Configuring McIDAS-XCD

Configuring McIDAS-XCD is a multistep process that has been simplified in Unidata McIDAS-X by the inclusion of the configuration script mcxconfig. mcxconfig leads the user through the steps that are need to configure McIDAS-XCD by asking questions about what the user intends to process with McIDAS-XCD decoders, and by advising what needs to be done to complete the configuration of both McIDAS-X and McIDAS-XCD.

NOTE: mcxconfig is designed to be run after McIDAS-X and McIDAS-XCD executables have been build and installed.

To run mcxconfig logon onto the workstation as the user mcidas and do the following:

Type: cd $MCDATA
Type: mcxconfig

Answer the questions asked by mcxconfig and complete the instructions listed at the end of mcxconfig to configure XCD.

NB: The remainder of this section gives an overview of the steps that mcxconfig leads the user through. The reader can safely skip reading the information below!

If you already have a McIDAS-X session running under the Unix login name mcidas, start with step 2. Enter commands exactly as shown; case is important.

1. Log on to the workstation as the user mcidas and start a McIDAS-X session.
   Type: mcidas

2. Copy the McIDAS schema repository file, SCHEMA, to the directory in which you want your XCD decoders to create output data files making sure that it has group read and write permissions:
   Type: mkdir xcddatadirectory
   Type: cp ~mcidas/data/SCHEMA xcddatadirectory
   Type: chmod g+rw xcddatadirectory/SCHEMA

   xcddatadirectory must be the full Unix pathname of the target directory (example: /data/ldm/mcidas). It must be readable and writable by mcidas and by the user that runs the Unidata LDM (user ldm).

3. Define the McIDAS string XCDDATA to contain the same full Unix path of the directory in which you want XCD decoders to write their output McIDAS data files as you specified above. From the McIDAS session,
Type: TE XCDDATA "xcddatadirectory

For example:

Type: TE XCDDATA "/data/ldm/mcidas
4. Run the batch file XCD.BAT.
Type: BATCH XCD.BAT

The message "BATCH:DONE" must be displayed before you can continue.

XCD.BAT adds file REDIRECTions for several data files, saves them in the REDIRECTion table, and initializes the GROUPS.DAT and COUNTRY.DAT files.

5. List the active data circuits.
Type: CIRCUIT LIST

The table below lists the default values of the circuits for the Family of Services data stream for Unidata McIDAS-X.

Circuit	Active	Comm. Port	Command	Configuration File
DDS	no	none	INGETEXT	DDS.CFG
PPS	no	none	INGETEXT	PPS.CFG
IDS	no<	none	INGETEXT	IDS.CFG
HRS	no	none	INGEBIN	HRS.CFG

You will note that all circuits are set inactive by default. You should leave them configured like this in order for XCD to work with the Unidata LDM!

6. List the active data monitors, their associated decoders, and status.

   Type: DECINFO

   The table below lists the default status of data monitors and decoders.

   Data Monitor	Decoder	MD File	Status	Description	Configuration File
   DMSFC	SAODEC	1-10	Active	Surface hourly	ISFCDEC.CFG
   DMRAOB	RABDEC	11-30	Active	Upper air	IRABDEC.CFG
   	TEMPSHIPDEC	41-50	Active	TEMP SHIP	ITSHPDEC.CFG
   DMSYN	SYNDEC	51-60	Active	Synoptic	SYNDEC.CFG
   	SHPDEC	31-40	Active	Ship/Buoy	ISHPDEC.CFG
   DMMISC	NAMMOS	101-110	Active	NAM MOS	NAMMOS.CFG
   	GFSMOS	111-120	Active	GFS MOS	GFSMOS.CFG
   	PIRDEC	61-70	Active	PIREP/AIREP	PIRPDEC.CFG
   	TERDEC		Active	Terminal Fcst	TERMDEC.CFG
   	TIRDEC		Inactive	TIROS NAV	TIRDEC.CFG
   	MDRDEC		Inactive	MDR grids	MDRDEC.CFG
   DMGRID	GRIBDEC		Inactive	NMC GRIDS	GRIBDEC.CFG
   DMBIN	GRBFILER		Inactive	GRIB & BUFR	GRBFILER.CFG
   DMCOND	CONDUITFILER		Inactive	GRIB2	CONFILER.CFG
   DMNEXR	NEXRFILE		Inactive	NEXRAD prods	NEXRFILE.CFG

   NOTE: Unidata recommends against using the XCD DMNEXR data monitor. We believe that is much better to configure the LDM to file the wanted NEXRAD Level 3 products directly.

7. Use the DECINFO command to activate or deactivate any data monitors and decoders you want/do not want to run. Please note that deactivating a data monitor will deactivate all decoders that the data monitor runs. See McIDAS-XCD Administrative Commands for details on running DECINFO.

8. Example of activating decoding of NOAAPORT model grids:

   The DMBIN decoder files GRIB1 and GRIB2 messages into files of the same format and populates a MySQL database. To activate GRIB data filing for use with the ADDE GRIB server, run DECINFO as follows:

   Type: DECINFO SET DMBIN ACTIVE

   NOTEs:

   • In order for GRIB filing to work, MySQL will have had to been installed on the workstation running the LDM and McIDAS-XCD.
   • The ADDE GRIB server provides, in most cases, faster access to model output, and the disk space used is much less that for the GRID server.

   The DMGRID data monitor decodes GRIB1 messages into McIDAS grids and stores the grids into McIDAS Grid files. To activate GRIB data decoding, run DECINFO as follows:

   Type: DECINFO SET DMGRID ACTIVE
9. Example of activating decoding of NCEP model grids received in the LDM/IDD CONDUIT feed (Optional)

   If you will be decoding CONDUIT products, you must activate the DMCOND data monitor to do the processing, DMCOND.

   • Stop the LDM. As user ldm run::

     Type: ldmadmin stop

   • Create new instances of the DECINFO.DAT and CIRCUIT.DAT files to add DMCOND to the list of valid data monitors, and activate the DMCOND data monitor. As user mcidas, run the following from a Text and Comamnd Window of a McIDAS-X session:
     • Remove the existing DECINFO.DAT, CIRCUIT.DAT, and CONDUIT.PRO files:
       Type: LWU DEL DECINFO.DAT
       Type: LWU DEL CIRCUIT.DAT
       Type: LWU DEL CONDUIT.PRO
       
     • Create new instances of the DECINFO.DAT and CIRCUIT.DAT files:
     Type: DECINFO LIST
     Type: CIRCUIT LIST
     
     • Activate the DMCOND data monitor:

       Type: DECINFO SET DMCOND ACTIVE

   • Make sure that the CONDUIT action listed in $MCHOME/mcidas/data/pqact.conf_xcd_model file is included in the LDM pattern-action file used to process model data.
   • Start the LDM. As user ldm:
     Type: ldmadmin restart
     

You should notice very soon after starting the CONDUIT decoder that there is another entry in the ingestor section of the statdisp display. CONDUIT data should now be written to CONDUIT.SPL by the binary ingestor using the NCON circuit.