CEDAR Database Committee Report

This report discusses the Data Base as it is today, assesses CEDAR community utilization of the Data Base and makes recommendations for its future development. Section 2 covers the history and current status of the Data Base. In Section 3 we discuss operations and available resources, including personnel and computer facilities. Utilization of the Data Base is covered in Section 4 and Tables 1-4. The format used to store data has remained unchanged since the creation of the Incoherent Scatter Data Base in 1985. This format was designed with incoherent scatter data in mind, and is not entirely satisfactory for certain other data types, such as images. In Section 5 we discuss modifications to the format to accommodate additional types of data, and new requirements such as telescience. Smooth functioning of the Data Base requires that there be clear agreements among the parties involved in acquiring, handling, and using the data. This is covered in the Data Base Rules of the Road. New developments in computer technology, such as the World Wide Web, require a reevaluation of the current Rules of the Road. In Section 6 we recommend a modification to the Rules of the Road which will simplify the procedure for accessing the data through the Web. Education and informing the general public about CEDAR are important functions of the Data Base, and we discuss this in Section 7. In Section 8 we discuss future directions of the Data Base, including telescience and computer aided collaboration. The conclusions of this report are summarized in Section 9.