Automated Tropical Cyclone Forecasting System
(ATCF) and Web-ATCF
System Administrator’s Guide (DoD Version 5.0)

Jim Mundy (CSC)
Buck Sampson (NRL MMD)
Ann Schrader (SAIC)

24 January 2011


Table of Contents

1    INTRODUCTION

2    SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

2.1  The atcfEnvs File

2.2  ATCF Data

2.2.1  Externally-Generated Data

2.2.1.1  Externally-Generated Fix Data

2.2.1.2  Externally-Generated Objective Aids Data

2.2.1.3  Observations and Gridded Data

2.2.2  Internally-Generated Data

2.2.3  “Deck” File Structures

2.3  $ATCFSTRMS and $ATCFARCHIVES

2.4  ATCF Workflow

2.5  ATCF Products

3    SYSTEM SETUP

3.1  Configuration Options

3.1.1  The atcfsite.nam File

3.1.2  The modellist.dat File

3.1.3  Color Files

3.1.3.1  The colsel.dat and colortable.dat Files

3.1.3.2  Color Settings in the techlist.dat File

3.1.3.3  Files in the colorfls Directory

3.1.4  The Objective Aids Master List (techlist.dat) File

3.1.5  The GRIBfieldlst File

3.1.6  The GRIBprocidlst.dat File

3.1.7  Other Preferences Files

4    INSTALLATION AND UPDATES

5  ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

5.1  Storm Archive Management

5.1.1  End of Year Archive Maintenance

5.1.2  Unarchiving a Storm After End of Year Maintenance

6    DEALING WITH COMMON PROBLEMS

6.1  Missing Fields/Observations

6.2  Missing Aids Data

6.3  Missing Fix Data

6.4  Fixes Not Seen in Statistics

6.5  Problems With Satellite Imagery

6.6  Internal Database Problems

6.7  Dealing With New Data Types

6.8  Software Problems

6.9  Problems With Product Dissemination

7    $ATCFSTRMS FILES

8    REFERENCES


List of Figures

Figure 1. Data Flow for Model Fields at JTWC

Figure 2. Data Flow for Aids (Trackers) at JTWC

Figure 3. Fix Data Flow at JTWC

Figure 4. ATCF Product Push Data Flow


List of Tables

Table 1. Externally Generated Data

Table 2. Internally-Generated Data

Table 3. ATCF Products

Table 4. Preference Files Created/Edited in ATCF