[Go-essp-tech] Replica support in Gateway 2.0

[Bryan Lawrence]

Hi Jamie

> 1. User wants to get data *now* (even if its only 'preprint' in Bryan's language) in a way that suites their particular needs (functional and non-functional)
> 
> 2. In a few years (not sure how long - could be months) time user wants to get a copy of the data to verify or extend some previous analysis.
> 
> I'm sure someone will correct me if I have this wrong, but I *think* most of the discussion so far has centered around the second of these.  I think the first one needs some discusion too though doesn't it - it feels more urgent to me?

Allow me to correct you :-) We are already in a position where we have replicas and we want replicas as well ... we are supposed to be avoiding too much data crossing the Atlantic and the other oceans :-) ... too many times ...  there is real money tied up in bandwidth :-) ... and, the data volume we have now is small to that we expect in a couple of months, which is small compared with a couple of months thereafter etc. Replication, and understanding of that matters a lot.

Now, as to q.c. You guys (MOHC) have done a hell of a lot of qc, frankly the same is not as true elsewhere (in some places yes, but not everywhere).

So, yes, *where* the data is is incredibly important (I know you made that point yourself), but also the *quality* which has been *tested* is also important. And, while I know where your priorites lie, in sofar as you don't *yet* care about the future, if we don't care now, we will never be able to care about the future. It will be too late. We have oodles of experience of that reality (and you once were part of it :-). You can never go back ... and if the system doesn't support our ability to get that right asap, when it does, it'll be too late.

So don't confuse urgent with important. Both use cases are important! Not least, because this analysis, this time, is going to be subject to more due diligence than any previous ...

Cheers
Bryan

--
Bryan Lawrence
University of Reading:  Professor of Weather and Climate Computing.
National Centre for Atmospheric Science: Director of Models and Data. 
STFC: Director of the Centre for Environmental Data Archival.
Ph: +44 118 3786507 or 1235 445012; Web:home.badc.rl.ac.uk/lawrence