awips2/cave/com.raytheon.viz.gfe/help/GFEStartup.html
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<h1 style="text-align: center;">
GFE Startup Information</h1>
December 16, 2005<br>
<br>
Table of Contents<br>
<br>
<a href="#cmdline">Command Line Options</a><br>
<a href="#standard">Standard Startup of GFE</a><br>
<a href="#SpecialConfigurationFiles">Special Configuration Files</a><br>
<a href="#special">Special GFE Startup Modes for TEST and PRACTICE</a><br>
<hr width="100%">
<h2><a name="cmdline"></a>Command Line Options</h2>
<p><br>
<tt>runGFE [-h hostname] [-p portNumber] [-c configFile] [-u userName]
[-t networkTimeout] [-m mutableModel] [-z drtTime] [-f specialMode]
[-a]
[-i
dbCategories]</tt><br>
&nbsp;
<br>
&nbsp;
<table nosave="" border="1" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><b>Command Line Option</b></td>
<td><b>Optional?</b></td>
<td><b>Meaning</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>-h hostname</td>
<td>YES</td>
<td>Identifies the hostname upon which the ifpServer is
running.&nbsp;
During installation, this value is automatically set, but may be
overridden.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>-p portNumber</td>
<td>YES</td>
<td>Identifies the RPC portnumber upon which the ifpServer is
running.
During installation, this value is automatically set, but may be
overridden.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>-c config</td>
<td>YES</td>
<td>Identifies the gfe configuration file to use for the session.
If the
-u&nbsp; and -c switches are specified, then the startup dialog will
not
contain entry boxes for the user to choose the config file.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>-u username</td>
<td>YES</td>
<td>Specifies the user id to be used for the GFE session.&nbsp;
This affects
the availability of metadata to the GFE.&nbsp; See the <a
href="baseSiteUserConcept.html">base,
site, and user configuration guide</a> for details.&nbsp; If the
-u&nbsp;
and -c switches are specified, then the startup dialog will not contain
entry boxes for the user to choose the username.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>-t networkTimeout</td>
<td>YES</td>
<td>Normally defaults to 60 seconds.&nbsp; In heavy network
situations,
may need to increase this value to prevent the GFE/ifpServer from
timeouts.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>-m mutableModel</td>
<td>YES</td>
<td>The mutable model is stored in the gfe configuration
file.&nbsp; It
can be overriden through this switch.&nbsp; Note that the format is in
the form of type_model or type_model_time, such as "_Fcst" or
"_NAM_20021002_1200.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>-z drtTime</td>
<td>YES</td>
<td>The GFE may be started in the <a
href="gfeConfig_Misc.html#DisplacedRealTimeOffset">Displaced
Real Time Mode</a>.&nbsp; <br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">-f specialMode<br>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">YES<br>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">By default, this switch is not
provided.&nbsp;&nbsp; If provided, will bring up the GFE in a special
mode.&nbsp;&nbsp; The two special modes supported are <a href="#TEST">TEST</a>
and <a href="#PRACTICE">PRACTICE</a>.&nbsp;
These modes are product-generation specific.&nbsp; <br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>-i dbCategories</td>
<td>YES</td>
<td>The database viewable categories are stored in the gfe
configuration
file.&nbsp; It can be overriden through this switch.&nbsp; Note that
the
format does not normally include the time.&nbsp; The normal format is
type,
such as "" for no-type or "D2D" for d2d-type databases.&nbsp; There can
be multiple -i switches.<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">-a<br>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">YES<br>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">Force AWIPS mode.&nbsp; If this
switch is set, then the -f switch determines the only possible modes
that are available to choose from.&nbsp; For example, with -f TEST and
no -a switch, the GFE is started in TEST mode but can be switched to
PRACTICE or OPERATIONAL mode.&nbsp; With the -f TEST and -a switch, the
GFE is started in TEST mode and cannot be switched to another mode.<br>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</p>
<hr width="100%">
<h2><a name="standard"></a>Standard Startup of GFE</h2>
GFE is normally started with just the runGFE script and no
switches.&nbsp;
When this is done, the GFE begins and contacts the
ifpServer.&nbsp;&nbsp; If the ifpServer cannot be connected
successfully, an error dialog is presented to the user.<br>
<br>
<table style="width: 100%; text-align: left;" border="0" cellpadding="2"
cellspacing="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><img alt=""
src="images/GFEStartup4.png"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<br>
<br>
In normal situations once the server has been contacted, the user is
presented with the GFE start up
dialog.&nbsp;
The known list of user names will appear in the left listbox. The user
can click on an existing name in the list, or add a new
name
by typing the user name identifier in the entry field.&nbsp; Once a
user
name has been selected, the GFE will query the ifpServer and determine
the available list of configuration files that are available to the
user.&nbsp;
The standard "gfeConfig" is shipped with the system.&nbsp; The site may
have overridden it and user's may override them too.&nbsp; See the <a
href="baseSiteUserConcept.html">base,
site, user concepts guide</a> for information.&nbsp;&nbsp; The gfe
configuration
file can be tailored to the site's or user's needs.&nbsp; See the <a
href="gfeConfiguration.html">gfe
configuration guide</a> for details. The user selects the appropriate
configuration file from the
list.&nbsp;
The user is not allowed to enter a new configuration file since the gfe
requires an existing configuration file to start.<br>
<br>
The third column is the GFE mode.&nbsp;&nbsp; It defaults to the modes
specified by the command line switches.&nbsp; If no mode is specified
via the command line, the mode is set to "operational".&nbsp;&nbsp; The
user can change the mode to "test" for product live comms testing, or
one of the two practice modes.&nbsp; Refer to the <a href="#special">Special
GFE Startup Modes for TEST and PRACTICE</a>.<br>
<p><img alt="" src="images/GFEStartup1.png"><br>
</p>
<p>The user positions the cursor over the START button and
clicks.&nbsp;
The GFE will now start and just the splash screen will be shown:<br>
</p>
<p><img alt="" src="images/GFEStartup2.png"><br>
</p>
<p><br>
If the GFE does not come up properly, ia
bad configuration file is likely the cause and a dialog shows the
location of the error:<br>
</p>
<p><img alt="" src="images/GFEStartup3.png"><br>
</p>
<hr width="100%">
<h2><a name="SpecialConfigurationFiles"></a>Special Configuration Files</h2>
The GFE comes with some special
configuration files which can be used to modify special grids. If a GFE
is started as the SITE user using one of these files, then various
special
weather elements can be edited.
