[GO-ESSP] Update on Progress of Numerical Model Metadata (NMM XML) aka the EarleySuite

K.A.Bouton k.a.bouton at reading.ac.uk
Wed Oct 26 17:21:49 MDT 2005


Just an update on the progress of the numerical model metadata schema and
its implementation.

While it may seem quiet, in fact a quite a bit of progress has been made
such that we are close to implementing it as an in-house tool to use it 'in
anger' and see if we can really get out of it what we want - comparing and
contrasting model run properties/configurations etc. 

Also we have been able to use the schema on the IPCC documentation to be
able to compare and contrast IPCC model runs.

Details below:

1. due to high demand for the name to reflect more generally the intent of
the schema - the EarleySuite has been renamed NMM (Numerical Model Metadata)
XML. The home page and Wiki are reached via http://cgam.nerc.ac.uk/NMM/

2. We have generated an proto-automated process for the Unified Model (the
model used here) to produce the the most current version xml , then to
'style' the XML vis xslt into a table.  This is done via a script in the
local model creation tool which queries a local MySQL database, gets user
details, machine details, parses the model tool configuration file for
required fields like science parameters and puts it all into an XML file.

This initial results for this can be seen under implementation-> personal
notebook. Pretty nifty actually. As usual, what looks really simple took a
lot of hard work. http://cgam.nerc.ac.uk/NMM/personal_notebook/index.php

The schema is looking much more full--pretty good for the general
information, technical and science sections, looking better for the
numerical sections (discussions soon with Balaji on how to implement his
wonder grid into NMM) and looking better with input/output descriptions.

You can view the schema in various forms --graphical, html, xml, structure
etc from http://cgam.nerc.ac.uk/NMM/schema.php.

Note - I have fallen a bit behind in updating the implementation of the
schema via a database so viewing that part of the www site may be out of
date or not work.  I will be working on xslt to database insert translations
in the near future.


3. We have taken the IPCC Model documentation from the PCMDI WWW site and
entered it into the NMM schema, to re-create the table they have online, but
using the XML files. http://cgam.nerc.ac.uk/NMM/ipcc/index.php
You will notice a lot of blanks, but that is because information is missing
from the documentation,as expected.
We especially looked closely at the numerical properties of each IPCC model,
comparing and contrating them via a table which can be seen at 
http://cgam.nerc.ac.uk/NMM/ipcc/index.xml

This table looks at the 17 individual NMM XML files (one for each
experiment) pulls out the Numerical Properties for each model, and formats
it via xslt.
Also pretty cool I think.


Things we are working on:
1. Implementing Balaji wondergrid into numerical properties
2. Local tools for input files identification and description
3. PRISM/FLUME cooperation

Always something more

Comments, suggestions requested, in fact - demanded (grin)

Katherine




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