IDACT: Automating Data Discovery and Compilation

IDACT serves as an automated middle-layer which acts as an interface between the user and the heterogeneous data sources. Data sources are registered with the middle-layer, and a user can then request data from any (or all) of the available sources without having knowledge of the specific implementation details and formats. The data returned will be automatically converted from the native format to the formats required by the scientific models or analysis tools. Finally, the intermediate data and the products of the models may be archived in a data warehouse for re-use in the future. This approach allows the researcher to focus on the analysis of results, while ensuring that both the hardware and the researcher’s time are used as efficiently as possible.