Refactoring of Ocean Data Processing and Visualization Software Using Scientific Workflow Modeling

Abstract

The Arctic Package is a MATLAB software package for modeling and visualization of acoustic propagation. It aims to improve the accessibility and understanding of ocean processes and how they affect the climate. This thesis investigates how the Arctic Package can be adapted to a scientific workflow context and how the adaptation affects software quality. Two workflow models were created, one with a textual specification implemented in Airflow and one with a graphical specification implemented in KNIME. To adapt the Arctic Package to a scientific workflow, the package was refactored and a new graphical user interface created. Additionally, a DevOps pipeline was established to simplify distribution and setup of the workflows. The software quality for the original Arctic Package and the two workflow models was evaluated using the ISO/IEC 25010 standard. The results showed that the Airflow workflow scored best in total for software quality, but overall software quality improved in both of the workflow based implementations compared to the original Arctic Package.