Adding a service to a remotely served dataset

John Caron caron at unidata.ucar.edu
Mon Jul 9 11:36:44 MDT 2007


Its been there for a while. Ill probably add enable/disable "remote WCS access" to next version, so we dont have to worry about security unless you have it turned on.

Roy Mendelssohn wrote:
> Very interesting.  Thanks John.  Is this in the version we have 
> (3.16.13) or is it in a new download?
> 
> When we get a chance, we will test this as it is a feature we would like 
> to be able to add.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> -Roy
> 
> On Jul 9, 2007, at 9:32 AM, John Caron wrote:
> 
>> We made an extension of the WCS Dataset URL format to allow the TDS to 
>> serve remote datasets. Identify the dataset by adding the parameter 
>> dataset whose value is a URL:
>>
>>  http://servername:8080/thredds/wcs?dataset=datasetURL&
>>
>> The URL must be a dataset readable by the NetCDF-Java library, 
>> typically an OPeNDAP dataset on another server. It must have gridded 
>> data, with identifiable coordinate systems, etc. For example, an 
>> OPeNDAP URL might be
>>
>>  http://las.pfeg.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/nph-dods/data/oceanwatch/nrt/gac/AG14day.nc 
>>
>> This can be served remotely as a WCS dataset with this URL:
>>
>>  http://servername:8080/thredds/wcs?dataset=http://las.pfeg.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/nph-dods/data/oceanwatch/nrt/gac/AG14day.nc& 
>>
>>
>>
>> This is non-standard WCS; we havent emphasized this feature until we 
>> have a chance to review security implications. The WCS service now if 
>> off by default, and must explicitly be turned on in threddsConfig.xml, 
>> mostly because of this feature. We should probably seperately allow 
>> users to enable/disable "remote WCS access".
>>
>>
>> Oliver Newell wrote:
>>> Hi Roy -
>>> FYI - We're currently experimenting with implementing WCS services, 
>>> and the same requirement (wish?) as what you're describing has been 
>>> raised. Basically, the need to discover a data set via a cataloging 
>>> mechanism (THREDDS, an OGC catalog, a DOD NCES catalog) and then be 
>>> able to access it via a WCS that resides somewhere on the network. My 
>>> initial take on it is that since WCS data access requests work with 
>>> unique identifiers (not URLs), this limits the capabilities of the 
>>> service in the sense that the Id-to-resource (data file or db) 
>>> mapping is managed locally by the WCS. In other words, the WCS has to 
>>> 'know about' the resource in advance of the request, in order to do 
>>> the mapping.
>>> I think the WCS service should support a mode of operation where a 
>>> resource's URL is included in the requests to the service, in order 
>>> to support the external WCS concept.  I think it is still important 
>>> to maintain the Id as a separate entity, so it is not just a question 
>>> of using a URL for the coverage identifier, though that idea might be 
>>> tempting.
>>> The idea needs flushing out a bit, but it is still early enough in 
>>> WCS's development that changes like this can be incorporated into the 
>>> spec via the OGC working group (my opinion). It definitely seems like 
>>> it would be a useful capability to address the situation you describe.
>>> -Oliver
>>> Roy Mendelssohn wrote:
>>>> Hi Glenn:
>>>>
>>>> No problem.  But we were interested in the general problem, as there 
>>>> are other datasets which also do not have WCS and which we would 
>>>> like to add it, rather than trying to get each of them  to add it  
>>>> (Some just have an OPeNDAP server, not a THREDDS server).  Yours 
>>>> allowed me to give Ethan a concrete example so he could look at the 
>>>> catalogs.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>>
>>>> -Roy
>>>> On Jul 9, 2007, at 7:52 AM, Glenn.Rutledge wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hello Roy-
>>>>> That particular dataset will be turned on shortly via WCS.  That 
>>>>> was an oversight.  Nice to have users telling us where we need 
>>>>> stuff!   Glenn
>>>>>
>>>>> Ethan Davis wrote the following on 7/6/2007 6:02 PM:
>>>>>> Hi Roy,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Looks like you are referencing NCDC catalogs rather than serving 
>>>>>> the datasets yourself. So, users would get redirected to the NCDC 
>>>>>> server and access the data through the NCDC server. So, as things 
>>>>>> stand, NCDC would have to add the WCS service.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You could point to each NCDC dataset with an NcML wrapper and 
>>>>>> actually serve the data from your server rather than redirecting 
>>>>>> to NCDC. If you did that, you could add the WCS service. However, 
>>>>>> the performance wouldn't be as good as direct from NCDC.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm afraid I don't know about the WCS request for a time range. 
>>>>>> So, I'll leave that for others to answer.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ethan
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Roy Mendelssohn wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi Ethan:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am not certain I follow.  To be more specific, look at:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> http://oceanwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov/thredds/catalog.html
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> and scroll down to the datasets " Remote test to Nomads THREDDS 
>>>>>>> catalog", which is actually on a THREDDS server on an NCDC 
>>>>>>> computer.  They are remotely served through catalogs.  Can we add 
>>>>>>> the WCS service on our end, or will it only work if NCDC adds the 
>>>>>>> WCS service.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> While I have your attention, I have not been able to get a 
>>>>>>> straight answer if there is a way to send the WCS request to get 
>>>>>>> a time range, rather than a single time, and if so what is the 
>>>>>>> syntax for that.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -Roy
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Jul 6, 2007, at 11:24 AM, Ethan Davis wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi Roy,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> If you are actually serving the dataset through your server 
>>>>>>>> (which it sounds like you are since you mention existing NcML 
>>>>>>>> for the dataset) rather than providing a link in your catalog to 
