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Part II. Phased Implementation Plan for DMACmay be point measurements, continuous measurements, or imagery and variables may bebiological, geological, chemical, physical, or abstract. The many millions of individual measurementsanticipated to be obtained daily by the sensor networks will be transmitted (in realtime,near-real-time, and delayed modes) directly to end users, as well as to the applicationsand data-assimilating models that process these measurements into maps, plots, forecasts, andother useful forms of information.1.2. While the DMAC vision recognizes that data products, rather than raw data, are typically requiredby users, the development of most data products will be the responsibility of the Applications,Modeling, and Product Services Subsystem of the IOOS. The requirements of theDMAC with respect to product generation are as follows:1.2.1. to ensure that the needs of product generators are met for timely delivery of quality-controlleddata;1.2.2. to provide accurate and thorough metadata accompanying the data;1.2.3. to provide a uniform guaranteed minimum level of geo- and time- referenced graphicalbrowse capability for all classes of data.1.3. The guarantee of assured data discovery and minimal browsing capability depend upon descriptivemetadata, ensuring that the data are readily intelligible to users.2. DMAC Overall Functional Requirements2.1. Data transport. The DMAC shall provide capability for the collection/transmission of datafrom sensor subsystems at entry points where the data become available using DMAC standardsand protocols either on the Internet or a supplied IOOS backbone, to assembly centers,users, and archive centers in real time and delayed mode, for operational, research, and productgeneration applications.2.2. Quality control. The DMAC shall provide a mechanism for assuring that data are of known,documented quality. QC operations are a partnership among data observation/collection components,processors, analysts, other users, and the DMAC.2.3. Data assembly. The DMAC shall provide mechanisms for aggregation and buffering of datastreams over useful spans of time and space. Data assembly allows users to more easily exploitreal-time data, especially data from distributed sensor arrays.2.4. Product generation. Products include data products such as assimilation-friendly, real-timemeasurements, model nowcasts and forecasts, GIS layers and climatological reference fields;graphical information products such as scientific plots and maps; and text information productssuch as written forecasts and numerical tables. The DMAC will provide a minimal levelproduct-generation capability, only—the guarantee of a uniform, interactive, geo- and timereferencedbrowse capability suitable for quick evaluation of data by IOOS scientists. Most54