jifmemo: jif_memo_020614

[John Ward]

-> John Ward <wd22jw at ncep.noaa.gov> writes:

                                        June 14, 2002


MEMORANDUM FOR:   Distribution E
                    
FROM:             John H. Ward
                  Chief, Production Management Branch

SUBJECT:          Changes to the NWS Production Suite
     


     The transition to the next NCEP Central Computer System
(CCS) will begin in July, when IBM provides access to a small,
single node test system.  Production Management Branch (PMB) will
move all operational codes and scripts to the test system and
perform an initial recompile and test of the operational codes. 
Individual programmers will only be contacted if problems are
encountered during these initial tests.  Production codes will
not be frozen during July.  In October half of the CCS will be
installed in the IBM Gaithersburg facility.  At that time all
operational codes will be frozen while PMB establishes parallel
operations on the CCS.  The moratorium on changes to the
production suite can be expected to extend at least through the
normal holiday moratorium period.  Users should have their JIF's
submitted to PMB by the first part of September if they want them
implemented before the moratorium begins.  More details on the
transition and moratorium will be provided as they become
available.

     The installation of additional disk space on both ASP and
BSP is now complete.

     Items 455 - 460 were withdrawn from production on 28 May
2002 due to an error with the package.  This error has been
corrected and these items will be reimplemented at 12Z on 18 June
2002.

     Production Management Branch currently has two vacancy
announcements posted to the DOC COOL (Commerce Opportunities On
Line) WEB site located at:

        http://www.jobs.doc.gov

     The vacancy announcement numbers are H-NWS-02084.xx-GCM  &
H-NWS-02085.xx-GCM, where xx indicates the grade level range of
the positions.  To access the vacancy announcements, use the
SEARCH link and then select either "All Jobs" or "NOAA".  The
closing date for these announcements is July 12, 2002.

     A list of the major model implementations planned for 2002
can be found at:

         http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/changes

     As additional information about each implementation becomes
available, links will be added on the change summary page.

     To unsubscribe from the JIF memo use the link provided at:

         http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/jifmemo/


     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

     The following crisis items were implemented this past week:

     509.  DCLSFC - IBM Job PQACT.  (Hollern, NP12).  This
program decodes land synoptic reports in WMO FM12 format and
re-encodes them into NCEP BUFR format.  The program was modified
to correct a problem which can cause the units of the winds speed
and the observational date/time of a land synoptic report to be
wrong.  The problem can occur when multiple sets of AAXX YYGGi
groups are present in a bulletin containing land synoptic
reports.  Done at 15Z on 11 June.

     510.  SYNDAT_QCTROPCY - IBM Jobs AVN_DUMP, EDS_DUMP,
ETA_DUMP.  (Pan, NP23).  This program processes the real time
tropical storm information provided by the Tropical Prediction
Center and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center which provide
tropical storm information for the Global Forecast System.  The
tropical storm name table contains the names of tropical storms
for each year.  Some storms are retired at the beginning of the
hurricane season.  The fix field containing these storm names was
updated to reflect such changes.  Done at 12Z on 12 June.

     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

     The following unadvertised items were implemented this past
week:

     511.  DATACARD - IBM Jobs AVNMOS_(00,06,12,18).  (Cosgrove,
OST22).  These input cards are used in the AVNMOS script to
determine which stations are included in the AVN MOS BUFR files. 
The file was moved from /nwprod/parm to /nwprod/fix.   Done at
12Z on 11 June.

     512.  SCRIPT - IBM Job SRUC_DUMP.  (Keyser, NP22).  Script
JSRUC_DUMP.sms.prod performs the hourly surface RUC network
observational data dumping from the BUFR /dcom database.  The
script was modified to expand the domain for dumping data from
10N-62N and 47W-135W to 6N-82N and 25W-182W as part of the
upgrade of the RSAS system from the existing 60-km resolution,
CONUS domain, to a 15-km North American domain.  This was
accomplished by changing the exported variable LALO.  Done at 12Z
on 11 June.

     513.  SMS - IBM Jobs ETA2RUC_06/18.  (Lin, NP11).  New
scripts, manual pages, and definition files were added to release
the off-time processing which converts ETA GRIB files for use by
the RSAS.  Done at 12Z on 12 June.

