OpenMI Award presented to KISTERS
January 11, 2011
Model in Denmark linked to server in Germany via standardized interface. Web interoperability vision becomes new reality.
Open Modeling Interface (OpenMI) is an association and a software standard for integrated modeling. The latter allows models to exchange data on a time step by time step basis.
This past year, KISTERS Time Series Server (KiTSM) became OpenMI compliant. Raw and processed time series data for any water resource related observation is now accessible for OpenMI-compliant models. To test this new capability, HydroInform linked a model in Denmark with KISTERS TSM Server in Germany via the Internet. This successful proof of concept makes the vision of data hubs freely accessible. Qualified time series data through a standardized interface is now a reality.
In May, 2011 on behalf of the OpenMI Association, Quillon Harpham announced KISTERS as the 2010 OpenMI Award winner.
Proof of Concept
The OpenMI extension links compliant models or modules to WISKI, KISTERS data repository. Compliant models can retrieve any source of time series data, processed or raw data, through the local area network (LAN) or Internet. Users install a WISKI component on the local computer. Afterwards the component can be included in OpenMI configurations on said computer. When the configuration is running, the local WISKI component communicates through the Internet with WISKI on a remote server.
An example of practical implementation could be a flood forecast system. For instance, rainfall-runoff models and river models can run on-site at local flood authorities. They can ingest the most recent meteorological data through OpenMI from a remote WISKI server.
Further, this development establishes a proof of concept for new ways to use OpenMI. The association conceived the open standard to dynamically connect anything to anything anywhere. OpenMI has always supported such applications. Until now, most applications have been model-to-model linkages, running locally. The migration of WISKI demonstrates the applicability of OpenMI for remote linking and standardized access to databases.
Proxy Design Pattern
The migration used a proxy design pattern. The KiTSM proxy is responsible for remote communication with the KiTSM server. The OpenMI wrapper implements the linkable component interface. Users access it from the local model through OpenMI methods. The benefit of this approach is Internet communication using private protocol. Optimizes communication between the proxy and server allows access to the wrapper by any OpenMI compliant component/model.
KiTSM can contain thousands of time series. Exposing all inventory as OpenMI exchange items can make the OpenMI configuration process very slow. For faster performance, the KiTSM site, station, and parameter of interest are defined in the OMI file. This exposes only time series.
To connect the proxy and server, the OMI file must supply the IP address and credentials. Users select the KiTSM OMI file on local computers, configure, and run it. This process retrieves data from a remote server. Everything runs as if all components were installed locally.
HydroInform assisted KISTERS in the OpenMI migration of KiTSM. KISTERS developers created the proxy on a local computer at HydroInform offices. Then HydroInfom developed and tested the OpenMI wrapper.
Special thanks to Jan Gregersen (HydroInform) and Michael Natschke (KISTERS AG) for contributing this article.