The Semantic eScience Framework

The Semantic eScience Framework

AGU FM10 IN22A-02

Deborah McGuinness and Peter Fox (RPI) [email protected] World Constellation and the SESF team: Patrick West,Eric Rozell, Stephan Zednik, Cynthia Chang and Jim Hendler

Introduction

• The origins of this effort

• Why a framework and not a system?

• Moving from core semantics to framework semantics – integration and configuration

• The design and development method

• Open source ontologies and software!

• A role for participation

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Origins

• In 2004 we started a virtual observatory project based on semantic technologies

• 2004 – OWL was a W3 recommendation!!• Use case driven – in solar and solar-terrestrial

physics with an emphasis on instrument-based measurements and real data pipelines

• We needed implementations – and we achieved that, also needed integration and provenance

• We pushed semantics into applications that were already built on advanced cyberinfrastructure

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Prior to 2005, we built systems

• Rough definitions– Systems have very well-define entry and

exit points. A user tends to know when they are using one. Options for extensions are limited and usually require engineering

– Frameworks have many entry and use points. A user often does not know when they are using one. Extension points are part of the design

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Lineage

• Virtual observatories – semantic data frameworks, ontologies, reasoning, etc.

• Semantic data integration

• Semantic provenance

• All very successful, but did not want to keep building more of these…

• Lead to: need for a configurable framework … so that others could build theirs, easily… toolkit form

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Framework overview

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Core and Framework Semantics - Multi-tiered interoperability

used by

Semantics - Modern informatics enables a new scale-free** framework approach

• Use cases• Stakeholders• Distributed

authority• Access control• Ontologies• Maintaining

Identity

Real use cases: e.g.marine habitat - change

Scallop,number,density

Scallop, size,shape, color,place

Scallop,shellfragment

Rock

What is this?

Flora or fauna?

Dirt/ mud; one person’s noise is another person’s signal

Several disciplines; biology, geology, chemistry, oceanography

Several applications; science, fishing, habitat change, climate and environmental change, data integration

Complex relations, questions

Use case: What is the temperature and salinity of the water and are these marine specimens usual or part of an ecosystem change? Src: WHOI and the HabCam group

Modular semantics and applications – S2S see Rozell - IN23A-1349

Service: an OpenSearch-described resource that supports S2S queries

Query: a GET or POST service with parameters defined as S2S parameters

Parameter: an input to S2Squeries for requesting specific results

Widget: a user interface element that visualizes results of S2S queries and facilitates user input (i.e., parameter selection)

Application integration!

• Rozell et al. IN23A-1349

Core and framework semantics

Provenance aware faceted search

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Open Source

• http://escience.rpi.edu/ontology/

• http://escience.rpi.edu/application/ - {null}

• http://escience.rpi.edu/tool/ - {null}

• SVN http://scm.escience.rpi.edu/svn

• Application ontology approach (see Rozell et al.) provides the ability for user contributions to the framework (e.g. widgets)

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Participation

• Current test-beds– VSTO reimplementation and HELIO– BCO-DMO (biological and chemical

oceanography)– Ecosystem assessment– Want to join?

• Community-based project collaboration site – you can request a login

• Use case, requirements and framework use workshop in 2011

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Summary

• Ontology modularization efforts are well underway

• Expansion of application integration via ontology-driven mediation

• Non-specialist/ application use case implementation and vocabulary mediaiton

• First phase of configuration capability coming by summer 2011

• Many opportunities to participate

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Further Information

• http://tw.rpi.edu/web/project/SESF• NSF/OCI STCI 0943761 (ARRA)• Contacts:

– [email protected]– [email protected]– [email protected]– [email protected]– [email protected] – [email protected]– [email protected]

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