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20020104: qustions concerning making data accessible through the web

>From: "Dan Dansereau" <address@hidden>
>Organization: USU
>Keywords: 200201042221.g04ML6N10827 data access web

Dan,

>I'm back

Just when we thought it would be safe to go in the water ;-)

>- This is Dan Dansereau - and we need to make sure that we
>are in compliance with your rules, with somthing we are trying to do - 
>so here goes!
>
>1) I am am a private contractor ( due to lack of funding) , who works 
>   both for USU, and other people in the private sector!
>
>2) I have computer equipment that belongs to USU/Utah Climate Center 
>   - and do the database management for Dr. Don Jensen at the Utah
>   Climate Center - but offsite ( not at USU ) ( The database data is
>   temperature, precipitation, wind, etc. ) This data comes from a many
>   sources - NCDC - NWS - etc, and using the LDM data feed ( this has
>   been disconnected for 1.3 years )
>
>3) We have university IP address(s) for all univeristy computers, and 
>   they are on the university network system via a radio link.

Just for my own interest, would you be willing to provide some
information on the radio link setup that you have?  I have been trying
to find some sort of high speed internet connection for my house which
is located in the foothills above Boulder.

>4) I have personal computers that are not connetcted via the radio 
>   link, but can access the USU computers. This is the equipment that I
>   used for my workin the private sector.
>
>5) The Database is web searchable/accessable vi anybody - on and off 
>   campus
>
>6) This Database mainly used by the Utah Climate Center and USU 
>   students/researchers
>
>7) This Database may be used by some people in the private sector
>   (myself included)
>
>So the questions are
>
>1) Can we redistribute/use the climate data ( not lightning or radar 
>   data ) via the web ?

Yes, subject to WMO 40 restrictions which are fairly complex.  Please
read through:

Unidata HomePage
http://www.unidasta.ucar.edu
  Data Sources
  http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/Data_Sources.html
    Note: There are guidelines for using these data.
    http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/data/data_usage.html
      There are some restrictions on the usage of data
      http://205.156.54.206/im/wmocovr.htm

One of the items to pay attention to is the prohibition of
reintroduction of certain data back into countries of origin _unless_
they are for education and research use.  The entire issue of what data
can be accessible from web sites and what can not is fairly complex, so
you will have to slog through the WMO documents to get a handle on what
may or may not be allowable.  As an example, one Unidata site was
forced to remove non-6 hourly METAR data from Ireland from their web
server.

>2) Does UNIDATA have any concerns about USU LDM data feed feeding a 
>   second USU LDM ingesting system - that is not physically on campus -
>   but is a USU computer/IP ??

No.  Unidata sites can feed secondary sites of their choosing.

>3) The McIDAS program would be run on the same USU computer for 
>   processing - is this a problem?

No.  You have already been declared to be a sponsored (by USU)
participant, so you are allowed to get and use Unidata McIDAS.  How you
get it might have to be circuitous, however.  The new way that one gets
access to Unidata software requires that one registers as a Unidata
user.  Sites declaring that they are educational institutions are
automatically given access to the McIDAS distribution.  Others are
denied, but can be allowed on a case-by-case basis (which you would be
since you are grand fathered into the process).

To get a handle on how the registration and download is done, please
visit the Unidata McIDAS-X 7.8 HomePage and follow the 'Register as a
Unidata User' link:

Unidata McIDAS-X 7.80 HomePage
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/mcidas/780
  Register as a Unidata User
  http://my.unidata.ucar.edu/registration/participation.phtml

>4) The Database injesting programs use the output from LDM/McIDAS for 
>   inserting the data into the Microsoft SQL database, could this be an
>   issue??

No, not insofar as the data that is generally accessible from the
database meets WMO 40 guidelines.  Now, if the data in your data base
were _only_ accessible by USU, or only by educational institutions, you
would not have to worry about what data could be used.

>Your comments would greatly be appreciated

Again, the entire issue is murky.  There are no restrictions to use of
the data in the US.  Problems arise when the data could be
"reintroduced" into the country of their origin.  This would be the
case, for instance, if you were making the Ireland non-6 hourly METAR
reports generally available (I am picking on Ireland only because they
have been involved with the discontinuance of general access to some
data hosted on a Unidata site's mahcine in the past).

-- Aside, the 6-hourly METAR reports are an example of a class of data
that has been agreed to be generally accessible.  The same is true for
6-hourly satellite imagery from METEOSAT.  There are more data that
fit this class.  Finding out exactly which data do fit the class is
not as easy as one would think since the list appears to be a "moving
target" --.

>P.S. please excuse any typo's - as my spell checker is down, and I have 
>misplaced glasses!

No prbloem ;-)

Tom Yoksas