1. Network Information System Advisory Committee NISAC Activity Report 2007 LTER IM Meeting Wade Sheldon (GCE) Committee Co-chair

2. Network Information System Advisory Committee NISAC Overview Standing Committee, established in 2003 Responsible for planning, promoting, and evaluating Network Information System (NIS) activities Accomplishments: Tiered trajectory strategy toward improved IM functionality for synthesis Commitment that individual sites populate and update existing basic network databases (ClimDB, HydroDB, SiteDB) NIS mission statement Criteria for evaluation and acceptance of proposed NIS modules Data access policy review and update IM Review Criteria as a guide for future site and proposal reviews (IMC motion) NIS strategic plan

3. Network Information System Advisory Committee NISAC Membership IM members Wade Sheldon (GCE) – co-chair Don Henshaw (AND) rotating off Ken Ramsey (JRN) Kristin Vanderbilt (SEV) PI members Deb Peters (JRN) – co-chair Chuck Hopkinson (PIE) Alan Knapp (KNZ/SGS) Will Pockman (SEV) Libe Washburn (SBC/MCR) LNO members James Brunt Bill Michener Mark Servilla John Vande Castle

4. Network Information System Advisory Committee Report from the May 2007 Meeting Changed committee structure (PI & IM co-chairs) Discussed CI Strategic Plan (CI Core Team) Concluded plan essentially complete, deliver to EB Recommends initiatives be advanced to possible funding sources (advice sought on sources) NISAC agrees to assume oversight of implementation Subcommittee (Vanderbilt, Pockman, Ramsey) working to define critical site and network functionality - comments sought by IMC during Aug. 2007 meeting Lead PI & IM will be asked to cost out critical site functionality recommendations in Nov. 2007

5. Network Information System Advisory Committee LNO NIS Review Reviewed NIS projects and priorities at LNO – approved without changes Discussed EcoTrends project and PASTA architecture Recommended changes to presentation, nomenclature to better match science concepts Endorsed development/use of PASTA for future NIS modules Discussed proposed network data access auditing (data access proxy server) RFC sent to IMs NISAC endorses approach to support data access policy Recommend prototype be presented to IMC for comment Recommend provide technical documents to external software projects (SEEK/Kepler) to assess compatibility, coordinate future development

6. Network Information System Advisory Committee IMC Recommendations Discussed IMC activities as pertain to NIS Identified ongoing activities that will advance network-level goals Controlled vocabulary Improved data searching, identification Network standardization Aid application development (e.g. browse interface) Unit dictionary Improve efficiency, consistency of EML Potential for centralized services for metadata

7. Network Information System Advisory Committee 2007/2008 Priorities CI implementation and funding strategies

8. Network Information System Advisory Committee NISAC Role in LNO-IMC Collaborations NISAC currently under-utilized to coordinate priorities between LNO developers and IMC Recommend IM working groups keep NISAC informed of any LNO/NIS resources needed to further their goals IM co-chair best point of contact (can advise and get IMC priorities onto the agenda) Wade Sheldon wsheldon@lternet.eduwsheldon@lternet.edu NISAC can also assist LNO in requesting permission from site PIs for IM participation in network projects (and acknowledging/rewarding participation)