4  INSTALLATION AND UPDATES

The ATCF Installation Guide provides detailed procedures for installing ATCF and for updating a current installation.

5  ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

5.1  Storm Archive Management

ATCF contains a storm specific archive that may date back to the late 1800s in the Atlantic and 1940s in the western North Pacific. Each installation contains a different set of data in its archive, which is dependent on the interests of the site. The archive is structured such that the entire archive is contained in the directory specified by the $ATCFARCHIVES variable. Inside that directory is a header file named storm.table and year directories containing storm files for each storm in the given year. For example, the $ATCFARCHIVES/2010 directory listing below contains storm files for n1 storms in basin b1, n2 storms for basin b2, and so forth.

aal012010.dat  awp922010.dat  bshA72010.dat  bwp052010.dat  fal922010.dat
aal022010.dat  awp932010.dat  bshA82010.dat  bwp062010.dat  fal932010.dat
aal032010.dat  awp942010.dat  bshA92010.dat  bwp072010.dat  fal942010.dat
aal042010.dat  awp952010.dat  bshB02010.dat  bwp082010.dat  fal952010.dat
aal052010.dat  awp962010.dat  bshB12010.dat  bwp092010.dat  fal962010.dat
aal062010.dat  awp972010.dat  bshB22010.dat  bwp102010.dat  fal972010.dat
aal072010.dat  awp982010.dat  bshB32010.dat  bwp862010.dat  fcp902010.dat
aal082010.dat  awp992010.dat  bshB42010.dat  bwp892010.dat  fcp922010.dat
aal092010.dat  bal012010.dat  bshB52010.dat  bwp902010.dat  fcp932010.dat
aal902010.dat  bal022010.dat  bshB62010.dat  bwp912010.dat  fep012010.dat
aal912010.dat  bal032010.dat  bshB72010.dat  bwp922010.dat  fep022010.dat
aal922010.dat  bal042010.dat  bshB82010.dat  bwp932010.dat  fep032010.dat
aal932010.dat  bal052010.dat  bshB92010.dat  bwp942010.dat  fep042010.dat
aal942010.dat  bal062010.dat  bshC02010.dat  bwp952010.dat  fep052010.dat
aal952010.dat  bal072010.dat  bshC12010.dat  bwp962010.dat  fep062010.dat
aal962010.dat  bal082010.dat  bshC22010.dat  bwp972010.dat  fep072010.dat
aal972010.dat  bal092010.dat  bshC32010.dat  bwp982010.dat  fep082010.dat
aal992010.dat  bal902010.dat  bshC42010.dat  bwp992010.dat  fep092010.dat
acp902010.dat  bal912010.dat  bshC52010.dat  eal072010.dat  fep902010.dat
acp922010.dat  bal922010.dat  bshC62010.dat  ecp902010.dat  fep912010.dat
acp932010.dat  bal932010.dat  bshC72010.dat  ecp922010.dat  fep922010.dat
aep012010.dat  bal942010.dat  bshC82010.dat  ecp932010.dat  fep932010.dat
aep022010.dat  bal952010.dat  bshC92010.dat  eio012010.dat  fep942010.dat
aep032010.dat  bal962010.dat  bshD02010.dat  eio022010.dat  fep952010.dat
aep042010.dat  bal972010.dat  bshD12010.dat  eio032010.dat  fep962010.dat
aep052010.dat  bal992010.dat  bshD22010.dat  eio902010.dat  fep972010.dat
aep062010.dat  bcp902010.dat  bshD32010.dat  eio912010.dat  fep992010.dat
aep072010.dat  bcp922010.dat  bshD42010.dat  eio922010.dat  fio012010.dat
aep082010.dat  bcp932010.dat  bshD52010.dat  eio932010.dat  fio022010.dat
aep092010.dat  bep012010.dat  bshD62010.dat  eio942010.dat  fio032010.dat
aep902010.dat  bep022010.dat  bshD72010.dat  eio952010.dat  fio902010.dat
aep912010.dat  bep032010.dat  bshD82010.dat  eio962010.dat  fio912010.dat
aep922010.dat  bep042010.dat  bshD92010.dat  eio972010.dat  fio922010.dat
aep932010.dat  bep052010.dat  bshE02010.dat  eio982010.dat  fio932010.dat
aep942010.dat  bep062010.dat  bshE12010.dat  eio992010.dat  fio942010.dat
aep952010.dat  bep072010.dat  bshE22010.dat  esh012010.dat  fio952010.dat
aep962010.dat  bep082010.dat  bshE32010.dat  esh022010.dat  fio962010.dat
aep972010.dat  bep092010.dat  bshE42010.dat  esh032010.dat  fio972010.dat
aep992010.dat  bep902010.dat  bshE52010.dat  esh042010.dat  fio982010.dat
aio012010.dat  bep912010.dat  bshE62010.dat  esh052010.dat  fio992010.dat
aio022010.dat  bep922010.dat  bshE72010.dat  esh062010.dat  fsh012010.dat
aio032010.dat  bep932010.dat  bshE82010.dat  esh072010.dat  fsh022010.dat
aio902010.dat  bep942010.dat  bshE92010.dat  esh082010.dat  fsh032010.dat
aio912010.dat  bep952010.dat  bshF02010.dat  esh092010.dat  fsh042010.dat
aio922010.dat  bep962010.dat  bshF12010.dat  esh102010.dat  fsh052010.dat
