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.