Publication

Mostafa Hadizadeh, Christof Lorenz, Sabine Barthlott, Romy Fösig, Uğur Çayoğlu, Robert Ulrich, Felix Bach: Cat4KIT: A Cross-institutional Data Catalog Framework for the FAIRification of Environmental Research Data, in Heuveline, Vincent, Bisheh, Nina and Kling, Philipp (eds.): E-Science-Tage 2023: Empower Your Research - Preserve Your Data, Heidelberg: heiBOOKS, 2023, pp. 149-160. https://doi.org/10.11588/heibooks.1288.c18072

Description

The aim is to develop an RDM software stack for the cross-institutional provision, integration, cataloging and networking of decentralized research data and repositories. To this end, solutions for four data services are to be identified, developed, optimized and finally linked together:

• Data server: provides data via standardized and programmable interfaces, allowing access to and integration of remote data.
• Metadata harvester: Regularly searches catalogs or repositories of data servers and stores this information in a standardized format.
• Catalog service: Publishes catalogs and thus enables links to higher-level data infrastructures.
• Portal service: Front end or data portal for searching and filtering data catalogs and for the user-friendly presentation of (meta) data.

The individual services should be implemented as interacting but independent and generalized modules. This will ensure independent further development and integration of sub-modules so that the services can be used as flexibly as possible in different infrastructures and environments at KIT.

In order to avoid redundant developments and keep the entry hurdle as low as possible, Cat4KIT is based on existing infrastructures (e.g. LSDF, object storage, GPFS, etc.) and repositories (e.g. RADAR4KIT, THREDDS data server, etc.) at the participating institutions as well as on available open source solutions and is intended to network these optimally. A particular focus in the development is on the use of standardized interfaces and protocols so that the data generated at KIT can be integrated via Cat4KIT into higher-level repositories such as the Infrastructure for spatial information in Europe (INSPIRE) of the European Commission.

The generic development of the Cat4KIT modules will enable new communities and repositories to make use of the integrated catalog and portal service or the provision of data via modern interfaces such as OPeNDAP. This will allow the portfolio of user groups to be expanded and the benefits of modern research data management to be passed on.