# CKAN

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CKAN
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{{Short description|Web-based data management system}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = CKAN
| logo                   = CKAN Logo full color.png
| screenshot             =
| caption                = The open source data portal software
| author                 = [Open Knowledge Foundation](/source/Open_Knowledge_Foundation)
| developer              =
| released               =
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|edit|reference|P348}}
| latest release date = {{start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|P348|P577}}}}
| latest preview version =
| latest preview date    =
| operating system       =
| platform               =
| language               = Multilingual
| programming language   = [Python](/source/Python_programming_language)
| genre                  =
| license                = [AGPL](/source/Affero_General_Public_License)
| website                = {{official URL}}
}}

The '''Comprehensive Knowledge Archive Network''' ('''CKAN''') is an [open-source](/source/open-source_software) [open data portal](/source/open_data_portal) for the storage and distribution of [open data](/source/open_data). Initially inspired by the [package management](/source/Package_management_system) capabilities of [Debian](/source/Debian) Linux,<ref>{{cite web
| url        = https://events.ccc.de/congress/2009/Fahrplan/events/3647.en.html
| title      = CKAN: apt-get for the Debian of Data
| author     = [Rufus Pollock](/source/Rufus_Pollock), Daniel Dietrich
| date       = 2009-12-28
| work       = 26th Chaos Communication Congress
| accessdate = 15 February 2011
}}</ref> CKAN has developed into a powerful data catalogue system that is mainly used by public institutions seeking to share their data with the general public. 

Since its inception, CKAN has evolved and is the leading{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}} open data platform software in the world, used by governments including the US and UK, to publish millions of public datasets. 

[Rufus Pollock](/source/Rufus_Pollock) developed its first version in 2005-2006. CKAN's [codebase](/source/codebase) is maintained by the [Open Knowledge Foundation](/source/Open_Knowledge_Foundation).

The system is used both as a public platform on [Datahub](/source/Datahub)<ref>[http://datahub.io/docs/about About Datahub]</ref> and in various [government data catalogues](/source/Open_government), such as the UK's [data.gov.uk](/source/data.gov.uk),<ref>[http://data.gov.uk/about About data.gov.uk]</ref> the Dutch National Data Register,<ref>[https://data.overheid.nl/en/ondersteuning/algemeen/over-dataoverheidnl About the Dutch government's National Data Portal] at data.overheid.nl</ref> the United States government's [Data.gov](/source/Data.gov)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.data.gov/blog/datagov-launches-new-catalog-and-apis|title=Data.gov Launches New Catalog and APIs|date=2013-05-22|access-date=2013-08-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606222347/http://www.data.gov/blog/datagov-launches-new-catalog-and-apis|archive-date=2014-06-06|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the Australian government's "Gov 2.0".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://agict.gov.au/blog/2013/07/17/new-datagovau-%E2%80%93-now-live-ckan|title=New data.gov.au – now live on CKAN|date=2013-07-17|access-date=2013-08-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903144541/http://agict.gov.au/blog/2013/07/17/new-datagovau-%E2%80%93-now-live-ckan#|archive-date=2013-09-03|url-status=dead}}</ref> The state government of [South Australia](/source/South_Australia) also makes government data freely available to the public on the CKAN platform.<ref>[http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sa-government-data-now-freely-available/story-e6frea83-1226648157796 SA Government data now freely available]</ref> The Italian government makes available the open data of the Data & Analytics Framework on the CKAN platform.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://developers.italia.it/it/api/data--analytics-framework-ckan-api.html |title=API for search and visualization of open data within the Data & Analytics Framework |access-date=2018-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727181118/https://developers.italia.it/it/api/data--analytics-framework-ckan-api.html |archive-date=2018-07-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Internal technology ==
CKAN's back end, the part running on the Web server, is written mainly in [Python](/source/Python_(programming_language)). The web pages it offers to users browsers include [JavaScript](/source/JavaScript). CKAN maintains information about the data sets to be offered to users in [PostgreSQL](/source/PostgreSQL) databases. Searches are implemented by [Solr](/source/Apache_Solr). CKAN installations can be queried through [Web API](/source/Web_API)s.<ref>[http://ckan.org/developers/about-ckan About CKAN] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418112802/http://ckan.org/developers/about-ckan/ |date=2015-04-18 }} at ckan.org</ref>

== Future of the project ==
The CKAN Stewardship proposal jointly put forward by Link Digital and Datopian received support from the Open Knowledge Foundation Board. In appointing joint stewardship put up jointly by Link Digital and Datopian, the Board felt there was a clear practical path with strong leadership and committed funding to see CKAN grow and prosper in the years to come.
The Open Knowledge Foundation will remain the ‘purpose trustee’ to ensure the Stewards remain true to the purpose and ethos of the CKAN project.<ref>[https://blog.okfn.org/2019/06/06/statement-from-the-open-knowledge-foundation-board-on-the-future-of-the-ckan-association/ Statement from the OKF Board on the future of the CKAN Association]</ref>

== Similar projects and alternatives ==

* [Piveau](/source/Piveau) is the prevailing (meta)data management tool used by the EU. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://doc.piveau.eu/general/introduction/|title=Piveau Introduction - Documentation}}</ref>
** A variant, HDEU-Hub, is specifically used for European health data <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://code.europa.eu/healthdataeu/healthdataeu-eu-dataset-catalogue/hdeu-hub-repo|title=Healthdata EU Hub code repository}}</ref>
* [Dataverse](/source/Dataverse) provides similar functions and is widely used for open data.
* DKAN is a [Drupal](/source/Drupal)-based open data portal based on CKAN.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dkan.readthedocs.io/en/latest/introduction/|title=DKAN Overview — DKAN Docs 1.17 documentation}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
* [https://okfn.org Open Knowledge Foundation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20191015140208/https://data.sa.gov.au/ South Australian Government Data Directory]
* [https://opendatatoolkit.worldbank.org/en/data/opendatatoolkit/technology#commonly-used Commonly Used Open Data Platforms]

Category:Open data
Category:Archive networks
Category:Software using the GNU Affero General Public License

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [CKAN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CKAN) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CKAN?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.