1 World Meteorological Organization WMO Information System (WIS) Managing & Moving Weather, Water and Climate Information in the 21 st Century WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION Weather – Climate - Water

2 World Meteorological Organization Overview What is the WMO Information System (WIS)? –Why is it being developed? –What services will it provide? What will the NMHS gain from WIS? What is the overall WIS plan? How far has its implementation progressed? What are the major challenges still to be met?

3 World Meteorological Organization WMO Information System (WIS) Direction from WMO Congress (2003) Develop: –Over-arching approach for solving data management problems for all WMO and related international programmes –A single, coordinated global infrastructure, the WMO Information System (WIS) for the collection and sharing of information

4 World Meteorological Organization Reasons for WIS Various WMO Programmes developing information systems independently –Incompatibilities, inefficiencies, duplication of effort and higher overall costs Continued systems development in an uncoordinated manner would: –Exacerbate these problems –Increase difficulty in sharing information between programmes –Further isolate WMO Programmes from each other and from wider environmental community

5 World Meteorological Organization World Meteorological Centres WWW GTS Regional/Specialized Meteorological Centres National Meteorological Centres Meteorological and R&D Satellite Operator Centres Current situation: GTS interconnects

6 World Meteorological Organization GTS provides: Information collection and distribution o Real-time push for WWW data & products (and some other programmes data) Information management o Standard data formats o Implicit metadata & catalogs Current situation: GTS For WWW

7 World Meteorological Organization Information exchange o Multiplicity of procedures o Real-time and non-real-time o Very limited pull Information management o Multiplicity of data formats o Uncoordinated/lack of metadata & catalogs o No discovery Current situation: GTS and Other WMO Programmes systems

8 World Meteorological Organization I ntegrated approach for all WMO Programmes Routine collection and dissemination of time-critical and operation-critical data and products: o Real-time “push” through dedicated telecommunication Data Discovery, Access and Retrieval service: o “Pull” through the Internet (HTTP, FTP,…) Timely delivery of data and products: o Delayed mode “push” through dedicated telecommunication means and public data networks, especially the Internet Unified procedures o More efficient data exchange Coordinated and standardized metadata o Interoperability between programmes o Improved data management o ISO 191xxx series for geographic information WIS Vision

9 World Meteorological Organization GAW World Data Centres GCOS Data Centres Global Run-off Data Centre Global Precip. Climatology Centre IRI, Hadley Centre, and other climate research centres; Universities; Regional Climate Centres (CIIFEN, etc.) International Organizations (IAEA, CTBTO, UNEP, FAO.. ) Commercial Service Providers World Radiation Centre Regional Instrument Centres WMO World Data Centres International Projects (e.g. GMES HALO) Real-time “push” On-demand “pull” internet DCPC NC/ DCPC NC NC/ DCPC NC GISC Satellite Two-Way Systems Satellite Dissemination (IGDDS, RETIM, etc) NC DCPC GISC DCPC WIS

10 World Meteorological Organization WIS brings new features and opportunities Common information exchange standards, functions and services for all WMO programmes Inter-disciplinary discovery, retrieval and exchange of information in real-time and non-real time Inter-operability through on-line catalogues using metadata based on ISO (geographic information standard) Industry standards and off-the-shelf hardware and software systems to ensure cost-effectiveness and compatibility

11 World Meteorological Organization What will a NMHS gain from the WIS? 1.Improved forecasting/warning services Faster and more cost-effective exchange of operation- critical information; 2.Improved and expanded range of services Discovery and access to new data and products: oSatellite data and products, ensemble prediction products, climate predictions, oceanographic data and products, operational, and research data and products, reports, publications 3.Strengthened role as national service provider Ability to “push” to national users critical information: oWarnings, advisories, selected measurements, etc.; (eg: national agencies dealing in disaster mitigation, agriculture, energy and water management,) 4.Better appreciation by partner agencies Supports their “pulling” relevant information from WMO

12 World Meteorological Organization Structure of WIS Functional centres: National Centres (NC) Global Information System Centres (GISC) Data Collection and Production Centres (DCPC) and Data communication networks WIS concerns only information exchange and data management functions

13 World Meteorological Organization Structure of WIS Functional centres interconnected by data communication networks: National Centres (NC) –Links national data providers and users to regional and global data exchange nodes, and administrates access to WIS Data Collection and Production Centres (DCPC) –Provides for regional and international exchange of WMO programmes ’ data and products –Supports data and information push and pull Global Information System Centres (GISC) –Provides for global exchange of data and products –Collects and provides metadata for all data and products –Supports data and information discovery and pull

14 World Meteorological Organization National Centre (NC) Provides information collected/generated in the country to a GISC or DCPC Serves as portal for national users and/or administrates their access to WIS Several NCs in a country are possible (not just the NMC) Data Collection or Production Centre (DCPC) Provides the programme-related data & products for international exchange Supports information “Push” and ”Pull” mechanisms Generates, maintains, makes accessible and provides to GISCs metadata catalogues of its data & products

15 World Meteorological Organization Global Information System Centre (GISC) Receives information from NCs and DCPCs Exchanges information (data and metadata) with other GISCs Disseminates, within its area of responsibility, the entire set of WMO data and products for routine global exchange Supports information ” Pull ” mechanisms Generates, maintains and makes accessible metadata catalogues of all data and products for global echange Ensures around-the-clock, reliable and secure operations

16 World Meteorological Organization Interoperability enables the discovery, the retrieval and the usage of the data It needs the development and the implementation of relevant Metadata standards Development of a WMO Metadata Profile of the ISO 191xx series for geographic information Step 1: development of the WMO Metadata Core Profile of ISO for data discovery Step 2: Use of the ISO 191xx series for the access and use of the data WIS, a key issue: interoperability

