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Algorithm Porting

APEx supports the porting or packaging of algorithms, ensuring they align with the APEx Interoperability and Compliance Guidelines. These guidelines are designed to ensure that algorithms are standardised and ready for integration into APEx via the Algorithm Onboarding support.

The goal of the algorithm porting activities is to provide additional technical support to guide projects in applying these guidelines, helping them navigate the transformation of their EO data processing workflows into APEx-compliant solutions.

Support Overview

Algorithm porting is designed to assist projects at various stages of algorithm development, providing expert guidance on making EO algorithms more FAIR-compliant and APEx-compatible. The service includes several key features, as described in the following sections.

Initial Algorithm Analysis

The first step in the algorithm porting process is an initial analysis of an algorithm to evaluate its readiness for cloud service implementation and general APEx compliance. This includes understanding the specific data inputs, outputs, programming language and processing requirements of the algorithm. Based on this analysis, APEx experts will recommend suitable technologies for implementing the algorithm, ensuring that it integrates seamlessly with APEx’s ecosystem. Currently, the possible options for the service implementation include:

  • openEO Process Graph (PG) and User Defined Process (UDP)
  • OGC Application Package

This assessment phase ensures that the algorithm is mapped to the most appropriate APEx-compliant technology, setting a clear path for its porting. Another important outcome is an initial assessment of potential risks that may affect the outcome of the porting process. This allows the project’s ESA technical officer and APEx ESA responsible to decide if porting can continue. This initial assessment also includes an effort estimate.

Support for Porting Algorithms into openEO UDPs

For projects that already have established EO data processing or analytics workflows, APEx offers dedicated support to help transform these workflows into openEO User Defined Processes (UDP). This step optimises the algorithm for FAIR-compliant reuse and ensures that the algorithm meets the requirements set out in the APEx Interoperability and Compliance Guidelines.

Through time-limited expert consultations, APEx’s openEO specialists will work closely with project teams, offering hands-on guidance and resolving any technical challenges. This support covers the entire process, from adapting your existing workflow to ensuring it can be executed within an APEx-compatible EO platform as an openEO UDP.

Packaging Your Algorithm as an OGC Application Package

Alternatively, for existing pieces of complex software that need to be made available as a service, APEx offers support for packaging it as an OGC Application Package. Leveraging time-limited expert consultations, this process adheres to the Best Practices for Earth Observation Application Packaging, as defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and the EO Exploitation Platform Common Architecture (EOEPCA), championed by the European Space Agency (ESA). These practices ensure that EO applications are reproducible and portable across diverse execution environments.

Pathway to Onboarding

Once your algorithm has been successfully ported into APEx-compliant technology, the next step is to make it accessible to a broader audience. This involves onboarding it onto an APEx-compliant hosting platform, offering it as an on-demand service, and publishing it in the APEx Algorithm Services Catalogue. By being part of the APEx ecosystem, your algorithm can be reused and scaled by other users and projects, significantly increasing its visibility and impact. This approach helps to maximize the value of your work, fostering collaboration and innovation across the APEx community.

For detailed guidance on how APEx can assist your project in these tasks, please visit the APEx Algorithm Onboarding support page.

Get Started

If you’re ready to begin the porting process, or if you’d like more information about how APEx can support your project, please contact us. Our team is here to help you transform your algorithms into powerful, reusable tools that can thrive in the APEx ecosystem.