<h3>EditTopo</h3>
Starting the GFE as the SITE user with this config file (runGFE -u SITE
-c EditTopo), allows for the editing of the topo grid.&nbsp; You can
also
use the standard startup runGFE, and enter EditTopo into the
configuration
column of the startup dialog.
<p>Once the GFE is running, there will be no weather elements appearing
in the grid manager.&nbsp; One weather element will be loaded, of a
persistent
nature, into the spatial editor.&nbsp; This element is called Topo SFC
Topo_EditTopo.&nbsp; You can edit the topography and once saved, the
remainder
of the GFESuite system will see the modified topography when those
programs
are started.<br>
</p>
<hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px;"><br>
<h2><a name="special"></a>Special GFE Startup Modes for Test and
Practice</h2>
The GFE may be started with three special modes.&nbsp; These modes
allow for product testing and GFE practice.&nbsp; This section defines
the behavior of the GFE in these modes.<br>
<br>
<h3><a name="TEST"></a>TEST mode</h3>
Starting the GFE with a <span style="font-weight: bold;">-f TEST</span>
switch will place the GFE in TEST mode.&nbsp; All products issued in
this mode will be issued with TEST mode enabled.&nbsp;&nbsp; The
forecaster edits a Test database instead of a Fcst
database, thus no impact is made on formal operations.<br>
<br>
Test mode on products means that products that normally have VTEC will
have the "T" code enabled, regardless of the definition in the
VTECMessageType file (as long as there is a definition for the product
in the VTECMessageType file).&nbsp;&nbsp; Test products mean that the
MND header will contain the "...TEST..." and so will any headlines in
the product.<br>
<br>
The characteristics of the GFE is changed while in TEST mode:<br>
<ul>
<li>The forecaster edits a Test database instead of a Fcst
database, thus no impact is made on formal operations.</li>
<li>Product can be transmitted.<br>
</li>
<li>There is no Official database available.</li>
<li>Sending of ISC grids and Publishing to Official is disabled.</li>
<li>The FormatterLauncher data source is set to the Test database.</li>
<li>The VTEC "active" table is used since these products can be
transmitted.</li>
<li>The enabled VTEC modes specified in VTECMessageType is used only
to determine if VTEC is enabled or not for a product.&nbsp; If a
product does not normally
contain VTEC, then in TEST mode no VTEC will appear.&nbsp; However, if
vtec is enabled for a product, that vtec mode is switched to "T" mode.<br>
</li>
<li>The background color of the GFE is changed, to make it clear to
the forecaster that they are in a special mode.&nbsp;&nbsp; The word
TEST is placed in the window manager title.</li>
</ul>
<br>
An example of the GFE in TEST mode is shown below:<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="TEST mode"
src="images/GFETestMode.png" style="width: 750px; height: 645px;"><br>
</div>
<br>
<h3><a name="PRACTICE"></a>PRACTICE mode</h3>
Starting the GFE with a <span style="font-weight: bold;">-f PRACTICE</span>
switch will place the GFE in PRACTICE mode.&nbsp; In this mode the
following characteristics are changed:<br>
<ul>
<li>The forecaster edits a Practice database instead of a Fcst
database, thus no impact is made on formal operations.</li>
<li>There is no Official database available.</li>
<li>Sending of ISC grids and Publishing to Official is disabled.</li>
<li>The FormatterLauncher data source is set to the Practice database.</li>
<li>An alternate active table is used to ensure there is no conflict
with real operations.</li>
<li>The ability to store products in the AWIPS text database and
transmit them is not available, although the GUI will still
exist.&nbsp; The Transmit GUI will clearly indicate that the transmit
is being simulated.</li>
<li>A special Formatting entry appears on the Formatter Launcher to
allow the forecaster to select the type of practice formatting.&nbsp;
Choices range from the 3 operational VTEC modes and no VTEC for
operational/normal wording, and two choices for test wording (with and
without VTEC).<br>
</li>
<li>The background color of the GFE is changed, to make it clear to
the forecaster that they are in a special mode.&nbsp;&nbsp; The word
PRACTICE is placed in the window manager title.</li>
</ul>
The background of the GFE in Practice mode appears orange:<br>
<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Practice Mode"
src="images/GFEPracticeMode.png" style="width: 700px; height: 621px;"><br>
</div>
<br>
<br>
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