     514.  PLOTWAFP - IBM Jobs 615, 625, 635.  (Sager, NP12). 
This program creates a series of polar stereo graphic charts for
the World Aviation Forecast System (WAFS).  The program was
modified to fall back to the old boundaries for the i-background
chart.  The new boundaries, which were implemented last week,
left out the Philippine Islands.  Done at 12Z on 12 June.

     515.  SCRIPT - IBM Jobs GFDL_POST_00/06/12/18.  (Gordon,
NP11).  This script runs the post-processing of the GFDL forecast
data to produce GRIB and bulletin output files.  It has been
updated to send a file containing a disclaimer to both the NCEP
and NWS FTP servers.  This disclaimer instructs users of the GHM
GRIB data that they do not contain official forecasts.  Users are
instructed that official forecasts on hurricanes are provided by
the TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.  Done at 12Z on 13 June.

     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

     The following items will be implemented at 12Z on Tuesday,
18 June: 

     516.  ETA_R3DVAR - IBM Jobs 283, 235.  (Rogers, NP22).  This
program performs the Eta 3-dimensional variational analysis which
provides initial conditions to the Eta model forecast.  The input
parameter file for the tm00 3dvar analysis is being changed so
that the analysis code will write out 510 (instead of 459)
restart file pieces, to be consistent with the increase in the
number of tasks needed to run the Eta model forecast.  The EDAS
forecast component will continue to use 459 tasks.  A new 3dvar
parameter file is being created for the EDAS, and the EDAS r3dvar
script is being revised to use the new parameter file.

     517.  ETA_ETAFCST - IBM Jobs 284, 240_fcst, eta_ext_fcst. 
(Rogers, NP22).  This is the Eta model forecast program.  Changes
are being made to the Eta model program and parmcards to correct
erroneously warm 2-meter temperature forecasts over the southeast
United States.  The land surface scheme is being modified to
improve evaporation over very dry soil, and the frequency at
which the model physics are invoked are being changed from 540
seconds to 300 seconds.

     518.  BUFR_DUPMRG - Many IBM Jobs.  (Woollen, NP20).  This
program performs report merging, error correction, and duplicate
elimination of most upper-air profile BUFR reports that arrive in
"parts".  The program is being modified to correct an error in
the duplicate checking of dropwinsondes, when a part has a
missing ID field.  Also, a new alternate procedure is being added
which will provide for dropwinsondes which receive corrected
lat/lon locations.  The previous procedure was disabled by the
duplicate check error fix.

     519.  SMS - IBM Job CPC_METSYN.  (Lin, NP11).  New script,
man page, and definition file are being added to release job
CPC_METSYN which will retrieve METAR or synoptic data from the
NCEP bufr files. 

     520.  SCRIPT - IBM Job CPC_METSYN.  (Lin, NP11).  New script
JCPC_METSYN.sms.prod sets up the runtime environment for the new
script excpc_metsyn.sh.sms which extracts up to 52 hours of METAR
and synoptic data for CPC. 

     521.  SCRIPT - IBM Job CPC_METSYN.  (Fulwood, NP53).  New
script excpc_metsyn.sh.sms extracts up to 52 hours of METAR and
synoptic data from NCEP bufr files for use in creating Climate
Prediction Center daily global precipitation and temperature
summary files. 

     522.  SCRIPT - IBM Job CPC_METSYN.  (Fulwood, NP53).  This
new utility script extractcpc_metsyn.sh is executed by Climate
Prediction Center script excpc_metsyn.sh.sms which retrieve METAR
or synoptic data from the NCEP bufr files.

     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

     The following item will be implemented at 15Z on Tuesday, 18
June:

     523.  DCELRW - IBM Job PQACT.  (Ator, NP12).  This program
decodes EUMETSAT low-resolution satellite winds and re-encodes
the output into BUFR for the observational database.  The LDM
configuration table is being modified in order to pass additional
new bulletins to this decoder.  These new bulletins will address
a data coverage gap that we are currently experiencing a few
degrees south of the equator.

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