aio932010.dat  bep972010.dat  bshF22010.dat  esh112010.dat  fsh062010.dat
aio942010.dat  bep992010.dat  bshF32010.dat  esh122010.dat  fsh072010.dat
aio952010.dat  bio012010.dat  bshF42010.dat  esh132010.dat  fsh082010.dat
aio962010.dat  bio022010.dat  bshF52010.dat  esh142010.dat  fsh092010.dat
aio972010.dat  bio032010.dat  bshF62010.dat  esh152010.dat  fsh102010.dat
aio982010.dat  bio902010.dat  bshF72010.dat  esh162010.dat  fsh112010.dat
aio992010.dat  bio912010.dat  bshF82010.dat  esh172010.dat  fsh122010.dat
ash012010.dat  bio922010.dat  bshF92010.dat  esh182010.dat  fsh132010.dat
ash022010.dat  bio932010.dat  bshG02010.dat  esh192010.dat  fsh142010.dat
ash032010.dat  bio942010.dat  bshG12010.dat  esh202010.dat  fsh152010.dat
ash042010.dat  bio952010.dat  bshG22010.dat  esh212010.dat  fsh162010.dat
ash052010.dat  bio962010.dat  bshG32010.dat  esh222010.dat  fsh172010.dat
ash062010.dat  bio972010.dat  bshG42010.dat  esh232010.dat  fsh182010.dat
ash072010.dat  bio982010.dat  bshG52010.dat  esh242010.dat  fsh192010.dat
ash082010.dat  bio992010.dat  bshG62010.dat  esh892010.dat  fsh202010.dat
ash092010.dat  bsh012010.dat  bshG72010.dat  esh902010.dat  fsh202010.log
ash102010.dat  bsh022010.dat  bshG82010.dat  esh912010.dat  fsh212010.dat
ash112010.dat  bsh032010.dat  bshG92010.dat  esh922010.dat  fsh222010.dat
ash122010.dat  bsh042010.dat  bshH02010.dat  esh932010.dat  fsh232010.dat
ash132010.dat  bsh052010.dat  bshH12010.dat  esh942010.dat  fsh242010.dat
ash142010.dat  bsh062010.dat  bshH22010.dat  esh952010.dat  fsh892010.dat
ash152010.dat  bsh072010.dat  bshH32010.dat  esh962010.dat  fsh902010.dat
ash162010.dat  bsh082010.dat  bshH42010.dat  esh972010.dat  fsh912010.dat
ash172010.dat  bsh092010.dat  bshH52010.dat  esh982010.dat  fsh922010.dat
ash182010.dat  bsh102010.dat  bshH62010.dat  esh992010.dat  fsh932010.dat
ash192010.dat  bsh112010.dat  bshH72010.dat  esl902010.dat  fsh942010.dat
ash202010.dat  bsh122010.dat  bshH82010.dat  ewp012010.dat  fsh952010.dat
ash212010.dat  bsh132010.dat  bshH92010.dat  ewp022010.dat  fsh962010.dat
ash222010.dat  bsh142010.dat  bshI02010.dat  ewp032010.dat  fsh972010.dat
ash232010.dat  bsh152010.dat  bshI12010.dat  ewp042010.dat  fsh982010.dat
ash242010.dat  bsh162010.dat  bshI22010.dat  ewp052010.dat  fsh992010.dat
ash892010.dat  bsh172010.dat  bshI32010.dat  ewp062010.dat  fsl902010.dat
ash902010.dat  bsh182010.dat  bshI42010.dat  ewp072010.dat  fwp012010.dat
ash912010.dat  bsh192010.dat  bshI52010.dat  ewp082010.dat  fwp022010.dat
ash922010.dat  bsh202010.dat  bshI62010.dat  ewp092010.dat  fwp032010.dat
ash932010.dat  bsh212010.dat  bshI72010.dat  ewp102010.dat  fwp042010.dat
ash942010.dat  bsh222010.dat  bshI82010.dat  ewp902010.dat  fwp052010.dat
ash952010.dat  bsh232010.dat  bshI92010.dat  ewp912010.dat  fwp062010.dat
ash962010.dat  bsh242010.dat  bshJ02010.dat  ewp922010.dat  fwp072010.dat
ash972010.dat  bsh892010.dat  bshJ12010.dat  ewp932010.dat  fwp082010.dat
ash982010.dat  bsh902010.dat  bshJ22010.dat  ewp942010.dat  fwp092010.dat
ash992010.dat  bsh912010.dat  bshJ42010.dat  ewp952010.dat  fwp102010.dat
asl902010.dat  bsh922010.dat  bshJ62010.dat  ewp962010.dat  fwp902010.dat
awp012010.dat  bsh932010.dat  bshJ72010.dat  ewp972010.dat  fwp912010.dat
awp022010.dat  bsh942010.dat  bshJ82010.dat  ewp982010.dat  fwp922010.dat
awp032010.dat  bsh952010.dat  bshK02010.dat  ewp992010.dat  fwp932010.dat
awp042010.dat  bsh962010.dat  bshK72010.dat  fal012010.dat  fwp942010.dat
awp052010.dat  bsh972010.dat  bshK82010.dat  fal022010.dat  fwp952010.dat
awp062010.dat  bsh982010.dat  bshL02010.dat  fal032010.dat  fwp962010.dat
awp072010.dat  bsh992010.dat  bshL72010.dat  fal042010.dat  fwp972010.dat
awp082010.dat  bshA02010.dat  bshM02010.dat  fal052010.dat  fwp982010.dat
awp092010.dat  bshA12010.dat  bshN02010.dat  fal062010.dat  fwp992010.dat
awp102010.dat  bshA22010.dat  bsl902010.dat  fal072010.dat  messages
awp862010.dat  bshA32010.dat  bwp012010.dat  fal082010.dat
awp892010.dat  bshA42010.dat  bwp022010.dat  fal092010.dat
awp902010.dat  bshA52010.dat  bwp032010.dat  fal902010.dat
awp912010.dat  bshA62010.dat  bwp042010.dat  fal912010.dat

