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# System prepended metadata

title: VirES - future plans

---

# VirES - future plans

### Datasets:
- AUX_OBS:
    - minute :heavy_check_mark:
    - second :heavy_check_mark: 
    - hour :clock2: *CDF files now ready*
        - Use of `ObsIndex` variable
        - `Quality` are currently all `Q`, to be modified in future release
        - Locations (`Latitude`, `Longitude`, `Radius`) given are not identical to the minute/second ones (fix not expected)
- GVO :clock2: (waiting on project conclusion)
    - Preliminary information and products at:  
      https://www.space.dtu.dk/english/research/projects/project-descriptions/geomagnetic-virtual-observatories
- PRISM :clock2: (waiting on project conclusion)
    - https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/section/geomagnetism/projects/prism-plasmapause-related-boundaries-in-the-topside-ionosphere-as-derived-from-swarm-measurements/
- Swarm Echo (e-POP / Cassiope) MGF
    - test data [from U Iowa](https://space.physics.uiowa.edu/swarm/epop/data/2019/)
    - LR (1Hz?) & HR (160Hz?)
    - Problem with too large file size (daily ~GB) of 160Hz data
- Swarm TII cross-track
    - 2Hz & 16Hz on [swarm-diss](https://swarm-diss.eo.esa.int/#swarm/Advanced/Plasma_Data)


### VirES/VRE extensions
- SIFACIT outputs: notebooks at https://github.com/Swarm-DISC/FAC_exploration
    - Load into VRE with nbgitpuller link
    - Add a list of nbgitpuller links to the VRE launcher?
- AC-B counterrotating orbits and conjunction points
    - More generally an arbitrary conjunction-finding tool? Is [SPICE](https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/spice) part of the solution?


### Testing & maintenance
- Need for systematic automatic testing of VirES API as new data comes in
    - Requires a reliable database of Swarm metadata (i.e. the contents of files at `swarm-diss`) to verify against
        - See *SPASE* below for the wider solution

### Interoperability
- **HAPI** is a long term standard for accessing a wide array of **heliophysics** data:
  https://hapi-server.github.io/
  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PE5XJaOYJlR_gZsC34nilBLnKbeCSRC8/view?usp=sharing
    - Cluster (an ESA mission) is available through HAPI [(example)](http://hapi-server.org/servers/#server=SSCWeb&dataset=cluster1&parameters=GSE_Magnetic_Vector_X&start=2000-08-22T00:02:30.000Z&stop=2000-08-24T00:02:30.000Z&return=image&format=png)
    - Can we add a HAPI-compliant interface to VirES?
    - It probably needs to be open access (without a token), so perhaps a separate server with some VirES features disabled?
    - Using HAPI would allow Swarm data to automatically plug into other tools
    - *Can HAPI outputs include ISTP-labelled CDF?* 

- **SPASE** is a metadata system connected with HAPI (both endorsed by [International Heliophysics Data Environment Alliance](https://ihdea.net/))
    - [The SPASE Data Model: A Metadata Standard for Registering, Finding, Accessing, and Using Heliophysics Data Obtained From Observations and Modeling](https://doi.org/10.1029/2018SW002038)
    - Swarm dataset descriptions should be added to SPASE at the [hpde/ESA](https://github.com/hpde/ESA) repo
    - SPASE describes the data and where to access it; HAPI provides the access mechanism; together they enable tools like https://heliophysicsdata.gsfc.nasa.gov
    - SPASE records can be used for DOI minting [(further intiatives are expected here)](https://hpde.gsfc.nasa.gov/DOI_Initiative_October_2020.pdf)

- Use of SPASE & HAPI will embed Swarm within the heliophysics data environment:
  VirES would be the engine working underneath to provide the HAPI interface  
  Could find similar pathways to mesh with **other geo-focussed data environments**
  
- **ISTP CDF conventions** are a set of rules for how to label data in CDF files:
  https://spdf.gsfc.nasa.gov/sp_use_of_cdf.html
  - These rules enable tools to automatically interpret the data to correctly make plots etc.
  - The rules prescribe variable names and variable attributes
  - Swarm products do not follow these
  - **Should we make Swarm products compatible?**
    *Do the rules require that Swarm product variables be renamed?*
    *or do we only need to add extra attributes?*
    *> What changes to Swarm data is necessary to be compliant?*
    *> Should this be done in the source files (adjusting all processing chains)? or it could be done to VirES outputs (requiring to define the mapping)?* or not at all?
  - **VirES should be able to interpret uploaded ISTP-labelled data**
    *What should be added to VirES to enable proper interpretation of uploaded ISTP-compliant data?*