1. Advanced Tracking and Resource tool for Archive Collections (ATRAC)
NOAA EDM Workshop and ESIP Winter Meeting
Nancy Ritchey1, Jeff Arnfield1,
Philip Jones2, Ken Roberts2, Valerie Toner2, Heather Brown2
1NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, 2Team ERT/STG
05 January 2016
NOAA Satellite and Information Service | National Centers for Environmental Information

2. ATRAC Overview
Manages and tracks data archiving projects within the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
Central interface for
Managing project information
Viewing project status
Creating documentation:
- Request to Archive
- Data Submission Agreement
- Metadata
Users include data providers, data managers, metadata users, and management
Project Management tool for data archiving initially developed by the former NCDC in 2010.

3. Supports Project Management
Find Project Status and other information:
Search by specified criteria
View on Timeline or Grid
Manage Project Tasks and Events:
Record key project dates and attributes
Track any Task or Event
Collaborate on Project Documents:
Archive Request
Submission Agreement
ISO Metadata
Document history for previous 10 revisions
Managing project tasks and events is for NCEI archive reps only.

4. Project Layout Archiving Project Project Status & Attributes
Project Documents
Tasks / Activities
Events
ISO Metadata
Archive Request
Search/View: Timeline, Grid View
Create/Export: PDF, HTML, XML

5. Project Layout Archiving Project Stored long-term Stored short-term*
Project Status & Attributes
Project Documents
Tasks / Activities
Events
ISO Metadata
Archive Request
Search/View: Timeline, Grid View
Create/Export: PDF, HTML, XML
*Intended to be stored in appropriate repository

6. Project Permissions
Up to 10 collaborators can be given edit permissions to collaborate on project documents
Projects set as "Private" can only be viewed by the project owner and collaborators after logging in
NCEI representatives have default access to projects set for archiving data
Only projects set for archiving data are visible in search interface
See FAQ page for more information on permissions.

7. Email Notifications ATRAC sends event-based email notifications
Users are notified for the following:
User Registration
Password Reset
View/Edit Permission Change
All project stakeholders are notified for the following:
Document Submission
New Archive Decision
Data Theme Change
Project Deletion
ATRAC has the capability to send event-based notifications

8. Navigating ATRAC Quick navigation links: Home/About pages
Search Projects
Edit Projects
Help/FAQ pages
Links at top right of every page.

9. Navigating ATRAC Home page has links to common user actions:
Archive Data, Create Metadata, Create an Account, etc.
Additional information including ATRAC Introduction, Archiving Guidelines, and Release Schedule

10. Navigating ATRAC
Several criteria available for searching ATRAC projects
Search results can be displayed on two interactive views:
Timeline view
Grid or Table view
Users can alternate between views and get a link for search results

11. Navigating ATRAC
Section contains web forms to create project documents:
Request to Archive
Data Submission Agreement
ISO Metadata
Users can import documents from another project
User login required to create and edit projects

12. Navigating ATRAC
ATRAC and NCEI contact information
FAQs from users covering project permissions, project searching, using forms/documents, etc.
Over 20 FAQs.

13. Metadata Creation Tool
Produces ISO metadata using web form input
Understanding of metadata standards NOT REQUIRED
Built-in validation and form controls
Usable independent of the archival process
Can preview landing page while editing.
Standards
Conventions
Vocabularies
SUBMIT

14. Metadata Creation Tool
Save, Submit (Validate) Preview buttons
Metadata sections in tabs
Can preview landing page while editing.
Auto-population and menu selections for metadata values

15. Metadata Creation Tool
Preview displays metadata landing page
Can preview landing page while editing.

16. Import/Export Content
Copy related content within a project
Import related content from other ATRAC projects
Export
ISO XML
Dataset Landing Page
ISO Completeness Check
Archive
Request Form
Information X
Submission Agreement Form
Information Y
Metadata Form
Information X
Information Y
User must actively select Copy for ISO Metadata form.
XSLT Transforms
XML
HTML

17. Request to Archive
Questions based on criteria from the NOAA Procedure for Scientific Records Appraisal and Archive Approval
Any NOAA or non-NOAA data provider can submit a request
Autocomplete for contacts and organizations
Built-in validation
Related content shared with Metadata form
Export in multiple formats:
PDF, HTML, Word, Google
Also, as Archive Appraisal Form for NCEI
Used frequently by the NCEI Archive Appraisal Committee.

