LDM and IDD Status Report

Steve Chiswell
Steve Emmerson
Mike Schmidt
Jeff Weber
Tom Yoksas

2004-05-14

Real-time, self-managing data flows -- Unidata will foster and support the existence of real-time data flows that encompass a broad range of Earth-system phenomena, can be accessed with ease by all constituents, and are self managing in respect to changing contents and user needs.

--A goal of Unidata 2008: Shaping the Future of Data Use in the Geosciences

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LDM-6 Status Report

• With the exception of the following item, the LDM has been stable since the last report.

• A recent operating-system patch to AIX has caused the LDM to stop working. This appears to be a problem only at the NWS National Headquarters. A new version of the LDM (6.0.15) was created to work-around this problem and was installed at the National NWS HQ. It is working satisfactorily.

  We are working with IBM to understand the problem and (possibly) fix their patch.

• Steve Emmerson conducted an LDM training workshop at the Central Region Headquarters of the NWS in Kansas City. The remaining centers are Eastern and Southern.

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IDD Status Report

• 192 machines in 112 network domains are running LDM-6 and reporting real time statistics. We continue to encourage sites running LDM-5 to upgrade to the latest LDM-6 release, LDM-6.0.14, as quickly as possible. Unidata staff routinely offer to install LDM-6 at sites to expedite the changeover process.

• Real time LDM statistics can be found in the Real Time IDD Statistics webpage. The topology and data flow information reflects changes in feed requests within a few minutes of changes. Real time statistics have proven to be most useful in diagnosing reception problems at sites, especially when universities have implemented restrictions on packets volume in and out of the campus without regard for their user needs.

  In order to correctly guage real-time status of the IDD, it is important for all sites participating to accurately maintain their clocks (easily done through Network Time Protocol software and servers).

• The NWS is now using LDM-6 (LDM-6.0.14) to move NEXRAD Level II data.

• Unidata has developed and tested a DVB-S NOAAPORT reception system to prepare for the NWS migration from the current operational broadcast of NOAAPORT data streams to a DVB-S based system. Tests have shown compatibility between the Unidata developed software used to ingest the NOAAPORT data feeds and the DVB-S broadcast stream implemented by the NWS for evaluation.

• A NOAAPORT reception system that incorporated both the current (EFData satellite modem) and new (DVB-S) reception technologies was installed at the Universidad de Costa Rica (Yoksas). Now, and for the first time the UCR is able to use real time global observations and model output for education and research.

• The IDD is providing real time GTS data and NCEP model output to a growing number of international universities and institutions:
  • Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ, IDD-Brazil)
  • INPE/CPTEC (IDD-Brazil)
  • Universidade de Sao Paulo (IDD-Brazil)
  • Universidade Federal do Para (IDD-Brazil)
  • Universidad de Buenos Aires (IDD-Brazil, imminent)
  • Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
  • Moscow State University (IDD)
  • National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting of Vietnam (IDD)

• Data available through the IDD-Brazil will be showcased along with Unidata display and analysis applications (GEMPAK, IDV, and McIDAS) at the Brazilian Meteorological Congress in late August/early September.

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For previous information, please refer to the October 2003 Policy Committee status-report.