GFESuite Training Workshop

1
GFESuite Training Workshop

• Sept. 24-27 2002
• ForecastSystems Laboratory

2
Logistics

• Restrooms
• Classroom/Lab Locations
• Agenda and Breaks, Assigned Tracks
• Restaurants - Cafeteria
• Get together Lazy Dog Saloon
• Staff Introduction / Guest Introduction
• Questionnaire

3
Whats this course about?

• This is not a knobology course.
• This course covers advanced concepts of GFESuite
  and focuses on GFE, not IFPS.
• Fine print Region expects you to become regional
  experts and help others.
• The software we are teaching, is to be deployed
  soon to all WFOs, so what you are learning is
  timely.

4
Targeting all WFOs

• The field is screaming for TRAINING.
• GFE Topics taught have not been taught in detail
  at NWSTC
• Trying to reach ALL WFOs in series of 3
  workshops
• Nov 2001 46 attendees
• Apr 2002 56 attendees
• Sept 2002 58 attendees
• FSL developed the GFESuite.
• We want to teach you the advanced concepts.

5
This workshop

• Covers GFESuite portion of IFPS only.
• Is Intense
• There is a lot of material to cover in 3 ½ days.
• Is Interactive
• We want participation. We get as much out of it
  than you do.

6
This workshop

• May have you looking like this by Friday!

7
Agenda

• Demos, Lectures, and Discussions
• ifpIMAGE and Other Programs
• Whats New with GFESuite?
• GFESuite Configuration
• Joint Discussions
• Track A and B together

8
Agenda

• Labs
• Numerical Python
• Smart Tools
• Smart Initialization
• GFE Configuration and ifpIMAGE
• Intersite Coordination

9
Computers in the Labs

• You are assigned a machine and a site.
• Your HOME WFO is configured for you.
• Sometimes you have your own machines, sometimes
  you will share with another.

10
Acknowledgments

• LeRoy Spayd, NWS Training Manager
• Rental of computers
• Guest Speakers
• Lynn Maximuk, EAX MIC
• Carl McCalla, MDL

11
GFESuite, IFPS, AWIPS, RAP, RPP, NDFD, IOC ?????

• Mark Mathewson
• Carl McCalla

12
GFESuite

• Software written by FSL
• Part of formal IFPS deployment
• Consists of
• Database
• Derivation Algorithms (a.k.a. Smart
  Initialization)
• Graphical Forecast Editor
• Product Generation programs text, graphics,
  grids
• Supplemental Programs

13
Components of GFESuite
Products
Ingest/DB
GFE Editors
Spatial Editor
Temporal Editor
D2D AWIPS Model Data
Grid Manager
14
IFPS

• Remainder of IFPS developed by MDL
• MDL portion consists of
• IGR (Matrix Editor)
• ICS (Combo Selector)
• Text Product Formatters (e.g., ZFP, CCF, RDF)
• MOS initialization routines
• Model Interpretation (a.k.a. Slider Bars)
• INFORMIX database
• CRS Formatters, W/W/A

15
IFPS Components
D2D AWIPS Model Data
Master Menu
MOS Sensible Weather
ifpServer Grids
INFORMIX Matrix
Smart Initialization
16
Historical View of IFP

• ICWF started in the 1980s on AFOS, matrix-based
• AFPS (GFESuite) started in 1990, grid-based
• Original plan ICWF deployed to field, replaced
  with AFPS two years later
• MDL provides text formatters
• FSL provides editors, database
• Independent development continued until 1996 when
  a merge of ICWF and AFPS was called IFPS.

17
IFPS History

• IFPS first deployed to AWIPS in Build 5.0 (about
  two years ago)
• Major issues
• Development/progress was very slow
• Inadequate forecaster/developer interaction
• Few field test sites just a few ICWF, none GFE
• Time Between AWIPS Releases 6-9 months
• Time From s/w development to field 12 months

18
IFPS History

• AWIPS uses industry standard practices for
  deploying mature, operational software to a large
  installed set of customers.
• This process was not adequate for rapid progress
  and exploratory development, as as what IFPS
  needed.
• IFPS was relatively new, and did not have a solid
  set of requirements and specifications.

19
Rapid Prototyping Project (RPP)

• MSD chiefs initiative Summer 1999
• RPP created to address the shortcomings.
• Goals
• Improve GFE user interface and usability
• Explore Modernized Products
• Explore Gridded Forecast Methodology
• Currently 20 sites participating in RPP.

20
Rapid Prototyping Project (RPP)

• Quick turnaround of software
• 6-8 week cycle typical (recently weekly cycles)
• Frequent interaction with forecasters
• Workshops
• Listserver
• Software evaluations
• More progress made in last 3 years, than first 9
  years by far!

