WRF Portal (A GUI Front End For WRF) WRF Domain Wizard (A GUI Front End For WPS)

1. WRF Portal(A GUI Front End For WRF)WRF Domain Wizard(A GUI Front End For WPS) Presented by Jeff Smith January 18, 2007

2. WRF PortalA GUI Front End For WRFJeff Smith and Mark Govett

3. What is WRF Portal? -1 • A GUI front end to WRF • Simplifies configuring and running WRF • Monitors existing runs, giving users valuable feedback on how their run(s) are progressing • Stores information in a mySQL database, making it easy for users to search through previous runs, compare runs, etc. • Includes an imbedded version of WRF Domain Wizard (more on that later) • Includes visualization capabilities (meteorological charts and graphs—uses customized IDV library) • Platform independent (e.g., Linux, Unix, Windows)

4. What is WRF Portal? -2 • Also A Framework • The WRF Portal code and database was designed to be a generic framework that can support other models in the future with minimal code refactoring • Currently an alpha release tested at ESRL and at DTC (Developmental Testbed Center)

5. Preprocessing Gribprep Multiple runs (for multiple data sources)

6. Preprocessing Gribprep Multiple runs (for multiple data sources) Note: Yellow boxes are currently simplified/automated by WRF Portal Mixed color boxes will be partially simplified/automated by WRF Portal in the future.

7. WRF Portal Technical Information • Software is written in Java • JRE 1.4x (or later) • Uses Swing (JFC), JDBC, SSH-2 and SFTP • Can be run directly from a web page (or from a command line • 130 Java files, 33,000 lines of code • mySQL 5 database • supports flexible querying of namelists, user preferences, configuration info, runs, etc. • Referential integrity support

8. Architecture And Flow Linux or Unix computer running WRF(supercomputer or workstation) Java Virtual Machineon user’s computer (linux, windows, unix, etc.) WRF config files like namelists,workflow.xml, workflow.log SSH2 connection JSchSSHlibrary WRF Portal UI(Swing Application) Reads config files, scripts,creates dir, workflow.xml WRF Domain WizardJava workflow ManagerVisualization Tool Ruby Workflow ManagerReads workflow.xml to determinewhich jobs to run Optional Ruby Workflow Mgr Polls workflow.logfor progress info WRF Portal Data Layer(Plain Old Java Objects- POJO) Optional-Javaworkflow manager Batch scheduler workflow.log file SQLExecutor - JDBC Framework Job 1 Job 2 Firewall(either opens port 3306, or SSH forwarding) Job 3 TCP/IP on port 3306 (default port) Database Server Stores all namelists, model configurations, runs, etc. mySQL

9. Interested PartiesPotential Beta Testers • Interested Parties • Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography in Norfolk • Centre for Dev. Of Advanced Computing in India • Weather Decision Technologies, in Norman OK • National Weather Service in Jacksonville, FL • NCAR/DTC • NOAA and ESRL

10. Website: http://www.wrfportal.org

11. WRF Portal Screen Shot – Model Config

12. WRF Portal Screen Shot – Run Config

13. WRF Portal Screen Shot – Monitor Runs

14. WRF Portal Security • mySQL database • WRF Portal user logs in with username/password which grants him the limited database access • does not store any sensitive information such as usernames or passwords to other computers • database traffic sent via TCP/IP to port 3306 (or other port), password is encrypted • Security can be further enhanced by using SSH Port forwarding to encrypt data coming and going • WRF Portal uses SSH2 to • connect to remote computer for reading/writing files • run and monitor jobs

15. WRF Portal Future Work – Maybe • Grid enabled version • Single sign-on • Create a web based monitoring piece • Using Java web services • Ensembles • Port WRF Portal to other models

16. WRF Domain WizardGUI Front End For WPSJeff Smith and Paula McCaslin

17. What is WPS? • WRF Preprocessing System (WPS) • Developed at NCAR • Just released with WRF V2.2 and replaces the previous WRF SI (standard initialization) • WPS is Three Programs • geogrid.exe – localizes the domain defined in namelist.wps and creates a NetCDF output file. It extracts global geographical data (e.g. soil moisture, vegetation, albedo, etc.) and maps it to the domain projection. • ungrib.exe -- decodes and extracts atmospheric parameters from GRIB files in order to initialize WRF • metgrid.exe -- combines the meteorological data from ungrib with the NetCDF output from geogrid in order to produce a series of NetCDF files that are used to initialize WRF.

18. What is WRF Domain Wizard? • Successor to the WRFSI GUI and is the graphical user interface for WPS. • Note: the older WRFSI GUI is not compatible with WPS • Using this GUI, users • define the region (and projection) of their domain on map • define any nests • run the WPS programs • Can run as a standalone application (requiring no database connection) or from within WRF Portal • Writes the domain information to namelist.wps, a standard file defined by NCAR

19. Domain Wizard Technical Info • Software is written in Java • JRE 1.4x (or later) • Uses Swing (JFC) for GUI • SSH-2 and SFTP to connect to remote computer (if user is not running WPS locally) • Can be deployed either from a web page as a Java Web Start application or run from the command line

20. Architecture And Flow Java Virtual Machineuser’s computer (linux, windows, etc.) WRF Domain Wizard Web Page WRF Domain Wizard(Swing Application) Java Web Start Link http connection Download App Link (user downloads and runs GUI from command line) SSH I/O layer Local I/O layer Local or Remote Computer Has WPS Installed On It geogrid ungrib metgrid namelist.wps, WPS data SSH2 connection WPS Programs Disk files

21. http://www.wrfportal.org/DomainWizard.html

22. Animated Tutorials On The Website -1

23. Animated Tutorials On The Website -2

24. Animated Tutorials On The Website -3

25. WRF Domain Wizard Future Work – Maybe • Visualize the WPS output files • So users could inspect them before initializing WRF with them • More user interface enhancements • Port WRF Domain Wizard to other models

26. Thank You! Any Questions?