Top WES Troubleshooting Tips - Warning Decision Training Branch

Effectively Managing YourWeather Event Simulator (WES)Warning Decision TrainingBranch

What do you have now?Hardware & SoftwareHardware• HP xw6200 Tower• 1TB Cavalry External Drive– eSATA hookup ; case storageSoftware• Redhat 5 – 32-bit OS• WES 9.2• Update #2 – AWIPSOB9.2.10• Sept. 2011

What do you have now?Training & DocumentationTraining• Software Overview– What’s changed from buildto build– 5-10 minute articulatepresentation– LMSDocumentation• InstallationDocumentation– Engineering ManagementReporting System (EMRS)• Full softwaredocumentation– INSTALL_WES92.pdf– WDTB webpage– Install DVD– /awips/fxa path

INSTALL_WES92.pdf• Your one-stop shop forconfiguring AWIPScomponents on yourWES box• Chapters broken out bycomponent (FSI,AvnFPS, GFE, FFMP)

Where Things are Located/awipsSoftware Home• AWIPS & WES code– /awips/fxa– Documentation– /awips/fxa/INSTALL_WES92.pdf• AvnFPS code– /awips/adapt/avnfps• GFE install bundle– /awips/GFEsuite/data/awipsCase Data Home• Most of your time will bespent in here• Case directories locatedin this pathe.g./data/awips/2010Jun17

What does /data/awips look like?• Contents: Physical folders and symbolic linksIMPORTANTSymbolic links must match source folder nameFailure = Linking problems during WES simulationsMatching

Inside a Case FolderConfiguration Folders• customFiles• Local office config files• localizationDataSets• Your CWA localization (e.g. OHX)• userPrefs• User procedures ; colorTables• workFiles• colorTables ; D2D config filesMANDATORYData Folders• ffmp, Grid, point, radar, etc.– Contain AWIPS dataAWIPS/WES Tools• d2dImageMaker, paneRelief– Image/D2D pane tools• wessl– Simulation scripting folder

Customizing the Mandatory• Bring AWIPSconfiguration files overto WES– VB menus, colorTables,etc.Folders/awips/fxa/WEScustomization• Store in above path ; linkdirectories into case• More Information?– INSTALL_WES92.pdf– Chapter 6Symbolic links to WEScustomization directory

Your Archiver (AX)• Configuration does vary from site to site– Multiple configurations exist (2 known)• Transfer to WES box done in several ways– DVD Burn, LaCie Drive, Network Transfer• Local applications exist to compress and uncompressdata (e.g. “WES Case Installer”)Goal: Come up with a site-specific archive strategyTip: What paths are being archived?– Appendix C of the AWIPS System Manager’s Manual providesdetails on the /data/fxa tree.

Bringing Over Data from the AXMPEPirepEETkict raobmesonetMSASVISIRFFG WVProfiler maritimeRUC236 ACARs4-bit ZBiasHPETDASome sites have data brought over in 24-hour blocksDon’t hoard the data if you don’t need it!

Suggestions to Trim Case Data• Find your “window of interest”– Example:– Data: 00z to 23z– Interest: 09z to 12z– Trash: 00z-07z & 13z-23z– 18 hours purged!• find command works well here:find /radar –type f –name “2???????_0[07]??” -prune –exec rm –Rf {} \;e.g. find all filenames from 00z-07z and remove themBenefits: Case takes up less space ; prepares faster

Other Tips to Trim Case Data• Non-dedicated radars– Minimal data; trash it– Delete higher tilts ; 4-bitThings YouDon’t NeedCaseConfigurationFiles• Products not relevantto the case– Maritime in Nebraska?– TDA/MDA in winter wxThings YouNeed

Three Ways to Display Datastart_awipsenhanced_case_reviewstart_simulator + start_awipsGreater ToolUsage &Functionality

start_awips• Launches up a D2Dsession only– No AWIPS decoders started– Result:• Why?– No menu data times– Can’t issue/view warnings– Quick review of data– Fast startup/shutdown• More Information?– INSTALL_WES92.pdf– Chapter 17.3No updatetimes

enhanced_case_review• Launches up a D2D sessionwith some AWIPS decoders– Product times available– Viewing of warnings only– Cannot issue new warnings– Filtering of SCAN/FFMP data• Why?– Review of data with timeinformation– Warning text/display reviewLatestProductTimes• More Information?– INSTALL_WES92.pdf– Chapter 17.1

Review of time manipulationstart_awips, enhanced_case_reviewcurrent timefrozen timeSet Time Window• Seeing earlier data in case = set the D2D clock• Left-click on D2D clock to bring up ‘Set Time’ box• Pitfalls– Clock freeze seen across all D2D sessions– Procedures immune to freeze; will load most recent time

start_simulator• Starts up suite of AWIPS decoders• Playback of data in Displaced RealTime (DRT)– System clock reset to simulation time• WES code reveals new AWIPS dataevery 15 seconds– start_awips command run separately• Data must be in DRT format– Conversion under ‘Tools’ button ofstart_simulator GUI• More Information?– INSTALL_WES92.pdf– Chapter 17.2

