McIDAS-X Learning Guide
Version 2020

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Real-time Data Access - Getting Started

The exercise below will take you through the steps necessary for setting up your client routing table to access real-time data. Once you have real-time groups included in the client routing table, ADDE commands can access data as soon it becomes available on the server machine. These exerises will use free data servers available from Unidata and the Unidata/SSEC collaboration.

Users who have LOGON credentials (initials and project number) that allow access to the SSEC real-time servers can modify the commands to use those datasets. Remember that once you have your client routing table set up to access real-time data from SSEC, any requests you make for real-time data will be charged to the project number you use when you log on. Run the following commands to setup access to the SSEC servers that use LOGON credentials: LOGON initials project# I; DATALOC ADD INFO INFO.SSEC.WISC.EDU; READ INFO/RTSERVER DEV=T RTSERVER.BAT R; BATCH RTSERVER.BAT

Users who do not have access to the SSEC real-time servers and would prefer to use their own site's data sources should contact their Site Coordinator (System Administrator) for instructions on how to set up the client routing table. Once you have your table set up, you may start your McIDAS session and go to the next section. Remember, this chapter assumes that you are using the same dataset names as those used at SSEC. If your dataset names are different, you may have to change the dataset names in some of the commands.

1. Start a McIDAS session.

   At the Unix prompt:

   Type:  mcidas

   Your session should still be set for twenty frames from the last time you changed the Configuration GUI. If not, set it for twenty frames, as described in Getting Started.

2. Modify your client routing table so that commands are requesting data from freely accessed image, grid, point and text datasets.

   Type:  DATALOC ADD RTGOESR ADDE.UCAR.EDU

   Type:  DATALOC ADD RTGOESS ADDE.UCAR.EDU

   Type:  DATALOC ADD RTGRIDS ADDE.SSEC.WISC.EDU

   Type:  DATALOC ADD RTPTSRC ADDE.SSEC.WISC.EDU

   Type:  DATALOC ADD RTWXTEXT ADDE.SSEC.WISC.EDU

3. List your client routing table's groups and associated server IP addresses.

   Type:  DATALOC

   All of the real-time servers should be displayed, in addition to any group names that were previously set up on your workstation.


4. Run the DSINFO command to list all datasets of type TEXT in the group RTWXTEXT.

   Type:  DSINFO TEXT RTWXTEXT

   A listing of all of the descriptor names in the group RTWXTEXT is displayed. The contents of these text datasets will be used by commands that use these datasets for data access.



Dataset Names of Type: TEXT in Group: RTWXTEXT Name NumPos Content ------------ ------ -------------------------------------- FOUS14 1 Real-Time FOUS14 Text GFSMOS 1 Real-Time GFS Model Output Statistics NAMMOS 1 Real-Time NAM Model Output Statistics SFCHOURLY 1 Real-Time SFC Hourly Text SYNOPTIC 1 Real-Time SYNOPTIC Text TERMFCST 1 Real-Time Terminal Forecast UPPERAIR 1 Real-Time Upper Air Text

5. Run the DSINFO command to list all the datasets available in the RTGRIDS group.

   Type:  DSINFO X RTGRIDS

   The X is a placeholder that will list all of the data types in RTGRIDS. The DSINFO command can be used with any of the groups listed in your client routing table.

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