Leading NOAA The Critical Role of Technology
VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.)Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere | NOAA AdministratorIndustry Advisory CouncilSeptember 26, 2007
Expanding Access to Environmental Information for Global Users
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 2
Overview
NOAA: Technology’s Critical Role
Earth Observations: A Case Study
Managing IT for NOAA’s Future
NOAA Connecting with Users
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 3
NOAA’s Vision A Broad Mandate
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 4
NOAA’s MissionA Diverse Organization
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 5
Fulfilling NOAA’s Mission
For Users Across the Nation
NWSNESDISOARNOSNMFS
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 6
NWS Supercomputing System: “Frost” & “Snow”
Information Technology
Keeping a Diverse Organization Together
Global Monitoring Division—South Pole
Global Monitoring Division—
Samoa
NOAA Ship RON BROWN
Phased Array Radar
Argo Floats
PICO Buoy
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 7
Overview
NOAA: Technology’s Critical Role
Earth Observations: A Case Study
Managing IT for NOAA’s Future
NOAA Connecting with Users
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 8
Earth ObservationsAn Example of IT at Work
El Niño
Water Level Station, MA
Air Gap Sensor, Gerald Desmond Bridge, CA
DART II Buoy, ThailandUnmanned Aircraft Vehicle—Manta
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 9
Developing a Global Earth Observation System of Systems(GEOSS)
International Initiative Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Improving coordination of observation
systems Links all platforms: in situ, aircraft,
and satellite networks Facilitates exchange of data and information Improves decision-makers’ abilities to
address pressing policy issues
Earth ObservationsThe Value of Integration
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 10
Earth ObservationsLinking Products & Global Users
Implementation of GEONetCast:
Open exchange of data and information
Worldwide information distribution
Delivers products to global users
Implementation of GEONetCast:
Open exchange of data and information
Worldwide information distribution
Delivers products to global users
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 11
Earth ObservationsArchiving & Data Stewardship
The Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS) is NOAA’s premier on-line facility for the distribution of NOAA and DOD meteorological satellite data.
Major satellite systems archive growth 2000 - 2020
GOES-R
NPOESS
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 12
Earth ObservationsEnvironmental Modeling
NOAA’s Modeling Capabilities are Broad and Expanding
Example: Climate Models
Goal: Increase model resolution and complexity:
Result: More computationally expensive to run
Adding the global carbon cycle makes the model 2x as computationally expensive to run
Adding chemistry to address global air quality and climate change makes the model 3x as expensive to run
50 km resolutionShort-term
Target
200 km resolutionCurrent Climate
Model
4 km resolutionObservations
10x m
ore
computational pow
er
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 13
Correlation: 0.86
IssueSeasonal to Decadal Hurricanes &
ClimateWill landfalls of more intense hurricanes become more common in the future?
Additional computational resources are needed to:
Understand seasonal hurricane activity using models at scales of a few to ten kilometers, but in basin-scale or global domains.
Understand the impacts of present and future climate on hurricane activity through seasonal and multi-decadal model runs that require 4000X more computing
Transition this understanding into an operational predictive capability for seasonal hurricane activity up to a decade in advance Next generation
weather/ climate/hurricane
model
Decadal and Seasonal Variability Simulation
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 14
IssueHurricane Modeling
Increase model resolution: Increasing hurricane model resolution to 1km
makes it 14,580x more computationally expensive to run
28 yrs at current budget with Moore’s Law
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 15
Increasingly complex models are required to support Ecosystems Based Management – New Requirement
Ecosystems Forecasts Ocean Forecasting Space Weather Forecasts Deposition and Runoff
A global model for regional impacts, with carbon and air quality, is 384x (64 x 2 x 3) more expensive to run
Additional processes (glacial melt, ecology, nitrogen cycle) require more computing
IssueEcosystems & Global Ocean
Modeling
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 16
Overview
NOAA: Technology’s Critical Role
Earth Observations: A Case Study
Managing IT for NOAA’s Future
NOAA Connecting with Users
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 17
Managing NOAA’s ITCore Priorities
Risks Outcomes
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 18
March 5, 2007
“A section of the NOAA Website was hacked and packed with several pages promoting a muscle relaxant.”
– Source: Dark Reading website
Managing NOAA’s ITSecurity
Weeks
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 19
Managing NOAA’s ITContinuity & Resiliency
Construction severs underground cables –Silver Spring HQ’s only internet connection goes down
Hurricane directly hits the DC metro area – power loss with incomplete generator in Silver Spring HQ. Loss of critical operations centers
Pote
nti
al Im
pact
on
NO
AA
Op
s
LikelihoodLow HighLow
High
Train derailment by Silver Spring HQ – NWS Telecom Gateway destroyed, civilian and military meteorological data unavailable
Unknowns
Pandemic Flu – telework not supported by NOAA remote access capacity
Working to Eliminate Single Points of Failure in NOAA Systems
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 20
Sources: NOAA Human Resources Data SystemInformation Technology (IT) Workforce Capability Assessment Survey (2004), CIO CouncilComputer World 2006 Salary Survey
Managing NOAA’s ITMaintaining Critical Skills
Ave
rag
e
Ave
rag
e
Ban
kin
g
Ban
kin
g
Hea
lth
Car
e
Hea
lth
Car
eAer
osp
ace
Aer
osp
ace
Go
vern
men
t
Go
vern
men
t
$60,000
$70,000
$80,000
$90,000
$100,000
$110,000
$120,000
$130,000
Information Security Officer IT Project Manager
Sal
ary
IT Management Series has over 2000 employees
24%Younger than 40 years old
43%Between 40 and
50 years old
33% Over 50years old
14.4%Younger than 40 years old
26.3%Between 40 and 50 years
old
59.3% Over 50 years old
Federal IT Workforce
NOAA OCIO Workforce
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 21
Managing NOAA’s ITScalability & Capacity
Data volume is outpacing the IT infrastructure to handle it
NOAA NESDIS Data Archive Volume Projections—March 2007
(includes backup)
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 22
Increasing Efficiency Through Enterprise-wide Solutions
Critical to identify and implement NOAA-wide solutions Important to minimize stovepipes
Managing NOAA’s ITEnterprise-Wide Solutions
63 Systems
4600 Seats4600 Seats
1 System
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 23
Managing NOAA’s IT Communicating with Users
New NOAA web presence
http://www.noaa.gov
Simplified front page
Consistency across organization
Increased resiliency to attacks
Reaching our clientele with life saving information
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 24
Provide the right information, in the right format,at the right time,to the right people,to make the right decisions.
Managing NOAA’s IT Staying Connected to Users
Leading NOAA The Critical Role of Technology
VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., USN (Ret.)Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere | NOAA AdministratorIndustry Advisory CouncilSeptember 26, 2007
Expanding Access to Environmental Information for Global Users
Backups
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 27
DemandSupply
Earth ObservationsBenefits to Society
Earth ObservationsBenefits to Society
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 28
What is GEOSS?Global Earth Observation
System of Systems
Comprehensive
Coordinated
Sustained
An end-to-end system of existing systems (both in-situ and remote sensing observation platforms)linked with new systems
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 29
One NOAA/Regional Collaboration:
Improved services for the benefit of NOAA’s customers
Increased value and productivity of partnerships
Improved stakeholder relations and support
Improved internal communications and efficiency across line offices and programs
A more visible and valued NOAA brand
Success will be measured by NOAA’s ability to advance the work of the agency towards
these goals
Leading NOAA: The Critical Role of Technology 30
How IT keeps a diverse organization together