NCAR-TN/189+PROC Computing in the Atmospheric Sciences in The
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NCAR-TN/189+PROC NCAR TECHNICAL NOTE 1* April 1982 Proceedings of the Second Annual Computer Users Conference Computing in the Atmospheric Sciences in the 1980s Editor: Linda Besen SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING DIVISION v NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH BOULDER, COLORADO qTAII or OCAS Section I: Introduction ................... ...... ...............1 Program ....................... .. 3I List of Participants....................... 4 Section II: Future Developments within SCD ........ *................... 1 Section III: Computing in the Atmospheric Sciences in the 1980'S........ 1 Summary of Discussion.......................8............ 8I Section IV: Data Communication Needs for UW/NCAR Computer Link......... 1 Data Communication and the Atmospheric Sciences............ 3I Achieving a Uniform NCAR Computing Environment............. 6 Conference Recommendations: Data Communications/Uniform Access....................*.........a...........*.......* 16 Section V: Gateway Machines to NCAR Network Hosts..................... 1 Conference Recommendations: Gateway Machines............... 9 Section VI: Data Inventories, Archive Preparation, and Access......... 1L The Typical Data Life Cycle and Associated Computing Strategies...............a.*...*.................* * .... 55 Data Analysis and the NCAR SCD. ........................... 133 Conference Recommendations...........................16 3 Introduction Program List of Participants The Scientific Computing Division hosted its second annual Computer Users' Conference on January 7-8, 1982 in Boulder, Colorado. The purpose of these conferences is to provide a formal channel of communication for users of the Computing Division, and to obtain regular feedback from them which can be used to aid in planning for the future of the SCD, The conference opened with formal greetings from Walter Macintyre (SCD Direc- tor), Wilmot Hess (NCAR director), and Lawrence Lee (National Science Founda- tion). Walter Macintyre discussed current planning topics for the Division. His report in Section II includes material on future developments within the Divi- sion. Warren Washington presented the keynote address, "Computing in the Atmospheric Sciences in the 1980's." A summary of his talk, and the resulting discussion, is presented in Section III. Users then attended one of three separate and concurrent workshops which took place on the first day of the conference. Among the various topics considered important to SCD users in the Atmospheric Sciences are access to the host machines at NCAR; the practicality of moving large files to and from remote sites; and the collection, interchange and display of large data files. Papers given in these workshops and the Conference Recommendations resulting from each workshop are covered in Sections IV, V and VI. Section VII contains Walter Macintyre's Response and Concluding Remarks. "I think the most important and exciting result of the conference," said Dr. Macintyre, "is the clear, unanimous, and unambiguous statement from our users that NCAR must continue to offer the most powerful computing system available. This is necessary not only for our users to continue their current scientific endeavors, but, more particularly, to allow them to explore new avenues of research--avenues that are currently inaccessible with a CRAY-1 class of machine." Akucxwe&yoAnts Many persons within SCD have contributed to the conference. Buck Frye was Chairman of the Conference Committee. He was also responsible for the Workshop Issues and Guidelines. Darlene Atwood was responsible for the arrangements and invitations. Cicely Ridley provided University Liaison sup- port. Linda Besen was Editor of this Conference Proceedings. Ann Cowley was responsible for the displays and documentation distribution, as well as the consulting service at the conference. - 2- The workshop leaders and SCD members for each workshop are listed below: Workshop I: Data Communications/Uniform Access Panel Discussion: Dave Houghton, Chair Dave Fulker, Herb Poppe, Dick Sato Workshop II: Gateway Machines to the NCAR Network Hosts Panel Discussion: Steve Orszag, Chair Paul Rotar, Gary Jensen, Buck Frye Workshop III: Data Access and Display Panel Discussion: Francis Bretherton, Chair Margaret Drake, Roy Jenne, Bob Lackman, Gary Rasmussen -3- JANUARY 7 9:00 a.m. Introductions Walter Macintyre Welcome Wilmot Hess Introduction by NSF Larry Lee Division Status and Planning Walter Macintyre 10:30 a.m. Coffee Break 10:45 Computing in the Atmospheric Warren Washington Sciences in the 1980s 1:30 p.m. CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS (concurrent) Workshop I: Data Communications/Uniform Access User Requirements Dave Houghton External Network Alternatives Dave