18. Archive Appraisal Process1.
Provider:
Submit Request
Request to Archive
Using ATRAC Request to Archive Form
Archive
Appraisal
Form
Project tasks and events also recorded in ATRAC 2.
NCEI:
Conduct Archive Appraisal
Criteria Checklist
Cost Estimates
Analysis of Alternatives
Recommendation
The NCEI-NC Archive Appraisal Process follows NOAA Procedural Directives and NARA guidelines. It takes into consideration established archive criteria and anticipated user needs. It may result in Cost Estimates and/or an Analysis of Alternatives. The result is a “Yes” or “No” decision about the archive before proceeding with the data submission. 3.
NCEI:
Make Archiving Decision 4.
NCEI:
Record Decision 5.
NCEI:
Inform Stakeholders
Proceed to Data Submission Process

19. ATRAC Statistics As of January 4, 2016: 699 user accounts 877 projects
475 for data archiving
402 for metadata only, testing
60 requests to archive new data for NCEI in 2015

20. Release History 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Archive project tracking
Request to Archive form
Submission Agreement form
2010
2011
Project search
PDF document creation
2012
ISO Metadata form
2013
HTML metadata export
Updated forms
2014
Redesigned look-and-feel
Improved timeline view
2015
NCEI Support
Data Themes
Metadata Keywords Updates

21. Planned Improvements for 2016
Additional project documents:
NOAA Data Management Plan
NCEI Archive Cost Model
ISO Metadata updates for meeting current NOAA best practices and improving rubric scores
Feedback and suggestions are welcome!
New developments to be worked by NCEI-NC IAS agile dev team.

22. Demo ATRAC Website: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/atrac
Sample Metadata Project:
NCEI Archive Guidance page:

23. www.ncei.noaa.gov www.climate.gov
NCEI Climate Facebook:  NCEI Ocean & Geophysics Facebook:  NCEI Climate Twitter
NCEI Ocean & Geophysics Twitter

24. Backup Slides

25. NCEI Archive Guidance
New NCEI page for how to initiate archive process

26. Development Process
New requirements originate with users and other stakeholders
Product owners decide which requirements will go to development
Agile team performs development work and iterates with stakeholders
Google spreadsheets and documents used for collaboration on new releases
1. Users request new requirements
2. Product owners prioritize requests
3. Refine and document requirements details
New developments to be worked by NCEI-NC IAS agile dev team.
4. Proceed with agile development process
5. Review and move new release into production

27. Use Case Examples Use Case #1: Archive Your Data
A user wants to archive his data at NCEI and uses ATRAC to start the archive process
Use Case #2: Create ISO Metadata
A user wants to create ISO metadata to document his data independent of the archive process

28. Use Case #1: Archive Your Data
Create user account (if new user)
Login
Register new Project (if project does not exist)
Fill out Request to Archive form
Select “Submit” to validate input
Upon successful submission, an NCEI archive representative is notified by ATRAC

29. Use Case #2: Create ISO Metadata
Create user account (if new user)
Login
Register new Project (if project does not exist)
Fill out ISO Metadata form
Select “Validate” to validate input
Export metadata in the desired format

30. Additional Use Cases Use Case: Maintain Project Information
A data manager enters and maintains information on an archiving project
Use Case: Get Project Status
A data manager or data provider searches for projects to obtain project status information
Use Case: Develop Data Submission Agreement
A data manager and data provider draft a data submission agreement using the ATRAC web form

31. Metadata Rubric Performance
ISO Rubric v1.0 (~2012)
ISO Rubric v2.0 (in draft, 2016)
ATRAC
Metadata Spiral
100%
Identification
Connection
Access
80%
Extent
Coverage
Distribution 0%
Content
Description
78%
History
17%
Quality
Lineage
Related Resource
67%
Acquisition Information
Connections
Metadata
78.4%
AVERAGE
77.2%
Meets all required fields for DOI readiness

32. NCEI-NC Metadata Workflow
Scientist / SME
Enters information on dataset in ATRAC
Metadata Manager
Publishes metadata from repository
Data Catalogs
Harvest metadata for discovery

33. NCEI-NC Data Submission Process
NCEI-NC & Provider:
Plan Data Submission
NCEI-NC:
Review Data & Documentation
NCEI-NC & Provider:
Draft Submission Agreement & ISO Metadata
NCEI-NC & Provider:
Test Interfaces
NCEI-NC:
Make Operational Readiness Decision
The NCEI-NC Data Submission Process follows a “Yes” decision in the Archive Appraisal Process.
It ensures the data and documentation are securely submitted to the archive for long-term preservation.
Provider:
Submit Data
NCEI-NC:
Archive & Publish Data/Metadata
Continue Operational Implementation