A Proposal to Update Computing Hardware at Saint Louis University
to More Fully Participate in Unidata Activities

Charles E. Graves and James T. Moore

http://www.slu.edu/

As recently as 2001, the Internet Data Delivery (IDD) system at Saint Louis University was losing up to 80% of the distributed products. There were a variety of causes, but primarily it stemmed from limited bandwidth. This problem, when coupled with slow workstations and file servers, resulted in frustrating students' attempts to analyze and display weather data. Now with Unidata support, including a grant from the Unidata Community Equipment fund and University funds, we are situated to more fully participate in Unidata activities.

Once funding was available in fall of 2003, we placed an order for ten Sunblade 1500 workstations to replace existing slower Sun machines. In addition, we upgraded our LDM ingest machine which also serves our real-time meteorological data. The upgraded LDM ingest machine was critical as the University-funded NOAAPORT machine came on line and Internet II access became available. The Sun workstations arrived in December and were installed over the semester break. Concurrently, the latest Unidata software was installed, including for the first time, the Integrated Data Viewer (IDV)which immediately sparked the interest of both students and faculty.

This summer the meteorlogy lab was re-wired to allow any of the Sun Workstations to be displayed on a LCD projector through a KVM switch. We have assigned a teaching assistant to provide tutorial sessions for the students on the use of the latest Unidata software.

Through the Unidata Community Equipment funds, we were able to upgrade our meteorology laboratory and LDM ingest machine. We were also able to leverage this equipment grant with University funding to upgrade the laboratory capabilities, and improve data reliability through a NOAAPORT system and Internet II. Most importantly, for the first time since the start of IDD, Saint Louis University is in a position to become a relay node in the IDD and to make use of all the Unidata software.