Fulker Uniform Access to Network Herb Poppe Workshop II: Gateway Machines Scientific Requirements Steve Orszag Front End Machines Gary Jensen Configuration Paul Rotar Workshop III: Data Access and Display Collection & Interchange of Scientific Data: User Requirements Francis Bretherton Archives and Data Access Roy Jenne Computing Strategies Bob Lackman Software Tools Gary Rasmussen 6:30 p.m. Dinner at The Harvest House JANUARY 8 9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks Walter Macintyre CONFERENCE RESULTS Workshop I - Data Communications/Uniform Access Dave Houghton 10:30 a.m. Coffee Break 11:00 a.m. CONFERENCE RESULTS (cont.) Workshop II - Gateway Machines Steve Orszag Workshop III - Data Access and Display Francis Bretherton Conclusions Walter Macintyre -4- L·T~IPCEF 1WR!~IPARJSS Paul Bailey Mary Downton NCAR ACAD NCAR ASP Linda Bath Margaret Drake NCAR AAP NCAR SCD W. R. Barchet Jim Drake Battelle Northwest NCAR CSD Richland, Washington Sal Farfan William Baumer NCAR SCD SUNY/Buffalo Richard Farley Ray Bovet Inst. of Atmospheric Sciences NCAR AAP South Dakota School of Mines & Technology Francis Bretherton NCAR AAP Carl Friehe NCAR ATD Gerald Browning NCAR SCD Buck Frye NCAR SCD Garrett Campbell NCAR ASP Dave Fulker NCAR SCD Celia Chen NCAR ATD Bonnie Gacnik NCAR SCD Robert Chervin NCAR AAP Lawrence Gates Climatic Research Institute Julianna Chow Oregon State University NCAR AAP Ron Gilliland Ann Cowley NCAR HAO NCAR SCD James Goerss Robert Dickinson CIMMS NCAR AAP Norman, Oklahoma Dusan Djuric Gil Green Dept. of Meteorology NCAR SCD Texas A&M University Kadosa Halasi Ben Domenico Dept. of Mathematics NCAR SCD University of Colorado John Donnelly Barbara Hale NCAR SCD Graduate Center for Cloud Physics Research University of Missouri -5- Lofton Henderson Lawrence Lee NCAR SCD National Science Foundation Barbara Horner Doug Lilly NCAR SCD NCAR AAP David Houghton William Little Dept. of Meteorology Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution University of Wisconsin Timothy Lorello Hsiao-ming Hsu Hinds Geophysical Sciences Atmospheric Sciences Chicago Illinois University of Wisconsin Walter Macintyre Roy Jenne NCAR SCD NCAR SCD Ton Mayer Gary Jensen NCAR AAP NCAR SCD William McKie Jeff Keeler Climatic Research Institute NCAR ATD Oregon State University Robert Kelly Jack Miller Cloud Physics Laboratory NCAR HAO University of Chicago Robert Mitchell Thomas Kitterman NCAR SCD Dept. of Meteorology Florida State University Carl Mohr NCAR CSD Daniel Kowalski College of Engineering Donald Morris Rutgers University NCAR SCD Carl Kreitzberg Nancy Norton Dept. of Physics NCAR AAP Drexel University Bernie O'Lear Michael Kuhn NCAR SCD NCAR AAP Stephen Orszag Chela Kunasz Dept. of Mathematics JILA M.I.T. University of Colorado Richard Oye Bob Lackman NCAR ATD NCAR SCD Jan Paegle Ron Larson Dept. of Meteorology Cray Research University of Utah -6- Pete Peterson James Tillman NCAR SCD Dept. of Atmos. Science University of Washington Vic Pizzo NCAR HAO Greg Tripoli Dept. of Atmos. Sciences Gandikota Rao Colorado State University Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences St. Louis University Stacy Walters NCAR ACAD Gary Rasmussen NCAR SCD Thomas Warner Dept. of Meteorology Cicely Ridley Pennsylvania State University NCAR SCD Warren Washington Paul Rotar NCAR AAP NCAR SCD Rick Wolski Robert Pasken NCAR AAP Dept. of Meteorology University of Oklahoma Eric Pitcher Dept. of Meteorology University of Miami John Roads Scripps Inst. of Oceanography Herb Poppe NCAR SCD Richard Sato NCAR SCD Tom Schlatter NOAA/PROFS Bert Semtner NCAR AAP David Stonehill Rochester University Eugene Takle Climatology-Meteorology Iowa State University James Telford Desert Research Institute University of "evada CureK II: DIVISItI S - ANeD Mainye Future Developments within SCD - Walter Macintyre Walter Macintyre National Center for Atmospheric Research As of the date of writing (10/26/81), it is extremely difficult to forecast how many of the things that we would like to do we will actually be able to deliver. We are one month into the fiscal year without knowing exactly our Divisional budget for FY82. The outlook in FY83 is still more uncertain, but the prophets of gloom and doom seem to outnumber the optimists. Therefore I am reviewing in this presentation some things I feel the community must have from the SCD comitment that I will do everythin within my power to ensure that the computational needs of the community are in fact met, but with only a modest expectation of success. However, in a recent letter to the Chairman of the SCD Advisory Panel, the President of tCAR declared that enhancement of the NCAR Computing Facility was the top institutional priority in the months and years ahead. These needs include some relatively novel developments. Last January, the message was loud and clear that the primary need perceived by the cornunity was for