McIDAS-XCD Fastrack Version 2011.1
Software and Instructions

This page contains the software and instructions for installing McIDAS-XCD version 2011.1, a fully supported Fastrack release. Modifications made since the previous release (version 2010.1) include:

• Added support for the new NAM Fire Weather / IMET nest GRIB files available on the CONDUIT stream of NOAAPORT. Files XCDGRB2.BAT and grib2NavLookup.txt were updated, resulting in nine new datasets (NAM-USLCNEST, NMMB-FIRENTX, NMMB-FIRESTX, NMMB-FIRENCAL, NMMB-FIRESCAL, NMMB-FIRESWUS, NMMB-FIREFLA, NMMB-FIRENME, NMMB-FIRESME) and three renamed datasets (NMM-ALL to NMMB-ALL, NMM-USLCAW40 to NMMB-USLCA40, NMM-USLCAWI4 to NMMB-USLCAW4).
• Updated the GRIB decoder to recognize Generating Center 8 for National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) GRIB files.
• Updated the SAO/Metar decoder to allow for wind gust readings with VRB (variable) designation.
• Updated the Pilot Report (PIREP) decoder to correctly decode multiple-line reports.
• Increased the maximum size of the Rapid Access Text files from 48 MB to 72 MB each. This was done to make the Surface Hourly file large enough to store approximately 36 hours of data. The other files were updated to the same 72 MB maximum for consistency, even though some of them are unlikely to reach that upper limit.
• Updated the station database (file STNDB.CORE) in McIDAS-X 2011.1 to match the current NWS version. The updates include the addition of 11 new TAF stations (UACK, UHHH, UNOO, USCC, USCM, USSS, UWOR, UWUU, UAUU, UAKK, UACC) and RAOB station 35671, plus correction of erroneous information in entries for stations 74646, KCSM, KF30, KMIU, KS32, KSTZ.

McIDAS-XCD 2011.1 is a fully supported Fastrack release. This means that the software is fully supported by SSEC, and that each change to the software has been tested on all of the supported system configurations. If you elect to install 2011.1, we ask that you notify the McIDAS Help Desk if you encounter any bugs. Please be sure to mention that you are running version 2011.1.

Also note that if you plan to upgrade to 2011.1 from a version earlier than 2010.1, you must first read and perform any required actions in the release documents for each of the versions you skipped so you know about their major changes and any required actions in the interim. For example, if you are upgrading from version 2008 to 2011.1, you must first read and perform the required actions in the release documents for versions 2008a, 2009.1 and 2010.1. See the past versions page for links to those and other materials from past versions.

Obtaining McIDAS-XCD 2011.1

To obtain McIDAS-XCD 2011.1, download the following files to the ~oper/mcidas directory on your McIDAS-XCD workstation.

File name	Size	Description
xcd2011.1.sh	13 KB	shell script that installs the McIDAS-XCD software (right click to download)
xcd2011.1.tar.Z	956 KB	compressed tar file that contains all source and data files
xcd_README_2011.1	5 KB	information to review before installation

Installing McIDAS-XCD 2011.1

Note: You must install McIDAS-X 2011.1 on the workstation before you install McIDAS-XCD 2011.1. Then continue with the appropriate set of instructions, as described below.

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 2011.1 for the First Time and complete its instructions. (Use those instructions rather than those below.)

If you are installing McIDAS-XCD Fastrack version 2011.1 on a workstation that already has a previous version of McIDAS-XCD installed, complete the steps below.

1. 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 as user oper.

   Type: xcdadmin stop

2. As user oper, run the script below from the ~oper/mcidas directory to build and install McIDAS-XCD 2011.1 using the same optional flag (-noopt and -mysql) settings that were used to build McIDAS-X 2011.1. You must use the same compilers and optional flag settings for both the McIDAS-X and McIDAS-XCD builds.

Type: sh ./xcd2011.1.sh  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 xcd2011.1.sh is finished, you will see the message below.

McIDAS-XCD binaries built correctly



3. As user oper, run the script below from the ~oper/mcidas directory to install the new executable code and a subset of the replaceable McIDAS-XCD data files for your workstation.

Type: sh ./xcd2011.1.sh cutover

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

McIDAS-XCD package cutover is now complete



4. As user oper, start a McIDAS-X session and run the two commands below. The first command (BATCH REGROUP.BAT) recreates the GROUPS.DAT and COUNTRY.DAT files so they contain the station database changes included in McIDAS-X Fastrack 2011.1. The second command (BATCH REBILDRAP.BAT) rebuilds the Rapid Access Pointer files so they include the same station database changes and rebuilds the Rapid Access Text files so they have the new maximum size limit of 72 MB described in the bullet list at the top of this page. Note that running the second command erases the previous content of the *.RAP and *.RAT files, so they will contain only new data. That means that the user commands MOSRPT, OBSRPT, RAOBRPT, SFCRPT, SYNRPT and TAFRPT will not be able to access any data from prior to McIDAS-XCD being restarted (step 9 below).

Type: BATCH REGROUP.BAT
Type: BATCH REBILDRAP.BAT


When completed, exit the McIDAS-X session.

5. As user mcadde, start a McIDAS-X session and run the command below to recreate the GROUPS.DAT and COUNTRY.DAT files in the mcadde account so they contain the station database changes included in McIDAS-X Fastrack 2011.1.

Type: BATCH REGROUP.BAT


6. As user mcadde, make a backup copy of your RESOLV.SRV file (e.g., cp RESOLV.SRV RESOLV.SRV.BAK) in preparation of adding new GRIB2 datasets in step 7.

7. As user mcadde, run the command below to implement the GRIB2 dataset changes due to the addition of NAM Fire Weather / IMET grids. This results in the addition of nine new datasets and three renamed datasets, as described in the bullet list at the top of this page.

Type: BATCH XCDGRB2.BAT


Note: If Fire Weather grids in new domains are issued in the future, you can add new datasets for them by completing the instructions in the Configuring Additional GRIB2 ADDE Datasets page in the McIDAS-XCD Administrator's Guide.

8. As user mcidas, run the script below from the ~oper/mcidas directory to install the new ADDE server executable code in the mcidas account.

Type: sh ./xcd2011.1.sh install addeservers

9. Restart McIDAS-XCD. To do so from the foreground, start a McIDAS-X session from the oper account and run the command below from the McIDAS Text and Command window,

   Type: STARTXCD

   To restart -XCD in the background, run the following command as user oper.

   Type: xcdadmin start

This concludes the McIDAS-XCD Fastrack version 2011.1 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.