Instrument task-driven workflow software for cruise and maintenance operations

The Digital Infrastructure group at Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is in charge of the development and maintenance of the organization´s Data Management and Archiving System (DMAS). The group has been successful in creating a software system that acquires data from large sensor networks, archives them and makes them available to a multidisciplinary community of scientists, the public, government and non-governmental agencies. DMAS also includes tools to manage the underwater infrastructure and the data flow. This paper describes a new arrival in the family of management tools: an instrument workflow system. This in-house software tool facilitates task management for all the network instruments affected in a given maintenance cruise or expedition. It was motivated by a need to ensure that all instruments are properly managed during a busy cruise season that requires domains of expertise throughout the organization. Building upon historical checklists and processes, it was designed by member teams of Digital Infrastructure department (Data Stewardship, Systems/Operations and Software Development) through consultation with key users within Ocean Networks Canada.