Each storm can have these file types:

b<stormid>.dat Best track data

a<stormid>.dat Objective aids data

f<stormid>.dat Fix data

e<stormid>.dat Probability data

and the associated log files:

b<stormid>.log

a<stormid>.log

f<stormid>.log

e<stormid>.log

Starting in the mid 2000s, invest storms (90 series) are now kept in the database once they are “deleted” using ATCF. The storm id for these files was created by replacing the “9” in the storm id with a letter A-Z. So the first “deleted” invest storm numbered “90” in the Atlantic 2010 season would have a storm id of alA02010, the second “90” would be alB02010, and so forth.

5.1.1 End of Year Archive Maintenance

After every year the forecasters should quality control the individual storms via the ATCF user interface. Once this is done, the ATCF administrator does the final archiving and quality control, performing the steps below:

  1. Using ATCF, clean up the storms directory for the year to be archived (select Cleanup Storms Directory… from the Manage-Storms menu, then select the storms to be removed from the directory in the dialog box presented). See the ATCF User’s Guide for full instructions.

  2. Make a backup of the $ATCFARCHIVES/storm.table in the $ATCFARCHIVES directory.

  3. Copy the $ATCFARCHIVES/storm.table file to $ATCFARCHIVES/storm.table.new.

  4. Ensure that each entry in the $ATCFARCHIVES/storm.table.new has matching storm files and vice versa.

  5. Set the STORM_STATE variable in the storm.table to “ARCHIVE” and insure that the other entries are set appropriately. See past years for examples and the ATCF database documentation for variable definitions:

    http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/atcf_web/docs/database/new/database.html

  6. Check for stray files in the $ATCFARCHIVES/year directory and move or remove them if found.

  7. Compress (gzip) all the *.dat files, but leave the .log files unpacked.

  8. Copy the $ATCFARCHIVES/storm.table.new file back to $ATCFARCHIVES/storm.table.

  9. Check the storms individually using the ATCF user interface to insure that each storm displays (track, aids, fixes) and that these files are for the right storms.

  10. If storms all check out, archival is complete.

5.1.2 Unarchiving a Storm After End of Year Maintenance

It may be necessary to unarchive a storm for final best tracking, etc. after it has been gzipped during end of year maintenance. This task should only be performed by the ATCF administrator. Here is the procedure for doing this:

  1. Clean up storms that you intend to change.

  2. gunzip the files in the $ATCFARCHIVES/yyyy directory.

  3. Set the "ARCHIVE" switch in the $ATCFARCHIVES/storm.table to blank.

  4. Pull storm out of archives via ATCF and make the changes.

  5. Clean up storms you changed.

  6. gzip files in the $ATCFARCHIVES/yyyy directory

  7. Set the "ARCHIVE" switch in the $ATCFARCHIVES/storm.table back to "ARCHIVE".