Information Technology: GrADS
Visualizing
Maps, Charts, Animations
Interactive
Quantitative
INTEGRATED
USER INTERFACE
Analyzing
Expressions, Functions
of Original Variables
User Definable,
Extensible
Accessing, Subsetting
General
slices of
4D Grids
In Situ Obs
Images
Arbitrary Domains
Optimized for Typical Queries
GrADS Analysis Model
ENABLES VERY SOPHISTICATED ANALYSIS TASKS
IN A HIGHLY ENCAPSULATED WAY
Scientists only need to specify:
dimension constraint
list of data sets
GrADS expression
This unique, innovative approach to geophysical data
analysis is the major reason for GrADS popularity.
Data Access/Interoperability/Analysis
Level 0: FTP & basic Web capability.
Level 1: DODS server concept: general data subsetting;
metadata. Client can support data interoperability.
Level 2: Analysis server. Uses GrADS unique
encapsulated analysis capability.
Example:
Calculate at the server! sea level pressure anomaly
over N. America when tropical Pacific SSTA > 1.0. Return
the result as data ! to the desktop.
Size of data sets: 3GB (Level 0)
Data processed at server: 5 MB (Level 1)
Returned to client: 10KB (Level 2)
Examples of GrADS Used on the Web to Deliver Images
NCDC - http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/onlineprod/prod.html
CPC - http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/
CDC - http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/USclimate/
DOLMS - http://dao.gsfc.nasa.gov/monitoring/
DOLMS Ozone - http://dao.gsfc.nasa.gov/monitoring/
DAO Terra
NCDC
NCEP CPC
NOAA CDC
Data Access/Interoperability/Analysis
Level 0: FTP & basic Web capability.
Level 1: DODS server concept: general data subsetting;
metadata. Client can support data interoperability.
Level 2: Analysis server. Uses GrADS unique
encapsulated analysis capability.
Example:
Calculate at the server! sea level pressure anomaly
over N. America when tropical Pacific SSTA > 1.0. Return
the result as data ! to the desktop.
Size of data sets: 3GB (Level 0)
Data processed at server: 5 MB (Level 1)
Returned to client: 10KB (Level 2)
DODS
Client/server architecture
http protocol
Generic, flexible data model
Metadata distribution capability
Open your data set with a URL
instead of a filename
Data Access/Interoperability/Analysis
Level 0: FTP & basic Web capability.
Level 1: DODS server concept: general data subsetting;
metadata. Client can support data interoperability.
Level 2: Analysis server. Uses GrADS unique
encapsulated analysis capability.
Example:
Calculate at the server! 500 hPa geopotential height
anomaly over N. America when tropical Pacific SSTA > 1.0.
Return the result as data ! to the desktop.
Size of data sets: 3GB (Level 0)
Data processed at server: 5 MB (Level 1)
Returned to client: 10KB (Level 2)
GrADS-DODS Analysis Server
Server
datasets in any format
supported by GrADS
GrADS data
GRIB data
NetCDF data
etc..
performs
analysis
operations
manages sessions,
translates dataset
names
GrADS
batch mode
interface
code
Result
cache
holds temporary data
(uploaded, generated by
a previous operation, or
transferred directly from
another server) for use in
remote analysis
supports extended request types for
analysis, upload
DODS server
libraries
Java
servlet
internet
DODS data and requests
Client
Encapsulated Analysis Requests
DODS client libraries
data appears to client as local file, in a
standard format (i.e, NetCDF, etc.)
Joe Wielgosz: 5/25/00
GrADS
Matlab
IDL
etc..
Summary: GrADS-DODS Server
Share data: Enterprise-wide; Internet-wide --data-format independent
Data interoperability: Consistent metadata for many
data types
Distributed analysis: Reduces network load;
improves interactivity
Automation of analysis techniques: Analysis
techniques can be captured in the form of scripts and
provided on server and/or client
Desktop Weather Forecasting
NCEP
NCEP
COLA
Global
Global Weather
Weather
Forecasts
Forecasts
GrADS-DODS
Server
WWW
Region-Specific
Lateral BCs
PC-Based
Regional NWP
