20010815: receiving and converting NOAAPort satellite data

>From: "Jason J. Levit" <address@hidden>
>Organization: Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms, University of Okla
homa
>Keywords: 200108151546.f7FFkn119322 McIDAS ADDE

Jason,

Sorry that this has taken so long for me to get to.

>  A few months ago, you and I discussed setting up an ADDE server here
>at CAPS to automatically convert NOAAPort GINI data to McIDAS AREA
>format files; well, we've FINALLY succeeded in installing McIDAS and the
>necessary tools.

Before we proceed, I would like you to upgrade to the latest Unidata
McIDAS distribution, Version 7.80.  My records showed that someone at
OU grabbed the 7.70 distribution back in May.  The 7.80 version has
been available for download since the beginning of August, and I
just announced it officially yesterday.

>Now, I'm searching for documentation to set up this
>component of the system.  Specifically, I need to figure out how to do
>this in real-time, hands-off, and just have the McIDAS system convert
>GINI to McIDAS on-the-fly as the data is received.  Do you know where I
>might find documentation concerning that subject?  Thanks for any help!

There are three of things here.

- First, the 'mcidas' account will need to be "taught" to know how to
  serve the NOAAPORT GINI data.  The setup for this is done from the
  'mcidas' account as follows:

  <login as 'mcidas'>
  <follow the instructions for how to set shell-specific environment
   variables needed to run McIDAS; you may have already done this>
  cd data
  cp GINIADDE.BAT OUGINI.BAT         (i.e., make a local copy of the file)
  <edit OUGINI.BAT and change each occurrance of

  DIRFILE=directory_file_regular_expression

  The change is to specify a regular expression as the object of the
  DIRFILE= keyword that tells McIDAS where the particular kind of
  data file lives (the DIRectory part of DIRFILE=) and how that file
  is named (the FILE part of DIRFILE=).  You will be able to fill
  in this information after you know where you are writing the 
  images received in NOAAPORT and how you are naming them.

  For example, the DIRFILE= value for the GPR1KVIS (GOES Puerto Rico 1 km
  Visible) images might look like:

  DIRFILE=/data/gini/PR-REGIONAL/1km/VIS/VIS_*

  This would match files named like VIS_20010823_1901 located in the
  /data/gini/PR-REGIONAL/1km/VIS directory.  Where the files live
  and how they are named are not important as long as a regular expression
  can be devised to uniquely identify all images of the same type.

  After OUGINI.BAT is completely filled out, you would use the McIDAS
  BATCH command (BATCH from the McIDAS-X session; batch.k from the
  Unix command line) to make those definitions active.  For example,

  <as the user 'mcidas'>
  cd ~mcidas/workdata
  batch.k OUGINI.BAT

  This step defines the GINICOMP, GINIEAST, and GINIWEST datasets.
  After doing this (assuming that the files are where you say they
  should be and are named as you have setup), the images will be available
  through ADDE services.

  This should be tested by running:

  dsinfo.k I GINIWEST

  and

  imglist.k GINIWEST/GW1KVIS FORM=EXP

  If both of these commands don't come back with information, then
  something is amiss and needs to be addressed before proceeding.

- Second, something has to know that a NOAAPORT GINI image has just been
  received.  This will be something outside of McIDAS.

- Third, associated with knowing when a new NOAAPORT GINI image has been
  received, you would kick off the execution of a Unix shell script
  that has been properly setup to run McIDAS commands.  I included two
  example scripts in the 7.70 and 7.80 distribution: mcbatch.sh and
  mcrun.sh.  mcbatch.sh is designed to run a McIDAS BATCH file.
  mcrun.sh is designed to be cloned, the clone edited to set local
  configuration information, and filled with the McIDAS commands
  desired to be run.

Let's work to the point of your 'mcidas' account being able to access
the NOAAPORT GINI imagery before proceeding much further.

Again, I had hoped to get to this before today, but I _really_ needed
to announce the availability of the latest version of McIDAS, and I
was out of town last week.

Tom