20031214: McIDAS and Grids

>From: address@hidden
>Organization: ULM
>Keywords: 200312142301.hBEN1Gp2002665 McIDAS-XCD DECINFO pqact.conf

Adam,

>A couple of months ago you guys help install mcidas 2003 on to the server
>cyclone.geos.ulm.edu.  I have just now gotten a chance to mees with it and
>make sure everythig is ok.  I have found one problem that I can't seem to
>correct.(granted i have limited knowlage of mcidas)  There seems to be
>something wrong with how the adde server seems to handle grided data.(models,
etc...) 
>Basically, it shows the different types of models but can't actually find the
>data.  I was hoping someone could please look into it whenever they have a
>chance and email me back with what they had to change or do so hopefully i can
>do it myself in the future.

What is probably going on is the ADDE datasets were defined so that a


DSINFO GRID RTGRIDS

returns a list of datasets that could be available, but the data is
not actually getting decoded into McIDAS GRID format.  I
say this sinc3 the McIDAS distribution is sent out with GRID decoding
turned off by default.  The reason for this is that decoding all of
the model output in the NOAAPORT broadcast (as contained in the IDD
HDS/HRS datastream) takes on the order of 6.5 GB of disk space per
day kept online.  A number of sites choose to not decode the GRID
data because of the high disk use.

To check to see if you have GRID file decoding turned on, do the following:

<as 'ldm'>

- make sure that your ~ldm/etc/pqact.conf file has an entry that will
  cause the model data to be decoded.  This will look like (HDS is
  equivalent to HRS):

HDS     .*      PIPE
        xcd_run HDS

If this is in pqact.conf, and if it is not commented out, then the LDM
is setup to decode McIDAS data.  This doesn't mean that it _will_ be
decoded, however.  One turn's on/off McIDAS decoders in the 'mcidas'
account:

<as 'mcidas'>
cd ~mcidas/workdata
decinfo.k LIST

The data monitor that will decoded GRID data is named DMGRID.  If it
is listed as being INACTIVE, you will have to activate it using
decinfo.k:

decinfo.k SET DMGRID ACTIVE

This should only be done, however, _after_ you make sure that you have
the necessary REDIRECTions in place that tell McIDAS (including the
decoder) where the GRID files are supposed to live.  List out
your REDIRECTions and look for where GRID5* and GRID6* are pointed:

redirect.k LIST

This should point to the same directory in which POINT (MDXX*) files
are decoded.  If the REDIRECTion does not exist, you need to define
it:

redirect.k ADD GRID5\* \"/data/ldm/mcidas         <- adjust to match your setup
redirect.k ADD GRID6\* \"/data/ldm/mcidas         <- adjust to match your setup

So, check your LDM setup (pqact.conf) first and then check to make sure
that GRID decoding is turned on.

If you still have problems, please let me know.

Cheers,

Tom