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GFE in 1996
22
GFE in 1999
Prior tostart ofRPP
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Prior to RPP

• GFE was a paint-program
• Interactive tools, such as the bulldozer, made
  impressive demos.
• No meteorology in GFESuite at that time (except
  for ifpInit).
• User Feedback minimal

24
Recent GFE (RPP11 May01)
25
Results of RPP

• Features developed over the last 3 years
• Smart Tools
• Smart Initialization
• Major U/I Overhaul modeling the forecast process
• ifpIMAGE
• Intersite Coordination of Grids
• Base/site/user configurability
• Text Products Infrastructure
• Meteorology in the GFE!

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Rapid Prototyping and AWIPS
1/00
5/00
9/00
1/01
5/01
9/01
7/00
11/01
3/00
11/99
11/00
3/01
7/01
5/02
3/02
1/02
7/02
9/02
RPP
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
13
12
11
10
9
8
15
16
19
14
17
18
AWIPS Development Handoff
5.1.1
5.0
5.1.2
5.2.1
12
13
10
11
AWIPS Deployment
5.0
5.1.1
5.1.2
5.2.1
IFPS11
IFPS10
27
RPP Releases
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Where do the improvements come from?

• Suggestions for improvements come from two
  sources
• AWIPS Requirements
• Usually requires additional details/specifications
  s
• Interaction between forecasters and developers
• Majority of features start this way
• Turnaround time
• Sometimes a matter of days

29
About a year ago

• NWSH realized it was time to focus on IFPS and
  decided to really gear up for it.
• There have been a huge amount of changes in the
  IFPS program
• Goals, targets
• Change in development process
• Field Prototyping/Testing plans
• NDFD was the first change.

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National Digital Forecast Database

• Contains a seamless mosaic of National Weather
  Service digital forecasts
• Is available to all users and partners public
  and private
• Allows users and partners to create a wide range
  of text, graphic, and image products.

31
NDFD increases the usefulness of Govt forecasts
by

• Providing weather information to drive custom
  applications developed by partners
• Decision support systems that fit the forecast to
  the problem
• Weather information along a path
• Text generation in more than one language
• Forecasts for vehicles and hand-held devices with
  GPS
• Smart appliances (e.g., heating, cooling,
  irrigation)
• Communicating the forecasters mental image of
  the weather situation in greater detail

32
The NDFD will contain

• Weather, water, and climate forecasts from WFOs,
  RFCs, and NCEP Service Centers
• Elements that support generation of current WFO
  products
• Digital watch, warning, and advisory information
• Elements that support generation of national
  products defined by NDFD Product Development
  Process
• Elements that would attract the private
  development of graphics and decision tools
• The official NWS forecast for each element

33
NDFD Prototype

• Exploration now occurring in the clusters
• Weather elements, time requirements
• Coordination techniques between offices
• Solving technical issues
• Methodology issues
• 3 Clusters Western, Central, Eastern

34
NDFD Grids (a.k.a. National Mosaic Grid)
FFC
NWS plans to issue national gridded products by
Sept 2003
35
NDFD and Intersite Coordination

• Related but not the same.

WFO
WFO
WFO
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Intersite Coordination Grids
Internal NWS Tool to facilitate coordinated
forecasts
CYS
CYS
BOU
BOU
PUB
PUB
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Intersite Coordination Grids
OAX
TOP
SGF
Probability of Precipitation
(Before any coordination)
TSA
38
ISC Grids coordination improvements
Same as left image, But with color Table changes.
39
IFPS Roadmap

• Accepted Dec 10, 2001 by NWS Operations
  Committee.
• Specific thresholds and stretch objectives.
• A new plateau of NWS service to the nation.
• Thresholds of Success

40
Thresholds for Success

• Prepare local digital forecast database
• To 7 days
• At every WFO
• Update it as necessary at least twice a day.

41
Thresholds for Success

• Prepare existing base forecast products
• Via IFPS
• In the format they are today
• At every CONUS WFO
• By September 30, 2003
• OCONUS to be implemented by December 2003

42
Thresholds for Success

1. Provide external user access to local digital
   forecast data in GRIB2 format.
2. Provide for required digital product retention.

43
Existing Base Forecast Products

• Zone Forecast Product (ZFP)
• Coded Cities Forecast (CCF)
• Fire Weather Forecast (FWF)
• Miscellaneous Fire Weather Prediction (FWM)
• Coastal Waters Forecast (CWF)
• Marine Verification coded Forecast (MVF)
• NearShore Forecast (NHS)
• Great Lakes Open Lake Forecast (GLF)
• Service Area Forecast (SAF)
• Tabular State Forecast (TSF)

44
IOC (Initial Operating Capability)

• The preceding list of products defines the
  Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for IFPS at a
  WFO.

