THE GEO STANDARDS AND INTEROPERABILITY FORUM

摘要

The intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is leading a worldwide effort to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). GEOSS builds upon, and adds value to, functioning Earth observation systems by supporting their interoperability, among other objectives. To help advance these interoperability goals the GEO Architecture and Data Committee (ADC) has established a Standards and Interoperability Forum (SIF) to support GEO organizations offering components and services to GEOSS. The SIF helps GEOSS contributors understand how to work with the GEOSS interoperability guidelines and how to enter their "interoperability arrangements" (standards or other ad hoc arrangements for interoperability) into the GEOSS registries. In addressing diverse societal needs an activity may require the exchange of data and information between disparate disciplines that do not traditionally interact and therefore lack established common standards necessary for interoperability. For this reason, GEOSS interoperability arrangements must include a process for bridging these gaps and, if necessary for initiating the creation of new standards where the need arises. The Standards and Interoperability Forum exists to facilitate the interchange of information, and make recommendations for standards and interoperability in GEOSS. The SIF is enabling ever greater degrees of interoperability among GEOSS components through facilitation, technical analysis, advocacy and education. Although GEO encourages the use of open international standards, GEOSS must also accommodate the use of non-standard practices. Thus, the GEOSS Standards Registry contains information on these non-standard practices or interoperability "special arrangements." The process for entering special arrangements into the Standards Registry is handled by the Standards and Interoperability Forum. We describe the operating principles and current practices of the GEO ADC Standards and Interoperability Forum.