

Element_NameUnit

Quality_Level

Element_ID

Dates

DayMonthYear

Date_ID

Metadata

TitleAbstract

OriginatorKeywords

Metadata_ID

Daily valuesStation_IDDate_IDElement_IDMetadata_ID

Value

Monday 10 April 2023 - 12 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

Project risks• the EUMETNET Council decides to stop the project

• the implementation expenditure by the data providers is higher than estimated

• the time schedule cannot be kept

• a competitive project will be finished earlier and UNIDART will become redundant

• Experts leave the project

Monday 10 April 2023 - 13 -

Abteilung Systeme und Betrieb

UNIDART: A Uniform Data Request Interface

Next steps• finish the feasibility study

• define a work plan and a time table for the next project phases

• estimate the costs of an implementation

• implement a prototype if possible

• Decision of the EUMETNET Council