17 World Meteorological Organization WIS provide various types of services to meet the different requirements: (1)Routine collection and dissemination service for time-critical and operation-critical data and products: Based on real-time “push” mechanism (incl. Multicast); implemented essentially through dedicated telecommunication means with guaranteed quality of service, e.g. leased circuits, dedicated data communication network services and satellite-based data- distribution systems; (2) Data Discovery, Access and Retrieval service: Based on request/reply “pull” mechanism with relevant data management functions; implemented essentially through the Internet (HTTP, FTP,…); (3)Timely delivery service for data and products: Based on delayed mode “push” mechanism; implemented through a combination of dedicated telecommunication means and of public data networks, especially the Internet. WIS SERVICES

18 World Meteorological Organization WIS DATA-COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES EC “emphasized that with the sustained progress benefiting from Information & Communication Technology (ICT) development made in its implementation, operation and upgrade, the GTS, including satellite-based data-distribution systems and the Improved MTN, would effectively contribute to the WIS implementation as the core communication component for exchange and delivery of time and operation-critical data and products.”

19 World Meteorological Organization IGDDS GTS Data pull Data push WIS WIS DATA-COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES (for weather, water, climate and related data and products) WIS/GTS: for time and operation-critical data & products WIS/IGDDS: for space-based data & products WIS/DAR: data discovery, access and retrieval Data push: routine distribution of data & products Data pull: access to and retrieval of data & products DAR

20 World Meteorological Organization IGDDS WIS/GTS: for time and operation-critical data & products WIS/IGDDS: for space-based data & products WIS/DAR: data discovery, access and retrieval Data push: routine distribution of data & products Data pull: access to and retrieval of data & products Data pull Data push WIS DATA-COMMUNICATIONS IMPLEMENTATION (for weather, water, climate and related data and products) Essentially through telecom. with guaranteed quality of service, e.g. leased circuits, dedicated data com network services, sat.-based systems,.. Essentially through satellite based data distribution systems, e.g. DVB-S GTS Essentially through the Internet (HTTP, FTP, VPN…) DAR WIS

21 World Meteorological Organization GEO satellites in the region LEO satellites Global data (recorded/dumped) DCPC Data, metadata & user management R&D satellites GISC (Data, metadata and user management) Central processing Regional processing Local processing Polar orbiting satellites Network of HRPT stations RARS Data exchange with other DCPCs Satellite products Central processing Interoperability National centres and other users IGDDS within the WIS Routine Dissemination ADM Other media Other media Request/ reply (Internet) Request/ reply (Internet) Request/ reply (Internet) Request/ reply (Internet)

22 World Meteorological Organization Complies with WMO data policies –Res. 40 (Cg-XII) and Res. 25 (Cg-XIII) Will follow evolution of WMO data policy –Procedures for managing of access rights, control of data retrieval, registration and identification of users, etc can be defined, as and when required –Anonymous downloading is technically possible, but depends on whether a NC permits that feature –Has no system-inherent features that would violate international legal frameworks WIS Data Policies

23 World Meteorological Organization GTS IGDDS GTS IGDDS Weather Domain Weather Domain Climate Domain Climate Domain Water Domain Water Domain G E O Health Energy Disasters Weather Climate Water Agriculture Ecosystems Biodiversity W M O Internet GEO- NetCast W I S WIS contribution to GEO

24 World Meteorological Organization “ GEO Information System of Systems” Health Energy Agriculture Ecosystems Biodiversity Information systems addressing thematic or regional needs WIS System X System Y Climate Weather Water Disaster System Z Region Z Interoperability: common set of interface standards

25 World Meteorological Organization Part A: GTS Evolution into WIS –Provides consolidation/improvement for time- critical and operation-critical data –Includes extension to meet operational requirements of WMO programmes in addition to World Weather Watch (including improved management of services); Part B: Extension to WIS –Provides for an extension of the information services through flexible data discovery, access and retrieval services to all users, as well as flexible timely delivery services; WIS implementation

26 World Meteorological Organization Continued GTS upgrades (IMTN, satellite-based datacast,..) WMO Core metadata Internet portal Basic data acquisition, discovery and push-pull services GISC prototype: RA VI VGISC project DCPCs prototypes: ECMWF & EUMETSAT associated with VGISC project NCAR (Boulder) NODC (Obninsk) for JCOMM related data IGGDS (Space-based data) Asia-Pacific VPN pilot project Technical Conference on WIS (Korea, 6-8 November 2006); VGISC & DCPC prototype demo WIS Implementation – accomplishments

27 World Meteorological Organization European Virtual GISC Project

28 World Meteorological Organization Key Future Milestones Consolidate plans on development, governance and implementation of WIS: Develop WIS regulatory documentation and guidance material for implementation, including specifications for the GISC interfaces and a unified user interface: Develop scheme and practices for security, authentication and authorization procedures for WIS services : Implementation of first operational GISC: 2008 Implementation of other operational GISCs: Implementation of DCPCs, i.e. WIS interfaces at WMO programmes’ centres:

29 World Meteorological Organization Challenges Good progress made in concept, technological solutions and prototypes for WIS, but much work to be done for an operational WIS Understanding of WIS – both internal and external to WMO: –What it is, why it is important, what it does for NMHSs, what needs to be done, … Active participation of WMO Technical Commissions and other bodies -- stating requirements, developing metadata and implementing WIS interface at their data centres, etc Involvement of all NMHSs in the WIS development, including awareness of users communities Adequate financial and human resources for WIS development into operations

30 World Meteorological Organization Thank you