Data Center

Definition

Syntax

Group: Data_Center
   Data_Center_Name:  [SHORT NAME] > [Long Name] 
   Data_Center_URL:
   Data_Set_ID: [text] > [text]
   Group: Personnel
      Role: Data Center Contact
      First_Name:
      Middle_Name:
      Last_Name:
      Email:
      Phone:
      FAX:
      Group: Address

      End_Group
   End_Group
End_Group

Specifications

• This field is required
• The data center group may be repeated in the DIF
• The field Data_Center_Name is a required subfield and may be used only once per group
• The Data_Center_Name must be selected from the Data Center Valids: see Appendix A.
• If the Data_Center_Name does not appear in the Data Center Valids List, a new data center name may be submitted.
• Short Name may contain 1 to 31 characters from the printable ASCII character set, except ">".
• Long Name may contain 1 to 160 characters from the printable ASCII character set, except ">".
• Data_Center_URL is an optional subfield and may be repeated
• Data_Center_URL may contain 1 to 160 characters of the printable ASCII character set
• Data_Set_ID is an optional subfield and may be repeated
• Data_Set_ID may contain 1 to 80 characters of the printable ASCII character set. The identifier may be followed optionally by descriptive text of 1 to 80 characters of the printable ASCII character set. The descriptive text is separated from the identifier by the ">" character.
• Personnel is a required subfield and may be repeated
• The only allowable Personnel Role Valid within the data center group is "Data Center Contact". Personnel Role is not repeatable within the data center group. Personnel Role is required.
• All Personnel fields may contain 1-80 characters of the printable ASCII character set
• Email, Phone and FAX are optional and may be repeated as necessary
• Address may be multiple lines, each line containing 1-80 characters of the printable ASCII character set

Recommendations

• The names of data centers are semicontrolled; i.e. new data center names may only be added if the data center does not already appear in the Data Center Valids List. New names should be submitted with the DIF for review.
• Short name and long name should be provided.
• Short name is usually a mnemonic or abbreviated version of the long name. When submitting a new short name, always check the Data Center Valids List to ensure mutual exclusivity among data center short names. No two data centers may have the same short name.
• Data centers which are part of a larger organization may have a compound short name made up of the organization short name and the data center short name; for example: INPE/DAE/FISAT. This is helpful for users conducting broad searches because the users may query on the substring INPE and receive all DIFs from INPE, regardless of division.
• Long name is the full name of the data center.
• The Internet Uniform Resource Locator(s) (URL) for the data center should be listed if available. This field may be repeated as many times as necessary within the data center group. The URLs will be hypertext linked. The URLs may include gopher, ftp and telnet as well as WWW servers:
  • Data_Center_URL: http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov
  • Data_Center_URL: ftp://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov
  • Data_Center_URL: telnet://ncar.ucar.edu
  • Data_Center_URL: gopher://www.ciesin.org
• Data Set IDs (identifiers) should be listed if available. These are identification codes assigned by the data center, which will simplify the location and ordering of the data set(s). Descriptive information may optionally be appended to each identifier. The descriptive information allows the reader to distinguish the various data sets when many Data_Set_IDs are listed.
• Data center contact is the person(s) able to supply information about data storage, access, availability, costs, etc.
• Phone and fax numbers should be easy to read. Proper punctuation and spaces should be used. For example, for USA phone numbers, use either (xxx) xxx-xxx or xxx-xxx-xxxx. For other countries, begin the number with the country code: +44 123 45678
• The country should always be included in the address.

Example

Group: Data_Center
   Data_Center_Name: NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC > National Climatic Data Center, NOAA
   Data_Center_URL: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov
   Data_Set_ID: TD-9645 > World Monthly Surface Weather Records
   Data_Set_ID: TD-9648 > World Monthly Upper-Air Weather Records
   Group: Personnel
      Role: Data Center Contact
      First_Name: THOMAS
      Last_Name: ROSS
      Email: TROSS@NCDC.NOAA.GOV
      Email: orders@ncdc.noaa.gov
      Phone: (704) 271-4994
      FAX: (704) 271-4876
      Group: Address
         National Climatic Data Center
         Research Customer Service Group
         Federal Building
         151 Patton Avenue
         Asheville, NC  28801-5001
         USA
      End_Group
   End_Group
End_Group