SDI Operator's Manual
Version 2005

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Appendix B

Frequently Asked Questions

This appendix is a list of questions that the SSEC Data Center commonly receives from SDI users.

 

Q. How do I remove a "bad" image (e.g., an image with a future date and time that was generated due to a problem at the ground station) from my GVAR SDI or POES SDI?

A. First, remove the index files for the bad data from the data directory (usually /data). See GVAR Image Index Files in Chapter 3, or POES Index Files in Chapter 4 for more information about index files.

Then remove all references to the bad image in the descripter files. Be careful not to edit the descriptor files while image starts are writing to the files. Edit the files between images, or stop the ingestor, edit the files, then restart the ingestor. See GVAR Descriptor Files in Chapter 3, or POES Descriptor Files in Chapter 4 for more information about descriptor files.

 

Q. What is a FIFO?

A. FIFO stands for First In First Out. It is a pipe that looks like a file.

 

Q. I have just edited the /etc/init.d/ingcntl file, but when my SDI rebooted, the changes did not take affect. Why?

A. The ingestors use /etc/rc3.d/S99inge when they boot to start the ingestor. This file should be hard linked to /etc/init.d/ingcntl, so that any changes made in one will also be in the other.

 

Q. What is the difference between files /etc/init.d/ingcntl and /etc/rc3.d/S99inge?

A. S99inge is a script in the system run-level directory /etc/rc3.d. The file /etc/init.d/ingcntl is the ingestor startup script, used mainly for manually stopping and restarting the ingestor.

In order for the ingestor to restart automatically upon system booting, an ingestor auto-startup script must be included in the system run-level directory /etc/rc3.d, where run-level 3 is the normal multi-user level. When SDIs are shipped, /etc/rc3.d and /etc/init.d/ingcntl are hard linked (so all changes made in one are also made in the other) so the ingestor will be brought up when the system reboots.

 

Q. Why does the message unable to write to utmpx appear when I stop my SDI ingestor?

A. Nothing is wrong. This message is normal when the ingestor shuts down.

 

Q. Can the GVAR SDI be configured to hold, for example, more CONUS images than SH images?

A. No. It can't because the GVAR SDI retains data in the order it is received. We suggest writing images you want to keep to another local machine.

 

Q. We just installed our SDI, but upon startup, we get the message Open error on /dev/jmb no such device or address, and no data is ingested. Why?

A. This message indicates that the SDI board was not found by the ingestor. Reseat the board.

 

Q. What time zone should my SDI ingestor be set to?

A. The time zone setting does not matter to the SDI.

 

Q. How do I increase the number of GINI files being saved?

A. To lengthen the loop of GINI files being saved, add the file type and number of files to save to the file /opt/nport/retain.nport.


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