45
Rapid Alpha Process (RAP)

• NWS/AWIPS response to the IFPS Roadmap
• Provides more frequent development, field test,
  feedback for developers and field.
• Generally patterned after Rapid Prototype Process
  (RPP).
• Operates within AWIPS.

46
Steps in the RAP

• Monthly Conference Calls
• Gather feedback from field sites.
• Set development priorities.
• Frequent build/test/release cycles
• Latest GFESuite bundled into each IFPS release.
• Formal testing at NWSHQ
• Field testing at 30 Alpha Test WFOs.
• Phase I
• Phase II
• Release to all WFOs.

47
RAP Schedule
Schedule for IFPS10/11 fixed, coordinates with B5
responsibilities. Later builds of IFPS12 will be
coordinated with WFOs.
5/02
9/02
4/02
3/02
6/02
7/02
8/02
10/02
RAP Alpha
12
11
10
RAP toall WFOs
IFPS10
IFPS11
AWIPS Deployment
5.2.1
5.2.2
48
RAP Contents IFPS 10

• Port to Linux
• Intersite Coordination of Grids
• Fire Weather (1st cut)
• Daily Forecast Critique (1st cut)

49
RAP Contents IFPS11

• Service Backup
• Floating-PoP
• Use of Daylight Savings Time in grid unloader
• Site-selectable PoP12 Adjustment (MOS ingest)
• Thresholds for weather and obstructions to vision
• GFE Streamline Tool
• Rate-dependent weather elements, e.g., QPF,
  SnowAmt
• Enhanced Daily Forecast Critique

50
RAP Contents IFPS12

• Snow Levels
• Fire Weather Formatter
• Service Backup version control
• GFE Utility Programs publishGFE, sendISC,
  ifpServerText
• ISC of Grids now includes marine areas
• Move Grid Unloader Thresholds into INFORMIX
  database.

51
RAP Contents IFPS13

• Support for non Lambert Conformal projections,
  and non-square domains.
• Support for OCONUS-specific weather elements.
• Improved local formatter infrastructure

52
RAP vs. RPP

• Latest GFESuite (RPP) goes into latest RAP.
• RPP schedules adjusted to closer fit RAP
  schedules.
• RPP will precede RAP deliveries by about two
  months.
• RPP may differ from RAP (schedule, contents)

53
Customer Support

• Mark Mathewson
• Carl McCalla

54
Customer Support Teams

• Site Support Team (SST)
• 24x7 Site Support Team (24x7/SST)
• Customer Support Team (CST)

55
Site Support Team

• Composition
• Two MDL staffers (typically s/w developers)
• Function
• Troubleshoot and resolve
• Operational IFPS problems occurring at baseline
  and RAP sites (NCF refers site problems)
• Installation problems occurring at IFPS baseline
  sites

56
Site Support Team (cont.)

• Availability
• Mon-Fri (except holidays) during EST/EDT normal
  business hours
• Resources
• The entire IFPS s/w development staff (both MDL
  and FSL)

57
24x7 Site Support Team

• Composition
• Two MDL staffers (typically s/w developers)
  available for callback overtime.
• Function
• Troubleshoot and resolve
• Critical operational IFPS problems occurring at
  baseline and RAP sites (NCF refers site problems)
• Availability
• Holidays, weekends, and Mon Fri after normal
  business hours

58
Customer Support Team

• Composition
• Two MDL full-time customer service / customer
  support staffers
• Function
• Perform pre/post IFPS RAP and baseline site
  installation interviews
• Field calls from RAP sites regarding installation
  problems
• Work with IFPS s/w developers to ensure RAP
  installation problems are resolved
• Shield NCF from installation issues.

59
Customer Support Team (cont.)

• Availability
• Mon Fri during normal business hours
• Resources
• The entire IFPS development staff both MDL and
  FSL.

60
FSL Support a little more informal

• Composition
• Entire FSL GFESuite development team, as needs
  dictate
• Function
• Assist MDL in supporting IFPS
• Troubleshoot and resolve problems at RPP sites
• Availability
• Normal business hours plus volunteer 24/7
  emergency support.
• Method of Support
• Listservers , gfesupport_at_fsl.noaa.gov

61
Training Plans

• Brian Motta

62
IFPS Training

• GFESuite workshop materials to be converted to
  distance learning.
• Future IFPS workshops to address best practices
  and focal point issues.
• Boundary Layer workshop to be held at Comet at
  end of FY03.
• Comet and NWSTC adding new hardware and IFPS to
  classrooms.

63
IFPS Training

• Possible teletraining sessions this coming year
• ISC Grids / Collaboration
• Text Formatters
• Selected smart tools
• Service Backup
• Shift Management
• Forecast Methodology

64
Are We Ready?

• Sept. 2003 a year away
• By IOC, all offices must meet a minimum standard.
• Do we need training on IOC Expectations?
• NWS will be judged by the least capable office.