Updated: 19 May 2025

DCIO Forum

The Data Center Inter-Operability DCIO Forum is a group of representatives from Entities, Stakeholders, Research Infrastructures and Networks such as EEA, EUMETSAT, ACTRIS, and others to enable seamless integration, exchange, and use of data across multiple data centers, platforms, and systems. The DCIO forum includes data providers and users who apply both the GEOMS standard to their datasets and products, as well as those using the non-GEOMS standard.

The DCIO forum meet regularly (once per month) to review the progress of the data status, needs and interoperabiliy, provide feedback and recommendations, and ensure the quality and relevance of the metadata and data structure requirements.

Please contact the EVDC team [nadirteam @ nilu.no] if you want to contribute to the DCIO Forum.

The list of all members and the main DCIO contact are listed here:

Company/Body/Network    Nature DCIO representative(s)
EVDC Data coordinator Ian Boyd and Ann Mari Fjæraa
AVDC Data Collaborative Coordinator Ian Boyd
ESA Sentinel-5P Stakeholder and Data User Angelika Dehn and Paolo Castracane
ESA EarthCARE Stakeholder and Data User Rob Koopman and Stephanie Rusli
EUMETSAT Stakeholder and Data User Thierry Marbach
CAMS-27/BIRA Data User and Data Provider Bavo Langerock
Sentinel-5P VDAF/[S&T] Data User Sander Niemeijer
NDACC Data Provider Jeannette Wild
ACTRIS EARLINET Date Provider Lucia Mona and Claudio Dema
ACTRIS CLOUDNET Data Provider Ewan O'Connor
WOUDC Data Provider Tom Kralidis
ARM Data Provider Jim Mater and Giri Prakash
COCCON Data Provider Darko Dubravica and Frank Hase
DWD Data Provider Wolfgang Steinbrecht
EUBREWNET Data Provider Alberto Aredondas
JPL/TOLNET/NDACC Data Provider Thierry Leblanc
LALINET Data Provider Eduardo Landulfo
MPLNET and GALION Data Provider Ellsworth J. Welton and Jasper Lewis
PGN    Data Provider Ragi Rajagopalan
SHADOZ Data Provider Ryan Stauffer
TOAR Data Provider Roeland van Maldern and Herman Smit
TOLNET Data Provider Thierry Leblanc

DCIO Data Centre Inter Operability - Metadata Harvesting and Sharing

Atmospheric EO and Cal/Val data are available from multiple sources and data archives across the world, there is no so-called "one-stop-shop" for search of data. In order to facilitate simpler and faster search metods for the users, EVDC provides harvesting methods for sharing metadata between data archives from a number of national and international projects and programmes.

If you want to explore what is new, deleted or updated in EVDC since last time you visted the database, you might want to use our online harvester - based on The Data Center InterOperability system

There is a growing interest in using Cal/Val data particular in connection with the new Sentinel missions and other upcoming satellites, as well as in Copernicus
and related initiatives. Through metadata sharing, EVDC aims to promote cooperation between the various data archives, work for an open data policy and exploit and strenghten collaboration throughout EO disciplines in the best possible way.


DCIO OAI-PMH metadata exchange structure files

DCIO metadata mapping for EO datasets: OAI-PMH XSD files, examples: EOCDCIO-Metadatamapping-V08.zip

XSD file: eocdcio_20110725.xsd


EVDC Harvester

The EVDCs primary data format is GEOMS formatted HDF files. A harvester to browse the GEOMS data is set up at https://dcio.evdc.nilu.no/oaicat/ 

For really using it you’d probably prefer to use python. We use pyoaiharvester as a starting point (https://github.com/vphill/pyoaiharvester).


Example on how to use the harvester from the web browser:

To see what files that are new/changed/deleted in the system since yyyy-mm-dd:

From the main OAICAT link at https://dcio.evdc.nilu.no/oaicat/ select ListRecords (Resumption) and type e.g. the following

https://dcio.evdc.nilu.no/oaicat/ , select ListRecords (Resumption) and type e.g. the following

  • from: 2022-01-30
  • until: 2011-01-31
  • set: dcio
  • metedataPrefix: eocdcio

Press "Send" button

The OAIHandler will return a list of records and their valid metadata. It also gives information on where to download the files.


