2014-03

Highlights for March, 2014 Completion of GEO BON Handbook Draft Chapter on Interoperability Standards and Specifications Implementation of the SAEON Knowledge Repository Participation in RDA Plenary 3, Dublin Participation in ICSU-WDS SC Meeting, Paris Visit to CIRAD, Montpellier Publication of SRIG ICT Tender and receipt of bids

Systems Development and Implementation

Significant progress was made in March with the implementation and deployment of the SAEON Knowledge Repository. The facility is general purpose, but is also specifically to be used for:

1. Capturing and maintaining the typical information associated with node websites, personnel activities, and corporate information resources;
2. An emergency data repository, to be used in case of recovery and in support of Business Continuity;
3. A repository for documentation, reports, and other evidence to support KPI statistics.

The knowledge repository can be found here: http://skp.dirisa.org/ and will eventually be released as http://knowledge.saeon.ac.za

There are many examples on how the knowledge repository content can be manipulated and displayed in a website of choice:

Egagasini Staff Stubs as a simple list:

http://app01.saeon.ac.za/PLATFORM_4/FRAME/index.htm?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fskp.dirisa.org%2Frepository%2FEgagasini%2Fpersonnel%2FjsonContent%3Ftype%3DStub%26depth%3D-1&VIEW=simple&LAYOUT=sidebyside&FILTER=HIDE&THEME=&WIDTH=800&HEIGHT=500&IMGW=100

Egagasini Staff Stubs as a carousel slideshow:

http://app01.saeon.ac.za/PLATFORM_4/FRAME/index.htm?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fskp.dirisa.org%2Frepository%2FEgagasini%2Fpersonnel%2FjsonContent%3Ftype%3DStub%26depth%3D-1&VIEW=simple&LAYOUT=slideshow&FILTER=HIDE&THEME=&WIDTH=800&HEIGHT=500&IMGW=250

Participation in Research Data Alliance Plenary 3, Dublin

Participation was in support of ICSU WDS Scientific Committee activities, and included participation in a number of side meetings, and participation/ co-chairing of workgroup and interest group meetings in which WDS are a participant or have an interest. These included:

• A Global Registry of Trusted Repositories
• Standards for Certification of Trusted Digital Repositories
• Knowledge Networks
• Brokering of Meta-Data and Data Services

Participation in World Data System Scientific Committee Meeting, Paris

Report back on a number of tasks and initiatives, as well as as general participation in meeting.

Visit to CIRAD, Montpellier

This was done with the assistance of CIRAD and on recommendation from Dave Thomson (Ndlovu Node). CIRAD is the developer of the Pl@ntNet suite of products for support of botanists, and the in-depth review of their platform has led to the development of a proposal for its use within SAEON - see separate document.

Publication of SRIG ICT Tender and receipt of bids

The ICT SRIG Tender was published in the government gazette on the 28th of February, and bids were received from 2 suppliers on the 24th of March.

Purchases for videoconferencing, node storage, and UPSs for node servers were also completed during March 2014.

Completion of GEO BON Handbook Chapter on Interoperability and Standards - Draft

This work is a collaboration between SAEON, GBIF, and EU-BON, with smaller contributions from a number of individuals. Publication will be during the latter half of 2014. The GEO BON Handbook will contain a review of current best practice as a chapter from each of the workgroups.

Staff

Shaun Swanepoel joined SAEON on the 4th of March as a Systems Engineer, responsible in future for our network and server infrastructure, security, and backup. First-line user support at all the nodes will also be Shaun's responsibility.

Cara Woolls was re-appointed for the 2014/15 financial year, and will focus on support to ICSU and the National Office, Procurement, Asset Management, and will also help with content management and development of the SAEON Knowledge Repository.