Deriving reliable conclusions and insights from environmental observational data urgently requires the enrichment with consistent and comprehensive metadata, including time-resolved context such as changing deployments, configurations, and maintenance actions. We have therefore developed the Sensor Management System (SMS), which provides a user-friendly and feature-rich platform for modeling even the most complex sensor systems and managing all sensor-related information across their life cycle. Each entity is described via well-defined terms like Devices, Platforms and Configurations, as well as Sites that are further enhanced with attributes for, e.g., instrument manufacturers, contact information or measured quantities and complemented by a continuous history of system-related actions. By further linking the SMS to sub-sequent systems and services like PID-registration or controlled vocabularies and establishing a community of end-users, the SMS provides the central element of a digital ecosystem, that fosters a more consistent, sustainable and FAIR provision of sensor-related metadata.

翻译：从环境观测数据中得出可靠的结论与洞见，迫切需要利用一致且全面的元数据进行丰富化，这些元数据包括时间分辨的上下文信息，例如不断变化的部署、配置和维护操作。为此，我们开发了传感器管理系统（SMS），该系统为用户提供了一个功能丰富且易于使用的平台，能够对最复杂的传感器系统进行建模，并管理其整个生命周期中所有与传感器相关的信息。每个实体均通过明确定义的术语进行描述，例如设备、平台、配置以及站点，这些实体还通过属性进一步丰富，例如仪器制造商、联系信息或测量量，并辅以系统相关操作的连续历史记录。通过进一步将SMS与后续系统和服务（如PID注册或受控词汇表）相连接，并建立最终用户社区，SMS构成了数字生态系统的核心要素，从而促进了更一致、可持续且符合FAIR原则的传感器元数据提供。