Portable Data Management Cloud for Field Science

A modern field science such as archaeology is heavily data-driven using various kinds of state-of-the-art measurement instruments. It requires sophisticated computer infrastructure to manage large amounts of heterogeneous data. The concept of cloud computing provides a flexible cyber infrastructure for large-scale data management, which is being deployed at university campuses. A problem unique to field research is that researchers often work at remote field sites with limited computer and network resources. For a data management system that has to work in the campus cloud and under vastly different field conditions, portability of computer infrastructure and common data access methods are essential requirements. This paper explores the portability of cloud infrastructure and illustrates the portable data management system that we used in a recent archaeological expedition.