Reproduced, with permission, from:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 1993. Master Directory User's Guide, ed. J. Shipe. Greenbelt, MD: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center.
Alphanumeric Interface
Version 2.0
April, 1993
Prepared by Janis Shipe, Hughes/STX
for
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
The Master Directory (MD)
The Master Directory (MD) is a free, on-line multidisciplinary database of information about data holdings of potential interest to the scientific research community. The MD contains high level descriptions of data set holdings of various agencies and institutions. It also contains supplementary descriptions about these data centers, as well as scientific campaigns and projects, sources (spacecraft, platforms), and sensors (instruments).
The holdings described in the Master Directory focus on the Earth and space sciences. Future data set descriptions will include microgravity and life sciences disciplines. The MD does not contain the actual data sets themselves, but serves as a pointer to them, functioning much like a telephone directory. Users should be able to obtain enough information about a data set from the MD to determine if they want to obtain further information at the data center holding the data set. In essence, the directory should be used as a first step for researchers in finding data sets of potential interest or use in their research.
Because the intent of the MD is to direct users to data sets of possible interest, it describes a wide variety of data sets. Consequently, uniformity across all descriptions is loosely defined. For example, one directory entry may point to a small, unique data set, where another entry may point to an aggregation of a number of many similar data sets. In addition, the information from which the directory entries are constructed also varies, so some entries are more expansive than others. Every entry, however, contains information about a person or institution to contact for more information about the data set.
The MD also provides automatic connections called LINKs to many of the data centers or data systems holding the data sets. These connections are available from a simple command which can be activated from several places in the directory. LINKs represent the first major step in the Catalog Interoperability Project (CI), whose objective is to enable researchers to quickly and efficiently identify, obtain information about, and access data.
Introduction to the IDN
The International Directory Network (IDN) is an international effort for expediting information on available data sets to researchers and other users. The IDN is sponsored by the Committee on Earth Observations Satellites (CEOS) as a service to both the Earth science and space science communities. There are three coordinating nodes of the IDN, for the American, Asian, and European continents, each maintaining a complete copy of the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). The American coordinating node is operated by NASA's National Space Science Data Center, located at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, in the United States. The European coordinating node is operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) at the Earthnet Programme Office (ESA/ESRlN) facilities in Frascati, Italy. The Asian coordinating node is operated by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) in Hatoyama, Japan. Automatic transfer of database content takes place between these three sites every two weeks. This assures that data set descriptions and supplementary information can be obtained from various parts of the world, and exchanged with other areas. This process helps expand the base of information available to researchers throughout the world.
Each coordinating node has affiliated directories that cooperate with it. These nodes, known as cooperating nodes, provide a path for researchers within the country or area to participate in the IDN. Cooperating nodes are not required to maintain exact duplicates of the GCMD but some, such as the CCRS (Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing, Ottawa, Canada) have elected to do so.
Cooperating nodes for the American node include the Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) in Canada; the Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), the U.S. Geological Survey, Earth Science Data Directory (USGS ESDD), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Earth Science Data Directory (NOAA NESDD) in the United States.
Cooperating nodes for the European node include the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), in Toulouse, France; the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DLR/DFD) in Munich, Germany; the Italian Antarctica Database System (South Pole Directory) in Rome, Italy; the Center for Geophysics World Data Center A in Moscow, Russia; and the Defense Research Agency (DRA) and the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC), collectively, in the United Kingdom.
The cooperating node for Asia is the Japan Information Center of Science and Technology (JICST), in Tokyo, Japan.
To access the American coordinating node in the US:
NSI/DECnet
$SET HOST NSSDCA Usename: NODIS Choose Option 1 from the NODIS Menu or: $SET HOST 15548 Usename: NODIS Choose Option 1 from the NODIS MenuInternet $telnet nssdca.gsc.nasa.gov or: $telnet 128.183.36.23 Username: NODIS Choose Option 1 from the NODIS Menu
Via Direct Dial Set modem to 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit For 300, 1200 or 2400 baud, dial 301-286-9000 For 9600 baud, dial 301-286-4000 or FTS 888-4000 At system prompt "Enter Number" you enter "MD" At system prompt "Call Complete" you enter <CR> Username: NODIS Choose Option 1 from the NODIS Menu
To access the European coordinating node in Italy:
NSI/DECnet
$SET HOST EPOCAT Usename: ESAPID or: $SET HOST 29628 Username: ESAPIDInternet $telnet 192.106.252.160 Usename: ESAPID
Via Direct Dial: Set modem to 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, 300, 1200, or 2400 baud Dial +39 6 9417336
Packet Exchange Switch Public Data Networks (PSPDN):
The Network User Address (NUA) of the ESA IDN for international calls is: 02222650014761
However, in most ESA member states users can also access the ESA IDN by calling within their country (at local charge) the following numbers:
To access the Asian coordinating node in Japan:
NSI/DECnet
$SET HOST NSAEOC Username: NASDADIR or: $SET HOST 41950 Username: NASDADIRInternet: $telnet 133.56.72.1 Username: NASDADIR
Packet Exchange Network: (DDX-P, Venus-P DTE Number 44014437216, 4437216 in Japan) Username: NASDADIR
Via Direct Dial: Set modem to 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, XON/OFF Dial 81-492-94-6400 (0492-96-6400 in Japan) 1200-9600 bps (DEC Kanji)
For more information on the International Directory Network, please contact:
Ms. Janis Shipe 301-513-1688 NSI/DECnet > NCF::SHIPE 15548::SHIPE internet > shipe@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov
Master Directory User Support Office
If you have a question concerning any aspect of the Master Directory, you can get help from the Master Directory User Support Office (MDUSO). Your question will be routed to the person on the MD team who can best help you. Please contact:
Angelia Bland Master Directory User Support Office c/o Hughes/STX 7601 Ora Glen Drive Greenbelt, MD 20771 USAPhone: (301) 513-1687 Fax: (301) 513-1608 email: NSI/DECnet (formerly SPAN) > NCF::MDUSO internet > MDUSO@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov The x.400 mail address is: to: (UN:POSTMAN,O:NASA,PRMD:NASAMAlL, ADMD:TELEMAIL,C:USA) to: MDUSO@NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV
Various publications about the Master Directory and related activities are available from the MDUSO. This information includes:
Copies of the following documents are available from the public area on National Space Science Data Center computers. This documentation will be helpful in preparing new data set descriptions in the DIF format and establishing new LINKs.
To access this information, use the following procedures:
DECnet:
dir nssdca::anon_dir:[md_doc] type/page nssdca::anon_dir:[md_doc]userguide.vl3Internet: ftp nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov user anonymous (password) your_username@your_address cd md_doc 1s to list documents, then get <doc name> bye
Master Directory Discipline Coordinators
The Master Directory Discipline Coordinators can assist you with questions about the specific contents of the MD. They can also assist you in the preparation and submission of new data entries and the establishment of LINK connections.
To send mail via internet to NCF:: <name>@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov
To send mail via OMNET:: send to D. Irvine, via NASAMAIL(C:USA,A:TELEMAIL,P:GSFCMAIL,UN:LSHOTLAND)
Master Directory Development Team
The Master Directory Development team can offer assistance if you have a question about the MD software. Team members can also provide help with connectivity questions and questions of a technical nature. For information please contact:
Ms. Patricia Bailey 301-513-1641 NSI/DECnet > NCF::PBAILEY internet > pbailey@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov
