Getting your WS Eta model output into AWIPS

Last Updated April 2003

Editors's Note: These instructions are to be used for the SOO/STRC Workstation Eta only. Additional configuration information can be found in eta_convert.csh and the configuration files located in $WS_ETA/util/awips.

More Editors's Notes: Jeff Medlin passed along his comments regarding the process of getting his WS Eta model output. Read his commentary.

Editors's Notes Ad Nauseam: Warren Snyder provided some lessons learned regarding the process of getting his WS Eta model output. Read about his experience.

1. Introduction

There are 2 tasks that you must accomplish before displaying data in AWIPS;

a) Configure and localize your AWIPS system to recognize the WS Eta model data

and

b) Get the WS Eta model data into AWIPS.

Each of these tasks will be addressed independently below; however, before you go any further, make sure you have run the WS Eta model several times and are happy with the computational domain (number of grid points and grid navigation). You should also execute the WS Eta in real-time to get the timing of the entire process down to the point where the data are of value to the forecasters. You can view the data in NAWIPS while you are finalizing the model configuration. These steps will save you from have to reconfiguring AWIPS over and over again; but then again, practice makes perfect.

Once you are happy with the model runs you will need to get the grid navigation for your domain. This information is now available from the $ETA_LOGS/awips_nav.log file. This file should contain all the information you need to run a localization on ds1. DO NOT use the navigation found in eta_post.log. This information is for the native Arakawa E grid and not the Lambert Conic Conformal grid that you are sending to AWIPS. For example, you should see:

WS Eta GRID NAVIGATION INFORMATION FOR AWIPS

Lambert Conic Conformal Projection
Grid Center :	41.700, -94.000
Lower Left (SW) Corner :	37.100, -100.380
Upper Right (NE) Corner :	45.840, -86.160
Grid Dimensions (NXxNY) :	109x91

Alternatively, you could run the "awips_nav" script provided in the $ETA_SCRIPTS directory to get the same information:

% awips_nav <grib file>

Ex: % awips_nav 03031712.GrbF000

The above data is specific to the benchmark case and may not be the same for your domain. You want to note the following values. Those on the right hand side of each box are taken from the benchmark case above as an example.

	Latitude (DD.dd)	Longitude (-DDD.dd)
Grid Center	(1) 41.70	(2) -94.00
Southwest Lat/Lon	(3) 37.10	(4) -100.38
Northeast Lat/Lon	(5) 45.84	(6) -86.16
Grid Dimensions ( NXxNY)	(7) 109	(8) 91

Find the data for your domain and enter the values in the table above.

Now armed and dangerous with the necessary information, you may proceed.

2. Configure and localize your local AWIPS system

Begin by logging into any AWIPS workstation as ROOT.

# su fxa
% rlogin ds1

As user fxa on ds1, create a directory where the WS Eta NetCDF files will reside on your AWIPS system:

% mkdir /data/fxa/Grid/SBN/netCDF/LOCAL
% mkdir /data/fxa/Grid/SBN/netCDF/LOCAL/WsEta
% mkdir /data/local/WsEta

% ln -sf /data/local/WsEta /data/fxa/Grid/SBN/netCDF/LOCAL/WsEta

Now get the wsEta.cdl, activeGridSources.txt, and localGridSourceTable.txt files from the $WS_ETA/util/awips directory and copy them into the /data/fxa/customFiles directory on ds1. You will now have to do some minor editing of these files.

wsEta.cdl:

Using the NX and NY values, (7) and (8) from the table above, edit the X and Y dimension specification in /data/fxa/customFiles/wsEta.cdl with your values:

x = (7); //x dimension
y = (8); //y dimension

Note that the default values for x and y above are 109 and 91 respectively, which is correct if you are running the WS Eta on the 55x91 grid.

If you plan on outputting your model data at a higher frequency than every 3 hours, you will have to change the valtimeMINUSreftime setting in wsEta.cdl. Currently, the file is set for 3 hourly data out through 48 hours (seconds):

valtimeMINUSreftime =

0, 10800, 21600, 32400, 43200, 54000, 64800, 75600, 86400, 97200, 108000, 118800, 129600, 140400, 151200, 162000, 172800;

Any other changes, such as vertical levels etc, should be addressed in wsEta.cdl

Paul Sisson has provided a wsEta.cdl that should allow for nearly all the WS Eta fields to be viewed in awips. Please read the wsEta_cdl.readme file for more information.

localGridSourceTable.txt:

The only entries that may need to be edited are the grid dimensions, which should be the same as those in wsEta.cdl, and the output frequency of the data. The temporal resolution is set to 3 by default but may be smaller if desired.

activeGridSources.txt:

The only entry should be "wsEta", although other model data may be as necessary.

Run “maksuparg” to create a wsEta.sup file using the grid navigation values from your domain in the table above:

% maksuparg 3 (1) (2) (1) wsEta.sup l (3) (4) (5) (6) (lower case L, not a 1)

% cp wsEta.sup /awips/fxa/data/localizationDataSets/{siteID}

NOTE: The above steps must be executed each time you modify your WS Eta model domain!!

Edit the /awips/fxa/bin/fxa-data.purge file

% cd /awips/fxa/bin
% cp fxa-data-addons.purge fxa-data-addons.purge.orig
% chmod +w fxa-data-addons.purge

Now edit the fxa-data.purge file and add the following line to the end of the grid section (look for Grid/SBN, right before the satellite data).

purge_dir Grid/SBN/netCDF/LOCAL/WsEta 4

% chmod -w fxa-data-addons.purge

Modify a few files so that the new WS Eta data are visible to LDAD. Become user ~ldad

# su ldad (as ROOT)

Edit the LDADinfo.txt file in the /data/fxa/LDAD/data directory.

% cd /data/fxa/LDAD/data
% cp LDADinfo.txt LDADinfo.txt.orig

If a LDADinfo.txt files does not exist then copy the LDADinfo.txt from $WS_ETA/util/awips to /data/fxa/LDAD/data on ds1

Now edit the LDADinfo.txt file and add the following line:

#Workstation Eta GRIB files

GrbF | | | | | |preProcessWSETA.pl |

Note that there is a sample entry in the $WS_ETA/util/awips/LDADinfo.txt file.

The "GrbF" is the key to identifying the WS Eta GRIB files. If you have modified the eta_convert.csh script to change the WS Eta GRIB files naming convention then you will have to change the entry in LDADinfo.txt.

This entry tells the LDAD listener on ds1 to send the file to the preProcessWSETA.pl script

Move the preProcessWSETA.pl file to ldad.

The preProcessWSETA.pl is located $WS_ETA/util/awips directory and must be placed in the /awips/fxa/ldad/bin directory. Make sure that the directions are 775:

% mv preProcessWSETA.pl /awips/fxa/ldad/bin
% cd /awips/fxa/ldad/bin
% chmod 775 preProcessWSETA.pl

Kill the LDAD listener process:

% ps -ef | grep listener

Get the Process ID (second column) and execute the "kill" command:

% kill ### (process ID number)

Before you leave make sure that the listener has been killed.

% ps -ef | grep listener

Make sure that the PID is not the same as the original number. If the PID is the same you may need to use the -9 argument:

% kill -9 ### (process ID number)

The listener should restart automatically.

3. Localize your local AWIPS system

Localize your local AWIPS system

You will to become user fxa for the following instructions.

Execute the following on ds1

% cd /awips/fxa/data/localization/scripts
% ./mainScript.csh f -grids -dataSups -clipSups
% /awips/fxa/bin/stopIngest.ds1
% /awips/fxa/bin/startIngest.ds1

Execute the following on as1

% cd /awips/fxa/data/localization/scripts
% ./mainScript.csh f -grids
% /awips/fxa/bin/stopNotificationServer
% /awips/fxa/bin/startNotificationServer

Execute the following on each workstation

% rlogin ws#
% cd /data/fxa/customFiles
% cp wsEta.sup /awips/fxa/data/localizationDataSets/{siteID}/
% cd /awips/fxa/data/localization/scripts
% ./mainScript.csh f -grids

AWIPS configuration completed!