Managing national datasets for AWIPS

Numerous data files are used in AWIPS to direct the operation of decoders, define menus for individual sites, describe map backgrounds, and organize data for efficient use by weather forecasters. Effectively managing these national datasets requires that those created during development be updated and maintained as changes in weather products and communications occur. What modifications to make to which national datasets is decided in light of the impacts on other datasets and forecast operations.

Maintenance of the national datasets consists of documenting what the datasets are and how each functions, editing the datasets, and instructing field sites on the processes required to update the datasets at their site. This paper will describe the procedures that have been developed for maintaining the files used to manage the processing and display of text products, METARs, and buoy observations in AWIPS.