JISC

PIMMS will deploy a system for documenting the provenance of computer simulations of real world earth system processes. This system will be a key part of the data management ecosystem for simulation data – without “PIMMS class” information simulation data can become effectively useless very soon after it is created. By extending and repackaging a prototype infrastructure developed with European Union funding, and originally deployed to support an international climate model inter-comparison project (CMIP5), PIMMS will be able to achieve significant leverage on previous R&D funding to provide a relatively mature system targeted at the University community.

Aims and objectives 

PIMMS will extend the Metafor controlled vocabulary to encompass palaeoclimate science via collaboration with the JISC funded PEG-BOARD project.

PIMMS will refactor the (CMIP5) questionnaire so it is more easily portable into stand-alone implementations and more easily customised to address the specific requirements of research groups. PIMMS will include data node software so that data documented with PIMMS can be published to the web both locally and also to national and international services.

PIMMS will be deployed at the University of Reading Department of Meteorology and the University of Bristol School of Geographical Sciences.

Project methodology

The main elements of the PIMMS infrastructure will be in place and working within 6 months of the project initiation, consistent with the general principle to favour early prototyping of data management infrastructures.

Prior to deployment, the project will  concentrate on scoping the software  infrastructure prerequisites at the stakeholder  institutions  to enable  the PIMMS  infrastructure  to  function.  Initial engagement with stakeholders in partner institutions will extend and refine the controlled vocabularies developed  for CMIP5.

Following  the deployment of the PIMMS infrastructure user engagement  and technical development will focus on the iteration of the content and the usability of PIMMS. 

Anticipated outputs and outcomes

• PIMMS steering group
• Requirements Analysis
• Delployable PIMMS software stack, tested and documented
• User interface for experiment descriptions
• Paleaoclimate controlled vocabulary (CV)
• Prototype Integrated Assessment Model CV
• Recommendations for community engagement with CV
• List of PIMMS requirements for data node development
• Prototype data node software
• End of project dissemination workshop
• Draft institutional policies on simulation metadata
• Roadmap for influencing institutional data retention policies

Technology / Standards used

Freemind (mind map technology), python, Django, xml, postgres database, Metafor CIM, ISO19115, Observation & Measurement (O&M), CF-NetCDF, java servlets, Earth System Grid Federation Infrastructure.