This page describes the initial set of Focus Groups (FG) that will determine the requirements for the HELIO system. In the first instance, FG-1 to FG-4 will undertake their tasks; as the project progresses, the other FGs will start. Further FGs will be added in dues course as required.

It is intended that the Groups will conclude their discussions in a relatively short time – by early September 2009 in the case of the first four Groups.

FG-1 – Identify and prioritize types and sources of Metadata and Data (all domains)

• Objective:   In consultation with the Community, produce a list of the types of data from all the domains of heliophysics that HELIO should provide access to. Given that the project's resources are finite, one of the tasks of this FG is to prioritize this list.

  Similarly, identify and prioritize the types of event, etc. metadata from all domains that could be used within the search process to identify data sets of interest. Part of the task will be to determine which metadata may need to be regenerated or otherwise conditioned in order to facilitate searches that span the domains.

  The outputs of the FG will be used to determine what types of data should be included in Service Activities WPS2 (Metadata) and WPS3 (Data part).

• Members:   Bentley (UCL); Messerotti (INAF-OATS); Jacquey (UPST); Hurlburt (LMATC); Aboudarham (OBSPARIS); Perry (STFC); Sanchez (ESA)

FG-2 – Identify and prioritize types of Features (all domains)

• Objective:   In consultation with the Community, produce a list of the types of feature from all the domains of heliophysics that HELIO should be able to identify and track. Given that the project's resources are finite, one of the tasks of this FG is to prioritize this list.

  The outputs of the FG will be used to determine which features will be addressed in Research (WPR2) and Service (WPS2) Activities.

• Members:   Aboudarham (OBSPARIS); Gallagher (TCD); Jacquey (UPST); Hurlburt (LMATC)

FG-3 – Data models & Ontologies

• Objective:   In this FG we are trying to work out how to provided integrated access to the heterogeneous data produced by the different domains involved in heliophysics. The FG needs to gather existing data models and ontologies from the domains, examine these to determine how they treat data and metadata, and look for ways that an over-spanning data model could be constructed.

  The outputs of the FG will be used to define what should be done in Research Activity WPR1 (Semantic VO).

• Members:   Bentley (UCL); Fox (RPI); Gangloff (UPST); Hurlburt (LMATC); Brooke, Le Blanc (UNIMAN); Roberts (NASA); Sanchez (ESA)

FG-4 – Architecture

• Objective:   Design the infrastructure that will be used to implement the initial version of HELIO – this should be built around capabilities that already exist within the consortium. The FG should also identity what functionality is required of the services so that the work to establish them can be started.

  The outputs of the FG will be used to define what will be implemented as the first task in Service Activity WPS1. Once the initial infrastructure has been determined, the Focus Group on the interfaces between the services (FG-5) can start.

• Members:   Csillaghy, Soldati (FHNW); Coghlan, Childs, Pierantoni (TCD-CS); Brooke, Bechhofer (UNIMAN); Fox (RPI); Benson (UCL)