CloudFerro is a Polish technological company that provides innovative cloud services. They deliver and operate cloud computing platforms for specialised markets such as the European space sector, climate research and science. Their extensive experience in storing and processing big data sets includes multi-petabyte repositories of Earth Observation satellite data. Moreover, their cloud services are based on an open source system – OpenStack. CloudFerro offers flexible, open source-based, cost-effective IaaS solutions in a public, private or hybrid model, customised to meet user needs. Customers of CloudFerro are Polish and foreign entities, companies and international organisations like European Space Agency, EUMETSAT, ECMWF, but also scientific institutions and start-ups. Their broad range of ancillary services and dedicated technical support is delivered by an experienced local team with unique competencies.
About
The challenge
The potential of using Earth Observation data is still not fully exploited. Earth Observation data can be widely used in areas such as insurance, marine traffic monitoring, agriculture or climate change monitoring. The collaboration with EGI can contribute to popularise the usage of satellite data.
Limited private computing resources are a common challenge in scientific institutions and businesses. Test environment in CloudFerro public cloud will allow users to get familiar with the cloud and show the advantages of direct access to satellite data and their processing without downloading them.
EGI can support CloudFerro by helping it reach new communities, such as scientific institutions and start-ups interested in public cloud and processing, particularly optimised for Earth Observation data.
EGI and CloudFerro collaboration
CloudFerro and EGI are partnering to offer the possibility of easy access to test the CloudFerro public cloud and the CREODIAS platform.
The customer has access to all the standard functionality, including:
- Support with cloud problems or access to EO data.
- All the material on the CREODIAS website (including manuals and training courses)
- Big-data enabled OpenStack cloud services for data processing
- Over 56 PB (growing over 26TB daily) of Earth Observation data (Copernicus Sentinels, Landsat, Envisat and others) available with instant and local access
- CREODIAS platform which is the main hub for account management and information handling, with FAQs and news feed available
- Data Explorer which is an advanced search engine, designed for selecting products based on sets of specific variables – such as time, place, collection, processing level. It can be accessed with JSON-based API
- Cloud Dashboard, which serves as a tool for overview and management of user’s processing resources.
And many others. If you want to know more, visit CloudFerro and CREODIAS websites.
Impact
The CREODIAS platform operated by CloudFerro is a seamless environment that brings processing to Earth Observation data. CREODIAS 2.0, the new version of the platform, provides commercial services for Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem. CREODIAS 2.0 platform provides immediate access to the Copernicus Sentinel satellites data and Services, Envisat and ESA/Landsat data and other EODATA and their processing using the CloudFerro public cloud. Its design allows Third Party Users to prototype and build their own value-added services and products. A set of pertinent tools guarantees the simplicity, scalability and repeatability of any services’ value chain.
With access to the CREODIAS platform via EGI, the customer receives a test environment – a pool of credits to be used on the creodias.eu platform. This enables the user to use the public cloud and access EO data without having to download data. With the data explorer tool, the user can view the EO data and perform various analyses with them using the computing power of the cloud. The integrity of the entire system makes access to EO data even simpler.