Measurement Set Version 4 Data Model: Analysis and Relevance to China's SKA Participation

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) has entered the construction and commissioning phase. However, the storage and processing of its massive data remain one of the critical challenges that need to be addressed. The construction and operation of the SKA Regional Center (SRC) also heavily rely on efficient data storage and management solutions. To explore the key issues in SKA data storage and management in depth, this paper systematically investigates the development history of Measurement Set (MS) technology, the technical characteristics of its various versions, and their limitations in SKA applications. The paper focuses particularly on analyzing the technological innovations of the next-generation Measurement Set Version 4 (MSV4) and its potential impact on SKA data management and scientific research. The study indicates that MSV4, by introducing features such as self-description, modular architecture, and efficient storage, is expected to effectively alleviate the bottlenecks in SKA data storage and processing. If MSV4 becomes the standard for SKA data storage, it will significantly influence the construction of SRCs in China and SKA scientific research. Therefore, it is essential to closely monitor the technological development of MSV4 at this stage and to proactively prepare relevant technological reserves to ensure the successful development, upgrading, and transformation of SRC scientific application pipelines and data processing software for SKA scientific research.