<metadata>

<eocdcio:CorrelativeProduct xmlns:eocdcio="http://earth.esa.int/eocdcio" xmlns:str="http://exslt.org/strings" xmlns:xlink="http://www.  w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:gml="http://www.opengis.net/gml/3.2" gml:id="EVDC_1199235" version="0.8.0">

<gml:metaDataProperty>

<eocdcio:CorrelativeProductMetaData>

<eocdcio:fileIdentifier>urn:x-eocdcio:evdc:1199235</eocdcio:fileIdentifier>

<eocdcio:metaDataUpdateDate>2017-05-16T12:04:49Z</eocdcio:metaDataUpdateDate>

<eocdcio:fileGenerationDate>2017-05-16T05:12:57Z</eocdcio:fileGenerationDate>

<eocdcio:description>

Routine stratospheric temperature profile from LIDAR at DWD-Hohenpeissenberg Observatory, Germany. See: doi:10.5194/amt-2-125-2009

</eocdcio:description>

<eocdcio:discipline>ATMOSPHERIC.CHEMISTRY</eocdcio:discipline>

<eocdcio:acquisitionType>REMOTE.SENSING</eocdcio:acquisitionType>

<eocdcio:dataLevel/>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>ALTITUDE||</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>ALTITUDE|INDEPENDENT|INITIALIZATION</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>ALTITUDE|INDEPENDENT|NORMALIZATION</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>ALTITUDE.INSTRUMENT||</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>DATETIME||</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>DATETIME.START||</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>DATETIME.STOP||</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>INTEGRATION.TIME||</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>LATITUDE.INSTRUMENT||</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>LONGITUDE.INSTRUMENT||</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>NUMBER.DENSITY|BACKSCATTER|</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

NUMBER.DENSITY|BACKSCATTER|UNCERTAINTY.COMBINED.STANDARD

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

NUMBER.DENSITY|BACKSCATTER|UNCERTAINTY.RANDOM.STANDARD

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

NUMBER.DENSITY|BACKSCATTER|UNCERTAINTY.SYSTEMATIC.STANDARD

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>NUMBER.DENSITY|INDEPENDENT|</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>NUMBER.DENSITY|INDEPENDENT|SOURCE</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>PRESSURE|INDEPENDENT|</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>PRESSURE|INDEPENDENT|SOURCE</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>TEMPERATURE|BACKSCATTER|</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

