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Use Cases for APEx EO Service Support

The APEx services are designed to enhance the efficiency, interoperability, and scalability of EO workflows and algorithms. Below are several use cases that demonstrate how these services can be applied to support your EO project.

Use Case 1: Transforming features of an existing toolbox into an on-demand, APEx-compliant service

Scenario

A project discovered a toolbox to perform EO data processing tasks and wants to integrate a specific set of features from this toolbox into an openEO processing graph or use it as an OGC Application Package.

Solution

The APEx Toolbox Cloudification service aims to convert a subset of features from an existing toolbox into cloud-based services that comply with APEx standards, enabling seamless integration with cloud resources and existing platforms. It is important to note that the cloudification efforts focus on the data transformation functions provided by the toolbox and do not include user interface elements.

Outcome

Key features of the toolbox become accessible via an openEO process or as an OGC Application Package, allowing the project and/or EO community to utilise these features as reusable, on-demand services on existing hosting platforms.

Use Case 2: Improving algorithm performance

Scenario

A project is experiencing performance issues with an algorithm. Both of the following scenarios are supported:

  1. The algorithm is already implemented in openEO or made available as an OGC Application Package.
  2. The algorithm has not yet been implemented into openEO or made available as an OGC Application Package.

Examples

  • The project has created an openEO processing graph. Executing this workflow takes too long and incurs high execution costs, not making it viable for running at the intended scale.
  • The project created a new machine learning model in Python that performs inference based on EO data. However, the training and/or inference steps take too long, hindering scalability for processing larger areas of interest.

Solution

The APEx Algorithm Enhancement service offers support to optimise your algorithm through a structured analysis and improvement process. In the case of scenario 2, the APEx team will also assess whether performance can be enhanced by integrating the algorithm into APEx-compliant technologies, such as openEO or OGC Application Package. If so, the APEx Algorithm Porting service can be recommended to support the transformation of your algorithm into an openEO UDP or package it as an OGC Application Package.

Outcome

The algorithm’s performance is significantly improved.

Use Case 3: Transforming an existing EO data processing workflow into an openEO UDP or OGC Application Package

Scenario

A project has developed a workflow using non-APEx-compliant technology and seeks to convert it into an openEO User Defined Process (UDP) or OGC Application Package.

Examples

  • The project has created an EO data processing pipeline for generating a new air quality index and wants to encapsulate it in an openEO UDP or OGC Application Package to facilitate easy execution by stakeholders and integration into a dashboard.

Solution

APEx offers a set of initial guidelines and online resources to help projects with integrating their processing workflow into an APEx-compliant technology. Should additional assistance be required, the APEx Algorithm Porting service can provide further support. After an initial analysis, APEx experts will propose an appropriate APEx-compliant technology and assist your team in its implementation.

Want to share your algorithm with the APEx community?

Please refer to Use Case 4 to learn how APEx can support you in sharing your algorithm with the community.

Outcome

The algorithm is successfully transformed and is now available as an openEO UDP or OGC Application Package.

Use Case 4: Make your algorithm available in the APEx Algorithm Catalogue

Scenario

A project has implemented its algorithm as an openEO User Defined Process (UDP) or packaged it as an OGC Application Package (or had it ported to one of these two options) and wants to make it available to the APEx community.

Your algorithm is not yet available as an openEO UDP or packaged as an OGC Application Package?

If your algorithm has not yet been implemented in an APEx-compliant technology, please refer to the previous use case to discover how APEx can provide support.

Examples

  • The project has created an openEO UDP or OGC Application Package that calculates a new air quality index and wants to share this service with the EO community.
  • The project has developed a new machine learning model encapsulated in an openEO UDP or Application Package and wants to ensure it runs stably and within a controlled cost range.
  • The project has developed an OGC Application Package and is seeking support to host it on an APEx-compliant platform.

Solution

The APEx Algorithm Onboarding service offers comprehensive support for integrating your algorithm into the APEx Algorithm Catalogue, ensuring its availability for reuse within the EO community. The service also includes:

  • Assistance in selecting and onboarding an APEx-compliant algorithm hosting platform to guarantee that your algorithm is available for execution.
  • Provision of tools for automated testing and benchmarking of your algorithm.
  • Support and resources for registering your algorithm in the APEx Algorithm Catalogue.

Outcome

The algorithm is available in the APEx Algorithm Catalogue, enhancing its visibility and usability within the EO community as an APEx-compliant service.

Use Case 5: Generating large-scale maps or results based on on-demand EO services

Scenario

A project is currently testing and validating a data processing pipeline based on openEO or OGC Application Package on a limited subset of data and aims to upscale this pipeline for large-scale data processing.

Is your pipeline not yet implemented in openEO or packaged as an OGC Application Package?

APEx provides a set of initial guidelines and online resources to help you get started. If your project requires additional assistance in making the data processing pipeline APEx-compliant, the APEx Algorithm Porting service is available to provide further support.

Examples

  • The project has developed a workflow as an openEO processing graph or OGC Application Package to generate a new air quality index. So far, the testing and validation of this workflow have been carried out over a limited geographical area, and the project now aims to generate the index at the country level.
  • The project has discovered an algorithm in the APEx Algorithm Catalogue for generating a new air quality index and aims to execute this algorithm on all historical data for the entire continent of Europe.

Solution

The APEx Upscaling Service offers tools and support to assist projects in automating and scaling their data processing pipelines. These tools may include:

  • Project-Specific Workspace
    A JupyterLab environment allowing to start and monitor long-running jobs.
  • Intelligent Job Distribution Tools
    Tools for managing multiple job executions.

Outcome

You receive support and tools that enable you to start processing, monitor progress, and successfully generate large-area deliverables.