The amount of weather data is expected to increase exponentially over the next 10 years with the development of new satellite sensors such as the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), new software technologies, improved Doppler radar systems, higher resolution weather forecast models, and potentially the integration of phased array radars. The increase of data threatens to overwhelm current data architectures. The proliferation of data also increases the chance a forecaster may overlook a key piece of data or even fail to make a timely decision while waiting for the next piece of vital information.

ITT's Agile Access (A2) is a COTS-based data management and dissemination software tool developed using the JPEG 2000 open standard wavelet-based compression algorithm and the JPEG Interactive Protocol (JPIP). It provides rapid access and visualization of raw image data and image products to users in seconds instead of hours or minutes. A2 users can scan for and identify data using a rapid image delivery system that is compliant with both commercial and government standards. A2 enables format conversion and the specialized processing of unique or complex datasets. The A2 system collects data in a centralized data catalog, allowing efficient dissemination in a network with multiple users. Compression schemes are user selectable giving the customer control of the stream rate/resolution trade off. The JPEG 2000 format allows the client to view only the data required for the display and zoom extent, without wasting memory/bandwidth downloading the entire dataset. Maybe most importantly, the reuse of existing infrastructure saves money in development and expansion.

A2 has been tested and validated to ingest, compress, store and disseminate data other than imagery. This new system, called the AGILE Access Environmental Data System (A2-EDS), handles weather data to include GRIB and netCDF formatted data. A2-EDS is interoperable, configurable and modular, so it can be used as the backbone for any SOA solution or on the periphery at data source locations to streamline receipt of data.

This poster will describe the A2-EDS and how it can benefit the weather, climate and environmental community.