What is DRT Format?Purpose: Hide AWIPS data until WES says it’s okay to be shownStep 1:Step 2:Move all datato a-filesCreate b-linkswith offsets* toa-files20060824_1200Visible to AWIPSb20060824_1202a20060824_1200NOT visible to AWIPSa20060824_1200*Offsets only added to some filese.g. Δoffset for each radar elevationStep 3:When simulationtime matches b-link time, createlink with currenttime to a-filea20060824_1200== b20060824_120220060824_1200

Simulation Timeline0z 3z 6z 9z 12z 15z 18z 21z 23zExample Simulation – 0730z – 1500zVisible from the start of the simulationWill become visible as the simulation progressesWill never be visible due to the simulation windowHow can I view the data not revealed via simulation?1. Set simulation start time beyond case data window• e.g. Set start time at 2301z2. Or convert case back to “Original” format

Inside D2DFlash Flood Monitoring & Prediction (FFMP)Can be viewed inside oroutside simulation• FFMP data must becreated for each case– No Linking from other cases– Created under ‘Tools’ buttonin start_simulator– Certain data needed from AX(HPE, BHPE, FFG)• More information?– INSTALL_WES92.pdf– Chapter 12

Inside D2DFour Dimensional Storm Cell Investigator (FSI)Can be viewed inside oroutside simulationDuring simulation– Data up to simulation timedisplayedOutside simulation– Time widget select the endtimefor static review• Inventory created on-the-fly– First launch FSI or duringDRT conversion• More Information?• INSTALL_WES92.pdf• Chapter 20

Alongside D2DWES Scripting Language (WESSL)• Time release of non-AWIPS data during asimulation.– Spotter reports,video/audio, mapping,other scripts• More Information?– INSTALL_WES92.pdf– Chapter 15– WESSL webpage– http://www.wdtb.noaa.gov/tools/wes/wessl.htm

Beyond D2DGraphical Forecast Editor (GFE)Command: start_GFEOnly used duringsimulation• GFE is installed into casewhen data are created– Option under ‘Tools’ buttonin start_simulator• More Information?– INSTALL_WES92.pdf– Chapter 18

Beyond D2D:Aviation Forecast Preparation System (AvnFPS)• Command: start_avnfpsOnly used during simulation• Ingests TAFs, point datafrom case into avnfps paths• More information?– INSTALL_WES92.pdf– Chapter 14 – adding data– Chapter 19 – simulation info

WES TOPTROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

The 2006Aug24test case• Packaged with thesoftware DVD– ~2.6GB of sample data• Built/tested by WDTB– Guaranteed to work!• Isolates whether it is a“case” issue of a whole“machine” issue– FSI doesn’t work?– Can’t issue a warning?– D2D won’t launch?– Volume Browser error?If you suspect something is wrong, try it out (if possible) in the2006Aug24test case.Installing this case? INSTALL_WES92.pdf – Chapter 5

Launching Display SessionsTerminalDirect commands entered– start_awips– enhanced_case_review– start_simulator– start_GFE– start_avnfpsGNOMEDesktop• Launcher shortcuts canbe created• Application must belaunched with a terminal– GNOME– KDE– ‘Application in Terminal’menu item– ‘Run in terminal’ checkboxKDE

Conflicts with AWIPS RPMs• AWIPS has specialRPMs• No AWIPS RPM shouldbe overwrittenpostgresql doesn’t playnice with otherpostgresql RPMspostgresql-libsBiggest problempostgresql-8.2.6-1.AWIPS.OB91How to check:rpm –qa | grep postgresOnly 1 postgresql should existSolution:Add ‘exclude’ line to /etc/yum.confe.g. exclude=postgresql* perl-DB* AWIPS*

Heads up on kernel upgrades• Kernel = bridgebetween hardware &softwareWESSOFTWARE• Upgrades arenecessary ; come withconsequences– System configurationserrors can occur• Most common failure:– Video card driverCPULINUXKernelMemoryVideoDriver

Kernel Updates: The Silent Killer?Obvious FailureSymptoms– Your machine will not boot up– Blue screen “Failed to start Xserver” messageSOLUTION• Recompile your NVIDIAgraphics driver• Section A.3 of the WES 9.2EMRS DocumentHidden FailureSymptoms– FSI slow/sluggish– Some pixels on screendark (not a monitor issue)To test this:– Type glxgears in a terminal

WES Supportwes@infolist.nws.noaa.govWES Support List – Subscribe to thishttp://www.wdtb.noaa.gov/tools/wes/FAQ2.htmWES Frequently Asked Questions

Where Are We Going?• We’re here as long as AWIPS-1 is here…• To provide you with an operationally relevantAWIPS – Release Date: December 2011

The EndEffectively Managing Your Weather EventSimulator (WES)Any Questions?