Case studies - CODE-DE

The Client

Operating since 1969, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) in Cologne is the national aeronautics and space research centre of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The mission of this space agency is to explore Earth and the solar system and to conduct research for environmental protection.  The center provides research and development work in the fields of aviation, space, energy, transportation, digitalisation and security.

The project goals and assumptions

CODE-DE has been providing easy data access from Copernicus Program since 2017. Developed especially for authorities and their contractors, CODE-DE Cloud offers contingents for free access to satellite data and to the efficient processing environment. Cloud resources are allocated in the form of quotas.

With a growing demand for satellite products, a solution was needed to ensure continued operation of the platform and expanding it with interactive applications, new data-processing capabilities and new services, as well as guaranteeing improved user experience and enhanced security of data from European satellites, the Copernicus program and the German research platform.

Following the conclusion of a tender, the German Space Agency (DLR), acting on behalf of the Federal Ministry, contracted CloudFerro to set up, operate and further develop the CODE-DE cloud and to connect it to the European CREODIAS platform.

The main goals and objectives of the CODE-DE platform set by the Client:

• Create a national access point to Copernicus data and services within the European Common Ground Segment (CollGS).
• Enable on-demand data processing in a public cloud.
• Provide a private environment with secure virtual machines (VMs) for data processing.
• Improve user experience (UX), including training and technical support in German and English, e-learning materials, intuitive handling and a modern design.
• Implement the first part of the project within six months and the whole project within twelve months.

The solutions used in the new version of CODE-DE were developed by CloudFerro's experienced team of specialists, who had previously worked on similar projects for the European Space Agency, EUMETSAT or ECMWF.

The platform is optimised to be securely used in the cloud. CODE-DE complies with provisions of the German Federal Data Protection Act and has been certified by BSI, the Federal Office for Information Security. This ensures German authorities and institutions that the applications they develop on the CODE-DE platform are fully secure.

The most important benefits of CODE-DE:

Large EODATA collection for Germany

One of the largest European satellite data archives over Germany.

Easy searching and analysing

EO Browser and Data Explorer for easy discovery, visualizing, downloading and analyzing data.

Rich interfaces and API

Intuitive user tools for searching and processing EODATA along with API access.

User-friendly cloud environment

Simple access to set of tools and applications for the processing of vast amounts of Earth Observation data in a friendly cloud environment.

Collaboration within CODE-DE Community

Many opportunities for collaboration, such as sharing computing and storage resources within a project group, across authorities or institutes.

German speaking support

German and English speaking helpdesk available via a contact form, email and telephone.

Check out CODE-DE platform

Visit code-de.org

Services description

The adopted objectives of the CODE-DE platform have been fully achieved. The new version of the CODE-DE platform (code-de.org ) was released in April 2020, followed by an update of the website content and platform in January 2023.

CloudFerro, as the operator of the platform, provides access to satellite data for Germany and delivers cloud computing services while continuously expanding it with new functionalities. For example, tools for AI and Deep Learning technologies have been provided and new data has been added, such as Copernicus DEM, MODIS,  the Copernicus land monitoring service and the building height map (Gebäudehöhen).

Functions of the CODE-DE platform

The new CODE-DE platform provides users with many more capabilities. They can visualise data from satellites and Copernicus products, and are equipped with a range of applications and tools, as well as a cloud environment to process this data. With the cloud infrastructure, they can publish the processed data and reuse it.

Data, services and tools on CODE-DE

CODE-DE provides access to one of the largest European satellite data archives over Germany with a major focus on data and information products from Sentinel missions. The Sentinel satellites are the space component of the European Commission’s  Copernicus Earth Observation program. Higher level data products from the Copernicus services, digital elevation models and auxiliary data such as training and reference data are provided on the platform.

An outstanding feature is a simplified access to EnMAP, TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X, and also selected data from other missions, such as RapidEye, Planetscope and SkySat.

The EO Browser allows users to browse a wide archive of Earth Observation products, like Sentinel-, Landsat- and Envisat data. It enables easy data search and visualisation. Furthermore, initial analyses such as vegetation indices can be created with predefined processors.

The Data Explorer enables direct access to CODE-DE data via a GUI or API. In just a few steps, data can be searched, previewed, and downloaded or processed "on-the-fly" with a range of predefined EO processors.

Based on a state-of-the-art technology, CODE-DE offers a cloud infrastructure specifically for processing remote sensing data. Extensive computing resources and a variety of tools are available for experts as well as for beginners and occasional users.