TEMPERATURE|BACKSCATTER|RESOLUTION.ALTITUDE.DF.CUTOFF

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

TEMPERATURE|BACKSCATTER|RESOLUTION.ALTITUDE.DF.NORMALIZED.FREQUENCY

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

TEMPERATURE|BACKSCATTER|RESOLUTION.ALTITUDE.DF.TRANSFER.FUNCTION

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

TEMPERATURE|BACKSCATTER|RESOLUTION.ALTITUDE.IMPULSE.RESPONSE

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

TEMPERATURE|BACKSCATTER|RESOLUTION.ALTITUDE.IMPULSE.RESPONSE.FWHM

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

TEMPERATURE|BACKSCATTER|UNCERTAINTY.COMBINED.STANDARD

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

TEMPERATURE|BACKSCATTER|UNCERTAINTY.RANDOM.STANDARD

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:dataVariable>

TEMPERATURE|BACKSCATTER|UNCERTAINTY.SYSTEMATIC.STANDARD

</eocdcio:dataVariable>

<eocdcio:origin>EXPERIMENTAL</eocdcio:origin>

<eocdcio:originator>

<eocdcio:PersonIdentification>

<eocdcio:personName>Steinbrecht,Wolfgang</eocdcio:personName>

</eocdcio:PersonIdentification>

</eocdcio:originator>

<eocdcio:investigator>

<eocdcio:PersonIdentification>

<eocdcio:personName>Steinbrecht,Wolfgang</eocdcio:personName>

</eocdcio:PersonIdentification>

</eocdcio:investigator>

<eocdcio:submitter>

<eocdcio:PersonIdentification>

<eocdcio:personName>Steinbrecht,Wolfgang</eocdcio:personName>

</eocdcio:PersonIdentification>

</eocdcio:submitter>

</eocdcio:CorrelativeProductMetaData>

</gml:metaDataProperty>

<gml:validTime>

<gml:TimePeriod gml:id="EVDC_1199235_T">

<gml:beginPosition>2017-05-15T20:40:12Z</gml:beginPosition>

<gml:endPosition>2017-05-16T02:38:36Z</gml:endPosition>

</gml:TimePeriod>

</gml:validTime>

<gml:using>

<eocdcio:CorrelativeProductEquipment gml:id="EVDC_1199235_E">

<eocdcio:platform>GROUNDBASED</eocdcio:platform>

<eocdcio:instrumentModelType>LIDAR.TEMPERATURE</eocdcio:instrumentModelType>

<eocdcio:instrumentModelOrganisation>DWD</eocdcio:instrumentModelOrganisation>

<eocdcio:instrumentModelIdentifier>001</eocdcio:instrumentModelIdentifier>

</eocdcio:CorrelativeProductEquipment>

</gml:using>

<gml:target>

<eocdcio:CorrelativeProductSpatialExtent gml:id="EVDC_1199235_SE">

<eocdcio:fixedLocationName>HOHENPEISSENBERG</eocdcio:fixedLocationName>

<eocdcio:pointLocation>

<gml:Point gml:id="EVDC_1199235_P1" srsName="CRS:84">

<gml:pos>47.8 11.02</gml:pos>

</gml:Point>

</eocdcio:pointLocation>

<eocdcio:lowestAltitude>14930.0</eocdcio:lowestAltitude>

<eocdcio:highestAltitude>67390.0</eocdcio:highestAltitude>

</eocdcio:CorrelativeProductSpatialExtent>

</gml:target>

<gml:resultOf>

<eocdcio:CorrelativeProductResult gml:id="EVDC_1199235_PR">

<eocdcio:product>

<eocdcio:ProductInformation>

<eocdcio:onlineResourceURL>

ftp://ftp.evdc.nilu.no/groundbased/lidar.temperature/hohenpeissenberg/groundbased_lidar.temp erature_dwd001_hohenpeissenberg_20170515t204012z_20170516t023836z_001.hdf

</eocdcio:onlineResourceURL>

<eocdcio:fileAccessConstraints>This file may only be accessed by ....</eocdcio:fileAccessConstraints>

<eocdcio:dataFileHash>e46656ffc267ad2f891acdd43d7917b9</eocdcio:dataFileHash>

<eocdcio:fileFormat/>

<eocdcio:cloudCoverPercentage uom="%">12</eocdcio:cloudCoverPercentage>

<eocdcio:snowCoverPercentage uom="%">0</eocdcio:snowCoverPercentage>

</eocdcio:ProductInformation>

</eocdcio:product>

</eocdcio:CorrelativeProductResult>

</gml:resultOf>

</eocdcio:CorrelativeProduct>

</metadata>

About DCIO - OAI-PMH

DCIO chose the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) for interchanging catalog metadata. Some peer data centers are fully OAI-PMH compliant, and some have chosen to provide metadata through a custom-built mechanism. The OAI-PMH's purpose is to transfer large amount of records from one data repository to another. All metadata will be searchable in both records, but the data remains in the primary archive. Using the OAI Harvester module, a site administrator must first register an existing data repository by name and base URL. The base URL specifies the Internet host, port, and path, of an HTTP server acting as a repository, without any parameter. After saving the repository, the OAI Harvester module will detect and save all the necessary information, such as the descriptive information about the data provider, the list of metadata formats, and sets, the availability of the server. After fetching the last record from data provider and processing, the result is a collection of all new, updated, and deleted records in the archive.

Read more on https://www.openarchives.org/pmh/
As of January 2021 the DCIO is set up for at the following data centers and projects:

Data centre Data Search Data Harvester
AVDC - Aura Validation Data Center Search oaicat
EVDC - ESA atmospheric Validation Centre Search GEOMS oaicat / non-GEOMS oaicat
NDACC - Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change Search non-GEOMS
ACTRIS - Aerosol, Clouds, and Trace gases Research Infrastructure Search non-GEOMS
WOUDC – World Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation Data Centre Search non-GEOMS CSW / non-GEOMS OWS
EARLINET - European Aerosol Research Lidar Network Search non-GEOM
CloudNet and ARM stations Search non-GEOMS



Project Data Search Data Harvester
RAMOS - Romanian Atmospheric Observation System Search non-GEOMS oaicat
ESA CCI Permafrost dataset Search non-GEOMS oaicat