Sensor Management System (SMS): Open-source software for FAIR sensor metadata management in Earth system sciences

TL;DR

The paper introduces SMS, an open-source platform designed to enhance FAIR sensor metadata management in Earth sciences by modeling complex sensor systems and supporting a comprehensive, lifecycle-based metadata approach.

Contribution

It presents a user-friendly, feature-rich system for modeling and managing sensor metadata throughout their lifecycle, integrating community and digital ecosystem features.

Findings

Supports complex sensor system modeling

Enables comprehensive metadata management

Fosters FAIR data principles

Abstract

Deriving reliable conclusions and insights from environmental observational data urgently requires the enrichment with consistent and comprehensive metadata, including time-resolved context such as changing deployments, configurations, and maintenance actions. We have therefore developed the Sensor Management System (SMS), which provides a user-friendly and feature-rich platform for modeling even the most complex sensor systems and managing all sensor-related information across their life cycle. Each entity is described via well-defined terms like Devices, Platforms and Configurations, as well as Sites that are further enhanced with attributes for, e.g., instrument manufacturers, contact information or measured quantities and complemented by a continuous history of system-related actions. By further linking the SMS to sub-sequent systems and services like PID-registration or controlled vocabularies and establishing a community of end-users, the SMS provides the central element of a digital ecosystem, that fosters a more consistent, sustainable and FAIR provision of sensor-related metadata.