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McIDAS-XCD Fastrack Version 2006c
Software and Instructions

McIDAS-XCD Fastrack version 2006c is a special beta release of the McIDAS GRIB server that's been updated to support GRIB2. McIDAS-XCD sites are encouraged to install this beta release to test their specialized data feeds and code. However, since 2006c has many recent code changes that have undergone limited testing, sites should not install it on their operational or mission-critical workstations.

Please keep in mind that McIDAS-XCD 2006c is not supported by the MUG, though most or all of its changes will be included in the McIDAS-XCD 2007 upgrade. If you elect to install 2006c, we ask that you notify the McIDAS Help Desk if you encounter any bugs. Please be sure to mention that you are running version 2006c.

Also note that if you plan to upgrade to 2006c from a version earlier than 2006 (e.g., 2005), you must first read and perform the required actions in the document titled McIDAS-XCD Version 2006 Upgrade Procedure, June 2006 that was included in your site's 2006 upgrade package.


***** Important!!! *****
Before installing Fastrack version 2006c, make sure you view the list of Known GRIB2 Bugs in McIDAS-X and -XCD 2006c. Also note that you must install McIDAS-X 2006c before you install McIDAS-XCD 2006c.

 

To obtain and install McIDAS-XCD 2006c, complete the following steps.

  1. Download the following files to the ~oper/mcidas directory on your McIDAS-XCD workstation.
    File name Description
    xcd2006c.sh shell script that installs the McIDAS-XCD software
    xcd2006c.tar.Z compressed tar file that contains all source and data files

  2. If you are installing McIDAS-XCD for the first time on the workstation, go to the McIDAS-XCD Administrator's Guide's Installing McIDAS-XCD 2006 for the First Time and complete its instructions, but substitute "2006c" wherever "2006" appears. If you use the LDM as your data source, you may want to change your configuration as outlined in Step 12 below. You do not need to complete any of the other additional steps below.

    After installing -XCD for the first time, if you want to make additional GRIB2 dataset changes (i.e., change or add datasets), see the Creating a GRIB2 Dataset page.

    If you are installing McIDAS-XCD Fastrack version 2006c on a workstation that already has version 2006 installed, complete the steps below.

  3. If -XCD is running in the foreground, turn it off by exiting the McIDAS session and wait until all ingestors and data monitors have exited. From the McIDAS Text and Command window,

    Type: EXIT

    If -XCD is running in the background, stop the session by running the following command from an oper xterm.

    Type: xcdadmin stop

  4. From an oper xterm, build and install McIDAS-XCD 2006c using the same compilers (vendor or gcc/g77) and optional flag (-noopt and -mysql) settings that were used to build McIDAS-X 2006c. You must use the same compilers and optional flag settings for both the McIDAS-X and McIDAS-XCD builds.

    5. If you are using vendor compilers,

    Type: sh ./xcd2006c.sh -v flags  build

    If you are using gcc/g77 compilers,

    Type: sh ./xcd2006c.sh -gcc flags  build

    where flags is zero, one or both of the two optional flags described below.

    • The -noopt flag is used to build McIDAS-XCD with no optimization. If you don't specify this -noopt flag, McIDAS-XCD is built using the default optimization: -O2 for builds with vendor compilers and -O1 for builds with gcc/g77.
    • The -mysql flag is used to build McIDAS-XCD using the MySQL database libraries. Use this flag if this workstation will be serving real-time GRIB files from the NOAAPORT data stream and you have installed and want to use a MySQL database to make the GRIB data access faster for your McIDAS-X clients/users. If the database is in a non-standard install location, specify the flag as -mysql=directory, where directory is the root MySQL install directory. Remember, the -mysql flag must be specified when building both McIDAS-X and McIDAS-XCD.

    When the script xcd2006c.sh is finished, you will see the message below.

    McIDAS-XCD binaries built correctly

  5. Run the script below to install the new executable code and a subset of the replaceable McIDAS-XCD data files for your workstation.

    6. Type: sh ./xcd2006c.sh cutover

    When the script is finished, you will see the message below.

    McIDAS-XCD package cutover is now complete

  6. Switch to user mcidas so you can install the McIDAS-XCD ADDE servers.

    7. Type: su mcidas

  7. Run the script below from the ~oper/mcidas directory to install the new ADDE server executable code in the mcidas account.

    8. Type: sh ./xcd2006c.sh install addeservers

  8. Exit from user mcidas.

    9. Type: exit

  9. If you use a MySQL database, remake the database by removing the old one then making the new one by running the two commands below. Be aware that the gribadmin removedb command completely removes the database, so all entries added before this command will no longer be accessible. If a password is requested, enter the password for the MySQL root user, which was set by the person that installed MySQL. As user oper,

    10. Type: gribadmin removedb
    Type: gribadmin makedb

    You can check that you have the new database by running the command gribadmin fields and verifying that the field field_number is the second-to-last entry.

  10. As user mcadde, run the BATCH file that creates the ADDE dataset names for known GRIB2 data on NOAAPORT, as well as some additional GRIB2 data available from ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov. From the McIDAS Text and Command window,

    11. Type: BATCH XCDGRB2.BAT

    If you want to make additional GRIB2 dataset changes (i.e., change or add datasets), see the Creating a GRIB2 Dataset page.

  11. If you also want to serve GRIB1 datasets (in addition to the GRIB2 datasets), you must update the GRIB1 dataset definitions in the RESOLV.SRV file by completing either step (a) or step (b) below.

    (a) If you're using the default dataset names in file XCDGRIB.BAT, then rerun the batch file with the command below. As user mcadde, from the McIDAS Text and Command window,

    12. Type: BATCH XCDGRIB.BAT

    (b) If your GRIB1 dataset names are not the default ones created in XCDGRIB.BAT, then edit the /home/mcadde/mcidas/data/RESOLV.SRV file and add GRIBTYPE=1 within the INFO= keyword of each of the GRIB1 dataset definitions in the file.

  12. If you use the LDM as your data source, most GRIB2 files are currently coming across the NGRID and CONDUIT feeds. You will need to add NGRID or CONDUIT to the NBIN line in the /home/ldm/etc/pqact.conf file, as documented in the McIDAS-XCD Administrator's Guide's Configuring Data Communications. We also recommend an LDM product queue size of 2 G. To change the product queue size, edit /home/ldm/etc/ldmadmin-pl.conf and change:

    $pq_size = "400M";

    to

    $pq_size = "2G";

  13. Restart McIDAS-XCD. If you need instructions, see the McIDAS-XCD Administrator's Guide's Starting and Stopping McIDAS-XCD.

This concludes the McIDAS-XCD Fastrack version 2006c installation procedure. If you would like to modify the configuration of your McIDAS-XCD workstation, go to the McIDAS-XCD Administrator's Guide's Configuring McIDAS-XCD.


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