Many of the basic ideas about access to large, distributed data
holdings were well-understood by those attempting to make a "Space
Physics Data System" in the early 1990's. The technology has improved
since, but these documents still are useful:
Some useful overview documents and presentations are:
A NASA Headquarters overview
of an LWS (and implicitly the Heliophysics) Data Environment and what
will be needed. (ppt, Feb. 2003) Generalizes the Virtual Solar
Observatory concept to "VxOs" for other disciplines, linked by common
XML registry schema to each other and to various services. Points to
the need for appropriate management structure.
The Final Report of the LWS Science Data System Planning Team,
the precursor group to the current LWS Ad Hoc Data Environments working
group. (Jan. 2002) Recommends a distributed approach growing out of
current systems, guided by science needs, with a small administrative
staff. Also advocates a firmer WWW presence for the data
system--realized by this page and related links. (MSWord version)
An overview
of how a data/services access VO would work and how it could be
implemented; this one is called the "Scientific Resource Access
System," but the ideas are quite general.
A draft plan
for the LWS Data Environment from the LWS Data Architecture Project
Scientist. Contains specific recommendations for the next steps.
The NASA Heliophysics "Rules of the Road"
for data providers and users emphasizes providers' responsibility to
provide open data and analysis tools, and users' responsibility to
consult with and inform providers about their use of the data. This
document, somewhat modified, is now in the HP Data Policy.