Many of the available services require only a CODE-DE login to use them. One example of this is the CODE-DE JupyterLab, the environment for creating, managing and executing Jupyter notebooks.

Another example is the CODE-DE DataCube. It offers simple and efficient access to a multidimensional data space of satellite data on CODE-DE. It can be used to create individually configured OGC web services from Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-5P data in the CODE-DE Cloud.

On the CODE-DE Cloud, you can apply for your own resources. Virtual machines with or without GPU, S3 buckets, object storage and much more can be used in this area, to which only you have access. A range of tools support you during setup and operation. The cloud resources are allocated in the form of quotas.

More about CODE-DE Services on CODE-DE website.

Cloud computing

CloudFerro delivers the CODE-DE platform using state-of-the-art cloud services technology in the IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) model, which provides on-demand access to remote computer resources such as servers, storage, networks, and virtualisation.

This ensures that the customer does not need to invest in their own physical IT infrastructure. Moreover, the user's virtual computing environment can be quickly scaled as required and freely configured with OpenStack within the allocated resources to optimise the memory, network or CPU and GPU used. Predefined images of virtual machines, such as the OSGeoLive image, make it easy to begin work quickly.

Help and Technical Support

Part of the CODE-DE support offer is a German and English-speaking helpdesk available via a contact form, email and telephone (weekdays from 9:00 - 17:00).

As a subcontractor of CloudFerro, Urbetho CF GmbH is the first point of contact for users and is responsible for technical support, information and training materials, as well as customer care.

The comprehensive support offered by CODE-DE also includes online information such as:

• Getting Started, FAQs and Knowledge Base,
• The recordings of training courses already held,
• A growing library of e-learning modules (in collaboration with EO-Lab).

In addition, the CODE-DE Team regularly conducts online seminars tailored to the different needs of users, and actively participates in various conferences and events.

CODE-DE Community

CODE-DE offers many opportunities for collaboration. For example, it is possible to share computing and storage resources within a project group, even across authorities and institutes.

Algorithms and processing chains can be transferred between projects on CODE-DE. Thanks to the harmonized system and data architecture of CODE-DE and EO-Lab, this is also possible between the clouds.

The exchange between users is supported in a variety of ways, for example through experience reports in the form of online seminars and the presentation of work and projects on the portal in the section "Showcases".

Another opportunity for collaboration is a moderated CODE-DE forum. Together with EO-Lab platform users, CODE-DE users can discuss their experiences, ask questions and exchange solutions.

Security and green energy

The new CODE-DE platform is optimised for cloud infrastructure security. It is certified in accordance with the stringent German BSI 200-1 C5 standard. It also meets the requirements of both EU and German data protection laws

German authorities and institutions can use their applications and data without concerns about their security, not least because CODE-DE's cloud infrastructure and satellite data for Germany are stored within the country, at a local data centre in Frankfurt am Main. Moreover, all user data is also stored on servers located in German Data Centers, which are powered by green energy from renewable sources

Learn more

Synergy with European EO platforms

The CODE-DE cloud infrastructure and the satellite data for Germany are stored within the country, at a local data centre in Frankfurt am Main. Users can also benefit from synergies with the CloudFerro-provided CREODIAS platform, which was established as Copernicus DIAS (Data and Information Access Services) and is now a commercial component of the EU's Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem delivered by a European consortium of partners, in which CloudFerro plays a key role as the operator and data provider.

Synergies with these platforms ensure efficient use of resources, but, what is worth emphasising, the autonomy is maintained for processes of key importance to the German state.

Summary

CODE-DE - immediate access to Copernicus Sentinel satellite data and a cloud environment for processing it

Developed and operated by CloudFerro, CODE-DE is a public cloud with an integrated repository of satellite imagery for Germany. CODE-DE includes applications that allow users to search, view and process satellite data. The platform makes it possible for clients from the public sector and educational institutions to use EO data for Germany, providing an environment for conducting research and creating services and applications based on EO data.

Cloud

A secure cloud environment and a wide range of data tools for German public administration.

Data

available instantly online in one place

Open, current and historical satellite data for Germany - unlimited access to imagery from satellites Sentinel-1, -2, -3, -5P and -6.

Tools for processing

New data processing applications and tools – a powerful cloud infrastructure

Synergy

Synergy with the CREODIAS platform that contains tens of petabytes of satellite data

Security and certificates

Services certified in accordance with the German BSI 200-1 C5 standard

Go to CODE-DE.org