SPONSORED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AGREEMENT, Integration of ICS-D prototypes into ICS-C

In the European Plate Observing System (EPOS) framework, the integration of Data, Data products, Software, and Services (DDSS) relies on a central Integrated Core Service (ICS) node, that is in turn composed of two main elements: the central hub (ICS-C), and the distributed services (ICS-D).

The ICS-C is the e-infrastructure underlying the EPOS Data Portal (https://www.ics-c.epos-eu.org/), implementing data discovery, contextualization, pre-visualization, and user-specific functions (e.g., workspace).

The ICS-D concept was discussed since the early stages of EPOS, and it has gone through many iterations that allowed incremental refinement. The general underlying idea of the ICS-D concept is that already existing resources (e.g., computational, storage, visualization) that are topologically distributed in Europe can be used within EPOS ICS-C for functionalities that go beyond data search and contextualization.

The implementation of the ICS-D is the final element that makes EPOS a true Multi-Purpose Virtual Research Environment covering the Data Lifecycle from Data Production to Data Reuse and further Data Analysis for the creation of new data products.

The main objective of this proposal is to provide pre-operational access and use of an ICS-D prototype consisting of Enligthen-web and Jupyter. The former is an advanced online tool for visual analytics of geospatial datasets developed by NORCE, while the latter offers the well-known functionalities of a literate programming environment, with additional reproducibility controls, and integrated data & software management capabilities. The two tools can be used in combination, sharing data and workflows in a fully integrated data-space, in the cloud.