Web based toolsWeb based tools

Ideas for presentation of operational meteorological data

Ernst de VreedeKNMI

EGOWS 2009 6/6/2009

Ideas for presentation of operational meteorological data

Ernst de VreedeKNMI

EGOWS 2009 6/6/2009

OutlineOutline

• Ideas about how to visualise operational data in the weather room.

• History• Present practice• Current idea• Available technologies• Work done so far• Roadmap/How to proceed• Conclusions

• Ideas about how to visualise operational data in the weather room.

• History• Present practice• Current idea• Available technologies• Work done so far• Roadmap/How to proceed• Conclusions

HistoryHistory

• Visualisation of data at KNMI– Early 1990’s: first MWS– Around 2000: second gen. MWS– Around 2000: data and product explosion

• Data and product volumes increase resulted in development of second circuit of productgeneration (grey streams) based on “distributed” production (of workstations of researchers, central systems, spare systems etc.)

• Visualisation of data at KNMI– Early 1990’s: first MWS– Around 2000: second gen. MWS– Around 2000: data and product explosion

• Data and product volumes increase resulted in development of second circuit of productgeneration (grey streams) based on “distributed” production (of workstations of researchers, central systems, spare systems etc.)

History (2)History (2)

• Grey streams serve needs of users– Fast product implementation– Support by enthousiastic scientists– Good adaptability– Browser based

• Grey streams are not suited for operational processes– No monitoring– Maintenance not guaranteed– Support not guaranteed– No test procedures applied– Not documented– No responsibilities assigned

• Grey streams serve needs of users– Fast product implementation– Support by enthousiastic scientists– Good adaptability– Browser based

• Grey streams are not suited for operational processes– No monitoring– Maintenance not guaranteed– Support not guaranteed– No test procedures applied– Not documented– No responsibilities assigned

Present practicePresent practice

• Weather portal: (“weather filing cabinet”)provides access to products based on grey streams

• MWS: used for looking at obs/models/satellite, advanced analysis, graphical product generation

• Other tools: CineSat for advanced satellite products (complex RGB composites), dedicated radar display

• Weather portal: (“weather filing cabinet”)provides access to products based on grey streams

• MWS: used for looking at obs/models/satellite, advanced analysis, graphical product generation

• Other tools: CineSat for advanced satellite products (complex RGB composites), dedicated radar display

Present practice (2)Present practice (2)

• Pros– Flexible/up-to-date (researchers develop for operation)– Fast (short time for dev of products)– Browser access is easy– Large dataset available

• Cons– Still “grey streams”, hard to manage– Each product has it’s own Look&Feel– Products from different sources can not be combined– Dependance on researchers (shifting interests,…)– MWS development stalls (lacks support for sat RGB,

etc)– No operational monitoring– No structured software development

• Pros– Flexible/up-to-date (researchers develop for operation)– Fast (short time for dev of products)– Browser access is easy– Large dataset available

• Cons– Still “grey streams”, hard to manage– Each product has it’s own Look&Feel– Products from different sources can not be combined– Dependance on researchers (shifting interests,…)– MWS development stalls (lacks support for sat RGB,

etc)– No operational monitoring– No structured software development

Current ideaCurrent idea

• Use the advantages of the weather filing cabinet by offering this functionality using modern technologies.

• Make more and more (geophysical) data accessible through OGC protocols WMS/WCS/WFS

• Two tracks:– Develop lightweight (browser based) tools for

displaying/combining these OGC services– Provide a “heavy weight” analysis tool, that also

can consume these WMS/WCS services

• Use the advantages of the weather filing cabinet by offering this functionality using modern technologies.

• Make more and more (geophysical) data accessible through OGC protocols WMS/WCS/WFS

• Two tracks:– Develop lightweight (browser based) tools for

displaying/combining these OGC services– Provide a “heavy weight” analysis tool, that also

can consume these WMS/WCS services

Available technologiesAvailable technologies

• OGC: WMS, WCS, WFS standards. Several implementations (MapServer for WMS/WCS, GeoServer, ESRI etc.)

• JavaScript libraries for advanced browser applications: ExtJS, JQuery, OpenLayers (for WMS/WFS

• Many of these technologies have Open Source implementations.

• Meteorological interests not always completely covered (Let’s change this!)

• Google Earth, Flash, Java apps.

• OGC: WMS, WCS, WFS standards. Several implementations (MapServer for WMS/WCS, GeoServer, ESRI etc.)

• JavaScript libraries for advanced browser applications: ExtJS, JQuery, OpenLayers (for WMS/WFS

• Many of these technologies have Open Source implementations.

• Meteorological interests not always completely covered (Let’s change this!)

• Google Earth, Flash, Java apps.

