Procedure #5: Configuring McIDAS-XCD

This procedure will configure your McIDAS-XCD system to receive its data via the LDM. If your McIDAS-XCD system is already receiving its data via the LDM then the only necessary action is to make sure that the line in step 4-B contains the correct domain name of your NOAAPORT ingest computer.

1. Log onto your McIDAS-XCD computer as user oper.
2. If McIDAS-XCD is running, turn it off.
3. If the LDM is not installed on your McIDAS-XCD computer then install it using the LDM Installation Procedure. If the LDM is already installed and running, turn it off.
4. Configure the LDM to request data from your NOAAPORT ingest computer.
   1. Open the file, ~ldm/etc/ldmd.conf for editing.
   2. Add the following line to the "Request Entries" section and replace your.dvbingestor.here with the fully qualified domain name of your NOAAPORT ingest computer (the white space separating the items in the line below must be tabs, not spaces).

      request  PPS|DDS|HDS|IDS|NNEXRAD  ".*"  your.dvbingestor.here  PRIMARY

      Click here for a list of LDM feed types (e.g., PPS, DDS, etc.).
   3. Save and close the file.
5. Configure the LDM to write data directly to the McIDAS-XCD ingestor processes.
   1. Open the file ~ldm/etc/pqact.conf for editing.
   2. Add the following line for text data ingest (the white space separating the items in the line below must be tabs, not spaces).

      PPS|DDS|IDS   ^.*   PIPE   /home/oper/mcidas/bin/ingetext.k   NTXT

   3. Add the following line for binary data ingest (the white space separating the items in the line below must be tabs, not spaces).

      HDS|NNEXRAD   ^.*   PIPE   /home/oper/mcidas/bin/ingebin.k   NBIN

   4. Save and close the file.
6. Set the permissions and paths such that the LDM can be administered from the oper account.
   Note: The LDM should always be started/stopped by user oper.
   1. The oper and ldm users must belong to a common group. If this is not already the case then create a new group and place both of these users into it.
   2. Change the group for the ~ldm/data directory and its contents to the common group. Type:

      chgrp -R group ~ldm/data

   3. Give read/write permissions to the common group for the ~ldm/data directory and its contents. Type:

      chmod -R 774 ~ldm/data

   4. Add ~ldm/bin to the PATH in the appropriate profile file (.bash_profile, .profile, etc.) for the oper account.
   5. Add the following lines to the profile file (e.g., .profile, .bash_profile, etc.).

      LDMHOME=<fully qualified path to the home directory of the ldm account>
      export LDMHOME

7. Modify your McIDAS-XCD ingestor configuration files so that the text and binary ingestors will read from standard input.
   1. Open NTXT.CFG for editing.
   2. Comment-out the following lines by adding a leading #.

      FILE=/tmp/jmb.fifo.1
      PERM=READONLY
      HOST=127.0.0.1
      HOST_PORT=1501
      

   3. Add the following line (or uncomment it if it already exists in the file).

      FILE=STDIN

   4. Save and close NTXT.CFG.
   5. Make similar changes to NBIN.CFG.
8. Configure the McIDAS-XCD ingestor circuits.
   1. Start a McIDAS session. Type:

      mcidas

   2. Set up the WMO routing table. In the McIDAS text window, type:

      BATCH NOAAPORT.BAT

   3. Turn the McIDAS-XCD binary and text circuits off. In the McIDAS text window, type:

      CIRCUIT SET NTXT INACTIVE
      CIRCUIT SET NBIN INACTIVE

   4. Turn the system back on.
      1. Turn the LDM on. From a shell prompt, type:

         ldmadmin start

      2. Turn McIDAS-XCD on. In the McIDAS text window, type:

         STARTXCD

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