Practical Software Sustainability Models for Geoscience Communities and Beyond

Abstract:

There are many, active Geoscience-related efforts around data support infrastructures, with an eye towards enabling improved access, usability, and sharing cross scientific disciplines. Beyond that and even beyond consistent and compatible interfaces between those data infrastructures and the software that relies on them, lies the challenge of sustainable and compatible software systems. There is a need to establish guidelines and mechanisms for collaboration and coordination around software interoperability within and between software communities. These software communities include multiple parties developing a full software stack: from operating systems and foundation infrastructure, to off-the-shelf vendor-supplied applications, to partner and community-developed codes, all the way to the end-user tools, used once or repeatedly. Expanding the scope of the challenge is the reality that users of these software stacks are no longer solely from the geoscience community; more and more research and industry disciplines and the general public are accessing and using data and tools previously contained to the geoscience arena. Finally, the increased focus on research transparency and reproducibility creates additional requirements that developers of software must design to, whether for desktop, mobile, cloud-based, or even instrument- and hardware-based software systems.

This talk will discuss the challenges involved in developing sustainable software within and across communities, including the various types of users and use cases that will need to be taken into account to build a successful model. In addition, the talk will outline requirements and potential solutions for addressing and achieving the level and consistency of coordination and quality required to support and sustain enduring software and effective software communities that use and support it.