Work done so farWork done so far

• ADAGUC: making met. data accessible through WMS/WCS protocols.

• GISPilot: Presentation of operational meteorological data in a browser

• Unidata tools: A pilot project for evaluating applicability of several Unidata tools for use at KNMI.

• ADAGUC: making met. data accessible through WMS/WCS protocols.

• GISPilot: Presentation of operational meteorological data in a browser

• Unidata tools: A pilot project for evaluating applicability of several Unidata tools for use at KNMI.

Work done: GISPilotWork done: GISPilot

• Browser application based on OpenLayers• Layered approach (WMS)• Visualisation of GRIB with Magics++

through MagML interface• Visualisation of satellite products with

CineSat tool• Radar layers pulled from ADAGUC service• Geographic layers (maps) by MapServer• Pilot showed us that WMS really can work in

an interactive environment; rapid development.

• Browser application based on OpenLayers• Layered approach (WMS)• Visualisation of GRIB with Magics++

through MagML interface• Visualisation of satellite products with

CineSat tool• Radar layers pulled from ADAGUC service• Geographic layers (maps) by MapServer• Pilot showed us that WMS really can work in

an interactive environment; rapid development.

GISPilot (2)GISPilot (2)

Work done: Unidata toolsWork done: Unidata tools

• NetCDF library with CDM (Common Data Model) for a lot of data types; CF conventions

• TDS (Thredds Data Server) • IDV (Integrated data viewer) accessing data

through TDS, file systems, WMS, ADDE-services (McIDAS)

• These 3 pillars share a lot of (JAVA) code.• Esp. IDV looks like a promising platform to

extend into the OGC realm.• Pilot project not finished yet.

• NetCDF library with CDM (Common Data Model) for a lot of data types; CF conventions

• TDS (Thredds Data Server) • IDV (Integrated data viewer) accessing data

through TDS, file systems, WMS, ADDE-services (McIDAS)

• These 3 pillars share a lot of (JAVA) code.• Esp. IDV looks like a promising platform to

extend into the OGC realm.• Pilot project not finished yet.

IDV (1) IDV (1)

• “The Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) from Unidata is a Java(TM)-based software framework for analyzing and visualizing geoscience data.” (Unidata)

• Built in Java, using VisAD for visualisation 2D & (true) 3D

• Many display types• Complex data manipulation via scripting• Extensible, skinnable, configurable• Can be run via the Web• Many users

• “The Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) from Unidata is a Java(TM)-based software framework for analyzing and visualizing geoscience data.” (Unidata)

• Built in Java, using VisAD for visualisation 2D & (true) 3D

• Many display types• Complex data manipulation via scripting• Extensible, skinnable, configurable• Can be run via the Web• Many users

IDV (2)IDV (2)

Screenshots (from Unidata site)Screenshots (from Unidata site)

How to proceedHow to proceed

Track 1 (“lightweight”): make meteorological data available through OGC; implement special meteorological visualisations (perhaps with Magics++ as in GISPilot?)

Delivers: flexibility, ease of access, manageability, quality

Track 2 (“heavyweight”): Work on an advanced analysis and visualisation, for example by extending IDV for full WMS/WCS service access

Delivers: comprehensive analysis and visualisation tool

Track 1 (“lightweight”): make meteorological data available through OGC; implement special meteorological visualisations (perhaps with Magics++ as in GISPilot?)

Delivers: flexibility, ease of access, manageability, quality

Track 2 (“heavyweight”): Work on an advanced analysis and visualisation, for example by extending IDV for full WMS/WCS service access

Delivers: comprehensive analysis and visualisation tool

ConclusionsConclusions

• The two track approach provides a continuation of the current practice at KNMI

• Smooth transition• Development is easily broken up in

subprojects.• KNMI can stay in control of development (in-

house/in cooperation or by contractors)• Use of OGC standards provides many

options for the future• Lots of interesting developments going on

in OGC

• The two track approach provides a continuation of the current practice at KNMI

• Smooth transition• Development is easily broken up in

subprojects.• KNMI can stay in control of development (in-

house/in cooperation or by contractors)• Use of OGC standards provides many

options for the future• Lots of interesting developments going on

in OGC

LinksLinks

Adaguc: http://adaguc.knmi.nlGISPilot: presentation at ECMWF:

http://www.ecmwf.int/newsevents/meetings/workshops/2008/OGC_workshop/Presentations/Vreede.pdf

Unidata: http://www.unidata.ucar.eduOGC: http://www.opengeospatial.org

Adaguc: http://adaguc.knmi.nlGISPilot: presentation at ECMWF:

http://www.ecmwf.int/newsevents/meetings/workshops/2008/OGC_workshop/Presentations/Vreede.pdf

Unidata: http://www.unidata.ucar.eduOGC: http://www.opengeospatial.org