Subject: [Fwd: Xnow's life cycle coming to an end] Resent-From: SR.IFPS@noaa.gov Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 17:08:35 -0600 From: "Melinda Bailey" To: _NWS SR WCMs , _NWS SR IFPS CC: Walt Zaleski , _NWS SR WFO MICs , Scott Plischke , _NWS SRH IFPS , _NWS SRH DivChiefs Everyone, This topic was brought up on the IFPS and WCM calls this week. Here is the background information: Melinda --------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Xnow's life cycle coming to an end Date: Mon, 09 Feb 2004 14:42:08 -0600 From: "Scott Plischke" Organization: National Weather Service To: Jack Settelmaier , Melinda Bailey , Eric Howieson , Judson Ladd , Jose Garcia Hi Folks, I just want to let you know that FSL will have a new zone combiner tool in the GFE for IFPS 16 (slated for this summer). As such, the Xnow GFE Interface will no longer be needed. Along with an agreement that was made to not retool Xnow for VTEC, Xnow's life cycle will come to an end late this year. Unless I hear otherwise or something unforeseen happens, I plan to stop supporting Xnow's GFE Formatter Interface once IFPS 16 is fielded. I then plan to end all support for Xnow once VTEC is implemented. Xnow was a fun project that took me on an 8 year odyssey. It's now time for me to move on to other new and exciting projects. I'm forwarding Mark Mathewson's email about the new GFE zone combiner and his take on stopping Xnow support. Please feel free to circulate this information as you see fit. -Scott --------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: XNOW and future GFE changes Date: Mon, 09 Feb 2004 12:05:21 -0700 From: "Mark A Mathewson" Organization: NOAA FSL To: Scott Plischke Scott, We think that the zone combiner capability will be available in IFPS16, which will be deployed this summer. Yes it will be deployed at the same time as the other items. We will probably have an early version of it via the RPP process this spring. If you have the time and capability, perhaps you could take a look at it and give us feedback. My gut feeling is that you can stop supporting Xnow once we have this new capability, and it sounds like you agree with that statement. I fully understand what you are saying about moving on to new things. Once you deploy something that a lot of sites use, then you end up with an anchor around you too. Thanks for the positive words -- I was worried that you might feel that we are invading your territory. -Mark Scott Plischke wrote: >Mark, > >Regarding item 4, when will the zone combiner be fielded? Will the zone >combiner be implemented at the same time as items 1 through 3? I assume that >I can stop supporting Xnow once the zone combiner is released - ? Xnow was a >fun journey but I look forward to moving on to new things. I welcome FSL's >effort to add zone combining capability to the GFE. > >-Scott > >Mark A Mathewson wrote: > > > >>Scott, >> >>I wanted to touch base with you on some enhancements we are doing in the >>GFE. Tracy and I just got back from a 3-day Text Formatter IWT in >>Phoenix, and there was much discussion about "backup" formatters. >>Basically each site will be required to maintain a standard set of GFE >>formatters, as well as a set of "baseline" formatters which are not >>modified from the baseline delivered. This allows the NCF to handle 1st >>tier support and help the site roll back to the baseline version if the >>local version fails in the middle of the night. The meeting also >>talked about the VTEC issues that will be implemented shortly within the >>GFE formatters. The VTEC issues involve using w/w/a database, since >>that is what the NWS has decided (for the short-term). >> >>All of these changes affect the way the GFE handles processes and >>formatters. Here are a number of changes that we are anticipating, or >>have already started on: >> >>1) Background processes, e.g., formatters, can be started from the GFE >>and run either locally (on the same machine as the GFE) or remotely on >>the server. When run on the server machine, they run faster. This has >>involved a process management module to be added to both the GFE and the >>ifpServer, which will control the number of simultaneous processes that >>can be run. >> >>2) Formatters will have their back-end (output display dialog) and the >>front-end (selection dialogs) separated out from the main formatter. >>This is required to allow the formatters to run on the remote machine, >>as well as ensure that no GUIs will lock out other formatters (because >>of the new process management module). >> >>3) We need to add a capability similar to XNOW zone combining for >>handling watches, warnings, and advisories. We will be using a modified >>spatial and temporal editor to depict the current wwa as well as what >>the headlines grids show for proposed wwa. The user interface will >>allow the user to accept recommendations, or change them before the >>proposed/recommendations are sent to w/w/a. >> >>4) Since #3 will use similar technology to a zone combiner, we are >>planning to build in a zone combiner to the GFE. We have talked about >>this for years, but never did it since XNOW had that capability. Now >>that GFE formatters are becoming the baseline formatters, this >>capability needs to exist. This has become more important since the >>NCF will now be doing national support on the GFE text formatters and >>will have to know exactly how to run them and diagnose them. >> >>I wanted to let you know about these changes, since some of them may >>affect the use of XNOW in the field. Please feel free to discuss >>any/all of them with me. >> >>Thanks, >> >>-Mark >> >>-- >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>Mark Mathewson mark.a.mathewson@noaa.gov >>NOAA/FSL/MD/EFT EFT Branch Chief >>R/FS6 http://www-md.fsl.noaa.gov/eft >>325 Broadway voice: (303) 497-6713 >>Boulder, CO 80305 USA fax: (303) 497-3096 >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Mathewson mark.a.mathewson@noaa.gov NOAA/FSL/MD/EFT EFT Branch Chief R/FS6 http://www-md.fsl.noaa.gov/eft 325 Broadway voice: (303) 497-6713 Boulder, CO 80305 USA fax: (303) 497-3096 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scott Plischke Information Technology Officer National Weather Service Scott Plischke Information Technology Officer National Weather Service 1900 English Rd Fax: (806) 335-3118 Amarillo Work: (806) 335-1421 TX 79108-7512 Additional Information: Last Name Plischke First Name Scott Version 2.1