GFESuite Configuration

1
GFESuite Configuration

• Mark Mathewson

2
Topics

• Documentation
• Directory Structure
• Base/Site Configuration
• Base/Site/User configuration
• Problem Solving
• Misc. Items

3
Documentation
4
Where is it?

• GFE HELP menu
• FSL AWIPS doc web site
• http//www-md.fsl.noaa.gov/eft/AWIPSdoc.html
• Many other regional/national web sites contain
  information
• listservers another source
• ndfd_team, ifpsrppinfo, ifps

5
What is available?

• User Training Guides
• Reference Manuals
• Configuration Guides
• Product Generation Guides
• README file

6
How good is it?

• Issues
• Little indexing available.
• High priority for accurate info.
• Lower priority for indexing than s/w enhancements
• Generally fairly accurate especially the
  configuration guides
• Spend a few minutes with it it will save you
  time.

7
Directory Structures

8
Top-Level
9
databases Structure
10
databases Structure
11
Database grids Structure
12
GFE files on HPUX
13
Directory Tips

• Do not modify ANY files in etc/BASE
• Use etc/SITE instead
• Do not modify ANY files under data/databases
• These are controlled by the ifpServer
• README file contains list of directories that
  will be purged during installation

14
BASE/SITE Concepts
ifpServer Configurability
15
Base/Site concept
MapFiles new in IFPS12

• Applies to /etc/BASE, /etc/SITE
• Used to preserve YOUR changes from upgrade to
  upgrade.

16
Base/Site concept

• Use favorite text editor to change files.
• Normally have to restart ifpServer after changing
  files.
• Use runIFPServer n to check for errors.
• If server doesnt come up, check for errors.
• Look through log files.

17
Base/Site concept

• Configuration files are Python-executable code
• Very particular to syntax.
• Local (e.g., SITE) overrides using Python
  importing
• Can be tricky

18
Server Configuration Overrides
SITE
BASE
serverConfig.py
localConfig.py
Partial overrides
import
Maps.py
Maps.py
Complete Override (dont do)
Copied Then modified
Python Path SITE, then BASE
19
Python dual Importing
serverConfig
TC6NG (0HOUR,6HOUR,6HOUR)
DFC_UPDATE_INTERVAL 15
Eta (ETA, TC6NG)
Dbs DBS localConfig.parms
20
Python dual Importing
start
serverConfig
DFC_UPDATE_INTERVAL 15
import localConfig
21
Python dual Importing

• import serverConfig
• Allows you to access variables/methods from the
  module you import, via serverConfig.varName
• from serverConfig import
• Makes a copy of the variables, you can access the
  copies of these variables directly, via varName,
  but these are COPIES. If you change them, the
  originals arent changed.
• Exceptions dictionaries, arrays
• Dont require serverConfig. in front of variable.

22
Python dual Importing
serverConfig
TC6NG (0,6,6) MaxT (MaxT, SCALAR, "F", )
MaxT_PG (MaxT, TC6NG)
Dbs DBS localConfig.parms
What is TC6NG at this point? What is the TC for
MaxT at this point?
23
Base/Site concept

• GOTCHA Python files
• .py
• .pyc
• .pyo
• If you delete the .py file, such as
  localConfig.py, you may still have pyc or pyo
  files. The system will use those and will behave
  as if you never deleted the .py file.

24
localConfig capabilities

• Adding new weather elements
• Adding new models
• Changing characteristics ( of versions)
• Changing time constraints for elements
• Changing domain/resolution

25
localMaps/localMapFiles

• Overrides Maps.py and MapFiles.py
• Add new maps
• Remove existing maps
• Modify characteristics of maps
• Filters
• Automatic edit areas
• MapFiles/localMapFiles (new IFPS12)
• Defines the names of the shapefiles

26
Changing map backgrounds filtering

• Can filter by shapefile attributes.
• Make a new map just for ifpIMAGE generation.

CWAzones.filter(lambda x x'CWA' CWA)
def cwaZoneFilt(x) return x'CWA'
CWA CWAzones.filter(cwaZoneFilt)
Identical Filter
Shapefile Attribute
27
Changing map backgrounds - filtering
def exampleFilt(x) myCounties 'Summit',
'Sandusky', 'Huron', 'Medina' return
x'COUNTYNAME' in myCounties and \
x'STATE' "OH" and x'CWA' 'CLE'
Note
excludedCities Clinton, Pearl,
Brandon cities.filter(lambda
x,yexcludedCities xPOP_1990 gt 10000 \
and xNAME not in y
28
Updating Map Shapefiles

• Download new shapefiles from NWSH
• gzip each component
• .dbf, .shp, .shx
• Place into /awips/GFESuite/data/maps
• If the name changed, add/edit localMapFiles.py
  IFPS12 to point to the new file
• Caution shapefiles replaced during upgrade

29
localWxConfig

• Similar to localConfig, except for the Weather
  Definition
• Uses
• Adding additional attributes
• Adding additional weather types
• Adding additional coverage/prob, intensities
• May make incompatible grids with other NWS
  offices.