>>>>>>>> the remote server, I believe you can simply add the WCS service 
>>>>>>>> to your TDS configuration catalog and serve the data via WCS. It 
>>>>>>>> shouldn't require any changes to the NcML, just to the service 
>>>>>>>> element in the catalog.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Of course, this depends on the dataset meeting the WCS server 
>>>>>>>> requirements, e.g., evenly spaced grid.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I'm not sure how it would perform. But I'll leave it for John to 
>>>>>>>> respond on that.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Ethan
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Roy Mendelssohn wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Hi:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> The question for today is if our TDS is "serving" a dataset 
>>>>>>>>> remotely  (ie. the remote site has their own TDS and we just 
>>>>>>>>> link indirectly to it), can we add a service to our version 
>>>>>>>>> that they don't have  (just like we can aggregate a remote 
>>>>>>>>> dataset that is not aggregated).  In particular the remote 
>>>>>>>>> dataset only has an OPeNDAP response, but we would like to be 
>>>>>>>>> able to respond to both an OPeNDAP and a WCS response.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> If we change our NcML appropriately, will that work?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks in advance,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> -Roy
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> **********************
>>>>>>>>> "The contents of this message do not reflect any position of 
>>>>>>>>> the U.S. Government or NOAA."
>>>>>>>>> **********************
>>>>>>>>> Roy Mendelssohn
>>>>>>>>> Supervisory Operations Research Analyst
>>>>>>>>> NOAA/NMFS
>>>>>>>>> Environmental Research Division   Southwest Fisheries Science 
>>>>>>>>> Center
>>>>>>>>> 1352 Lighthouse Avenue
>>>>>>>>> Pacific Grove, CA 93950-2097
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> e-mail: Roy.Mendelssohn at noaa.gov (Note new e-mail address)
>>>>>>>>> voice: (831)-648-9029
>>>>>>>>> fax: (831)-648-8440
>>>>>>>>> www: http://www.pfeg.noaa.gov/
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill."
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> =============================================================================== 
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe thredds, visit:
>>>>>>>>> http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/mailing-list-delete-form.html
>>>>>>>>> =============================================================================== 
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --Ethan R. Davis                                Telephone: (303) 
>>>>>>>> 497-8155
>>>>>>>> Software Engineer                             Fax:       (303) 
>>>>>>>> 497-8690
>>>>>>>> UCAR Unidata Program Center                   E-mail:    
>>>>>>>> edavis at ucar.edu
>>>>>>>> P.O. Box 3000
>>>>>>>> Boulder, CO  80307-3000                       
>>>>>>>> http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/
>>>>>>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> **********************
>>>>>>> "The contents of this message do not reflect any position of the 
>>>>>>> U.S. Government or NOAA."
>>>>>>> **********************
>>>>>>> Roy Mendelssohn
>>>>>>> Supervisory Operations Research Analyst
>>>>>>> NOAA/NMFS
>>>>>>> Environmental Research Division   Southwest Fisheries Science Center
>>>>>>> 1352 Lighthouse Avenue
>>>>>>> Pacific Grove, CA 93950-2097
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> e-mail: Roy.Mendelssohn at noaa.gov (Note new e-mail address)
>>>>>>> voice: (831)-648-9029
>>>>>>> fax: (831)-648-8440
>>>>>>> www: http://www.pfeg.noaa.gov/
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill."
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --Glenn K. Rutledge
>>>>> Services Team Leader
>>>>> Remote Sensing and Applications Division
>>>>> NOMADS Project Manager
>>>>> National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
>>>>> National Climatic Data Center
>>>>> Asheville NC 28801
>>>>> Phone: (828) 271-4097
>>>>> Fax: (828) 271-4328
>>>>>
>>>>> NOMADS: http://nomads.ncdc.noaa.gov/
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> **********************
>>>> "The contents of this message do not reflect any position of the 
>>>> U.S. Government or NOAA."
>>>> **********************
>>>> Roy Mendelssohn
>>>> Supervisory Operations Research Analyst
>>>> NOAA/NMFS
>>>> Environmental Research Division   Southwest Fisheries Science Center
>>>> 1352 Lighthouse Avenue
>>>> Pacific Grove, CA 93950-2097
>>>>
>>>> e-mail: Roy.Mendelssohn at noaa.gov (Note new e-mail address)
>>>> voice: (831)-648-9029
>>>> fax: (831)-648-8440
>>>> www: http://www.pfeg.noaa.gov/
>>>>
>>>> "Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> =============================================================================== 
>>>>
>>>> To unsubscribe thredds, visit:
>>>> http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/mailing-list-delete-form.html
>>>> =============================================================================== 
>>>>
>>> =============================================================================== 
>>> To unsubscribe thredds, visit:
>>> http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/mailing-list-delete-form.html
>>> =============================================================================== 
>>>
> 
> **********************
> "The contents of this message do not reflect any position of the U.S. 
> Government or NOAA."
> **********************
> Roy Mendelssohn
> Supervisory Operations Research Analyst
> NOAA/NMFS
> Environmental Research Division   
> Southwest Fisheries Science Center
> 1352 Lighthouse Avenue
> Pacific Grove, CA 93950-2097
> 
> e-mail: Roy.Mendelssohn at noaa.gov (Note new e-mail address)
> voice: (831)-648-9029
> fax: (831)-648-8440
> www: http://www.pfeg.noaa.gov/
> 
> "Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill."
> 
> 

==============================================================================
To unsubscribe thredds, visit:
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/mailing-list-delete-form.html
==============================================================================



More information about the Thredds mailing list