The LTER is able to support high-level analysis and synthesis of complex ecosystem data across the science-policy-management continuum, which in turn helps advance ecosystem research. By providing the means to share data sets and develop collaborations as part of our data sharing processes, the LTER seeks to improve:

1. the availability and quality of data from the varied LTER sites,
2. the timeliness and quantity of LTER derived data products, and
3. the knowledge gained from the synthesis of LTER data.

The NIS Data Portal uses a "rolling-update" approach to continuously release improved versions as they are ready for the community.

Visit the NIS User's Guide for detailed information on how to best utilize the LTER Network Data Portal.

Any questions not answered by the NIS User's Guide may be addressed in either the comments section (at the bottom of every page in the User Guide) or by emailing tech-support@lternet.edu.

The PASTA framework is comprised of the Gatekeeper identity authentication service and the following application programming interfaces (APIs) of the LTER Network Information System (user authentication is required for all data input to the PASTA system):

1. The Audit Service API
2. The Event Manager API
3. The Data Package Manager API, includes:
   • Data Manager
   • Metadata Manager
   • Provenance Factory

The Gatekeeper is a reverse proxy service that performs user identity verification and service forwarding; it does not perform any direct PASTA function and does not have a web-service API.

The Audit Manager collects information about operations that are executed within the PASTA environment and provides an API for searching and viewing recorded events.

The Event Manager is an extended feature of PASTA and allows users to subscribe their own workflows to PASTA data package upload (insert and or update) events.

The Data Package Manager is designed for users to configure and schedule data package uploads into PASTA and to search for data packages that reside in PASTA.

Like the NIS Data Portal, all of PASTA's services use a "rolling-update" approach to adding bug fixes, improvements, and new features to each of the services.

Information about the structure and functions of the APIs and the overall source-code documentation for PASTA is available at the NIS Software Developer's Guide.

Any questions not answered by the NIS Software Developer's Guide may be addressed in either the comments section (at the bottom of every page in the Software Developer's Guide) or by emailing tech-support@lternet.edu.