30
Tips (and Rules)

• DONT edit files in etc/BASE
• They are wiped clean each upgrade
• Check your changes immediately
• runIFPServer n (even with server running)
• Some changes may not be compatible with IFPS
• Time constraints, domains/resolution

31
BASE/SITE/USER Concepts
GFE / ifpIMAGE Configurability
32
Base/Site/User concept

• Applies to
• gfe and ifpIMAGE configuration files
• Sample sets, edit areas
• Color tables
• Smart Tools/Procedures
• User-defined time ranges
• Weather Element Groups

33
Tips (and Rules)

• Just like etc/BASE, do not edit files in
  data/databases/BASE since they are wiped clean
  during the next upgrade.
• Do not edit files directly in the databases
  directory.
• Some files require associated metadata files that
  cant be created with a text editor
• Changing files can confuse the ifpServer and GFEs
  if they are running at the time.
• Use the GFE to edit files, OR use the
  ifpServerText program.

34
Special Users

• SITE site administrator login. Files in this
  category are seen by all users.
• BASE brings up GFE using BASE configuration
  only --- as supplied by FSL. Good way to verify
  a problem is a local configuration problem.
• BASE and SITE will not appear in the GFE
  startup dialog.

35
Python ErrorsGFE is hung!
Not any more. Starting GFE with a bad
configuration file will cause a dialog to popup
showing you the error location.
FSL
36
Why Cant I find my config files

• Are your config files lost?
• Perhaps you created them under a different user?
• Use ifpServerStats to help you find them.
• ifpIMAGE uses the user SITE for execution you
  need to create files in correct place.

37
I changed my config file, but the change isnt
working
gfeConfig
BASE
3. Later, log onto awipsusr,the BOUsiteConfig
seen doesnthave the latest changes.
38
The READ-ONLY flag

• Setting the Read-Only flag on the various
  configuration files will stop the user from
  overriding them.
• No GFE GUI to set the read-only flag.
• Must do it directly on the file system.
• chmod 444 filename
• Fully implemented with IFPS12

39
Some sites have
BASE
SITE
user
50 tools
50 tools
copied
gfeConfig
gfeConfig
copied

• Made copies of files in BASE and placed them in
  SITE
• Copied lots of files from SITE to user
• This practice is NOT recommended. You might get
  different behavior based on login name.

40
Concepts to understand

• Python files (gfeConfig)
• Can use Python importer for partial overrides
• Non-Python files (sample sets)
• Must use complete overrides, no importer
  capability

41
Order of Precedence
no
ERROR
42
Retrieval of Color Table Example
X
X
QPF Color Table
QPF Color Table
QPF Color Table
BASE
SITE
USER
43
Some files are Python

• You can use the Python import mechanism and you
  should.
• Advantage
• You can override small pieces of files.
• You dont need to redefine everything
• Examples Smart Tools, gfe/ifpIMAGE configuration
  files

44
Python importing
import B codecodecode
import A codecodecode
codecodecode
B
C
A
45
Python importing
Cant import from yourself, even if at
different BASE/SITE/USER levels
X
import C codecodecode
codecodecode
C
C
46
Python-file Retrieval
47
GFE Config file example
Site could also have redefined the color table
SITE (siteGfeConfig)
BASE (gfeConfig)
import siteGfeConfig T_defaultColorTablemyOwn I
mageOnActiveno Contour_font3 T_spatialImageType
Image, Contour
User could also have imported directly from the
base.
USER (joeConfig)
48
Tips

• Software doesnt seem to be working.
• Start GFE as user BASE, config gfeConfig
• Run ifpServerStats and look at your environment.
• Move files around if needed using moveGFEData.

49
Misc. Topics
50
Installs/Upgrades

• SITE and USER directories not touched by
  installs.
• BASE files overwritten.
• Recommend you do partial overrides, not complete
  files copies in order to ensure operability of
  software and to catch latest changes in the
  upgrade.
• Watch out for directories that are overwritten!
• README file.

51
Product Generation

• Site/base/user concept applies to all programs
  using the server.
• By Default, many product generation programs
  become user SITE.
• Prevents user overrides from affecting sites
  products
• Can start programs with specific user switch (-u
  username).

52
Watch your localConfig configuration changes.

• Some changes may drop your database.
• Changing domains, resolutions, data type
• Some changes only drop a single weather
  element.
• Changing the Weather definition
• Some changes may shift around the grids in time.
• Changing time constraints

53
Problemsand how to diagnose them

• Each program uses logfiles.
• Located in /awips/GFESuite/data/logfiles
• Search logfiles for PROBLEM, BUG
• Many problems can be diagnosed simply by
  examining the logfiles.
• But some entries in logfiles are cryptic to
  forecasters.