|
|
|
|
|
Climate Data Analysis Tools (CDAT)
|
NIEeS held a workshop on the same subject in December 2004; that workshop was heavily oversubscribed, so an additional workshop is being presented.
Climate Data Analysis Tools (CDAT, developed by PCMDI in the US) is a Python-based software infrastructure that is growing in use throughout the UK and beyond, and is a player in both UK and US GRID developments, interfacing with the popular OPeNDAP Data Access Protocol (formerly DODS), NetCDF libraries and the Live Access Server (LAS). CDAT makes use of Python features such as object orientation and easy connectivity to low level languages (such as Fortran, C and C++), to bind a multitude of useful packages and tools to one common scriptable interface.
A variety of user interfaces to CDAT exist including command-line interaction, stand-alone scripts (applications), graphical user interfaces and web-clients. CDAT builds on existing software, such as the large-array numerical operations (Numerical Python) and visualization (Visualization and Control System or VCS) sub-systems, allowing sophisticated data manipulation via the its own Climate Data Management System (CDMS) package. Being freely available, portable to multiple platforms and open-source, CDAT also encourages users to become developers. Whilst in its infancy compared to rival packages (such as IDL), these features reveal the potential for CDAT to grow into a leading edge data management tool.
The two-day course aims to present a look at CDAT from many perspectives, providing participants with an understanding of how to interact with the package via the command-line, scripts or using the GUI.
The course will begin with a look at the Python scripting language and then concentrate on different aspects of CDAT including an introduction to VCDAT (the GUI front-end), reading, writing, manipulating (e.g. averaging and regridding) and visualizing data. Particular packages such as VCS (the visualisation system) and genutil (statistical functions) will be described. The workshop will involve a pleasant mix of taught material and hands-on tutorials/exercises. Reference material will be provided to ensure that participants take their new knowledge home.
This course is aimed at novices and relative newcomers to CDAT. However, regular users may find insight into the many aspects of the software infrastructure available. Some familiarity with the Unix/Linux Operating System and a basic knowledge of programming would be useful but not essential.
The two-day course programme consists of a mixture of taught sessions and hands-on activities to keep everyone lively.
|
Morning Session : CDAT and VCDAT Basics |
|
|
10.00 - 10.15 |
Introduction |
|
10.15 - 10.45 |
What is CDAT? Brief Tour and Installation |
|
10.45 - 11.10 |
VCDAT Introduction |
|
11.10 - 11.25 |
Coffee/Tea |
|
11.25 - 12.00 |
More on VCDAT |
|
12.00 - 12.30 |
VCDAT Playtime |
|
12.30 - 13.30 |
Lunch |
|
|
Afternoon Session: Manipulating Data |
|
13.30 - 13.45 |
Why NetCDF and the CF Convention |
|
13.45 - 14.30 |
Quick guide to Reading, Manipulating, and Plotting and Writing data |
|
14.30 - 15.30 |
Practical session |
|
15.30 - 15.45 |
Coffee/Tea |
|
15.45 - 16.30 |
Advanced Data Manipulation |
|
16.30 - 17.15 |
Basic plotting and animation with VCS |
|
17.15 - 18.00 |
Clinic and further practical playtime |
|
19:00 |
Wine reception |
|
19:30 |
Workshop dinner |
|
|
Morning Session: Python/Additional CDAT packages |
|
9.30 - 10.15 |
Why Python? OR averaging Grids and Interpolation |
|
10.15 - 10.45 |
Python basics OR Statistical Toolsss (Genutil) |
|
10.45 - 11.00 |
Coffee/Tea |
|
11.00 - 11.45 |
OOP in Python OR Practical session |
|
11.45 - 12.30 |
Python Playtime OR Climate-specific tools (Cdutil) |
|
12.30 - 13.30 |
Lunch |
|
|
Afternoon Session: Finding out more |
|
13.30 - 14.45 |
Optional Sessions: cdscan; cdtime; working with masks; ASCII files, binary files. Building on CDAT; Binding to other languages |
|
14.45 - 15.05 |
Coffee/Tea |
|
15.05 - 16.30 |
Clinic and summing up |
The main meetings of the workshop, and lunches, will be held in Pavillion A of the Centre for Mathematical Sciences Cambridge (main entrance shown in photograph below).
Details of the location of the meeting, including travel plans, can be obtained here.
Overnight accommodation is being provided in Robinson College Cambridge. Directions are available here.
Accommodation, meals and registration for members of the UK academic/research community will be provided free of cost. The conference dinner on the evening of 30th June, to which all delegates are invited, will be held in Robinson College.
.
It is anticipated that the workshop may generate interest in some follow-on activities. We will discuss the sort of follow-on activities that can be arranged, such as visits to NIEeS to demonstrate some of the escience/grid technologies and to provide help with installation and usage.
|
There is no registration charge. Accommodation in Robinson College and meals (including the conference dinner) for UK academic participants will be provided with no charge. Please book early to ensure that you are able to obtain a place.
|
For information about registration, and all other types of queries, please contact the NIEeS office in the first instance.
