29.06.2022

Making data FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) requires not only trusted repositories, but also trusted workflows between data and infrastructure providers. Limited data access, unintentional and unnoticed data changes or even (unnoticed) data loss pose major challenges to all parties involved.

On July 1, 2022 the incubator project, IPFS Pinning Service for Open Climate Research Data, will start at DKRZ. Within the next four month DKRZ intends to develop a prototype for an easy-to-use data management service for researchers based on the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) and test it on datasets from the CMIP6 data pool.

IPFS is an emerging distributed web technology that ensures data authenticity and fault-tolerant remote access. Content is accessed using IPFS via peers located anywhere in the world that can forward the information, store it, or do both. In doing so, IPFS locates the data based on content address rather than location. Starting with a prototypical implementation to be built within the DKRZ infrastructure, the suitability of the IPFS for a distributed and secure "web" for research data is being examined.

NFDI4Earth Incubator Projects

NFDI4Earth Incubator Projects are intended to foster exploration and development of novel cutting-edge tools, latest innovations, and "blue sky" ideas that support the goal of the National Research Data Infrastructure NFDI4Earth for easy, efficient, open, and unrestricted access to all relevant Earth system data. Examples include tools for automated metadata extraction and annotation, semantic mapping and harmonization, machine learning, data fusion, visualization, and interaction. The incubator lab also serves as a forum where new requirements can be formulated and trends can be presented in terms of user consultation process.

Further information on the incubator projects: https://nfdi4earth.de/2participate/incubator-lab