# Presentation: 498638

## National Weather ServiceCentral Computer System Backup System

**Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, USAF (Ret.)****National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration****Assistant Administrator for Weather Services**

## Agenda

**NWS Overview**
**Central Computer Backup System Description**
**System Milestones**
**System Operational Uses**
**System Development Uses**

## NWS Overview

**Provide climate, water, weather forecasts and warnings to protect life and property and enhance the economy**** **
**Data and products are used by other government agencies, the private sector, the public, and the global community.**

**A Typical Year Brings:**** **
**7 Hurricanes**
**1,000 Tornadoes**
**5,000 Floods**
**10,000 Violent Thunderstorms**
**Drought Conditions**
**500 Deaths; 5,000 Injuries; ****$14 Billion in Losses**

## NWS Overview Facilities

- 13 River Forecast Centers

## NWS Overview Facilities

- 122 Weather Forecast Offices
- 9NationalCenters
- 6Regions

## NWS Overview National Centers for Environmental Prediction

**NWS Overview ****National Centers for Environmental Prediction**

- C

- E

- N

- T

- R

- A

- L

- HydrometeorologicalPrediction Center

- Storm PredictionCenter

- Aviation WeatherCenter

- Tropical PredictionCenter

- Ocean PredictionCenter

- Climate PredictionCenter

- Space EnvironmentCenter

- EnvironmentalModelingCenter

- P

- O

- E

- R

- A

- T

- I

- O

- N

- S

## NWS Overview 

**Research, Development and Technology Infusion**

**Respond &**** Feedback**

**IBM Supercomputer at Gaithersburg, MD Computer Center**

***Feedback***

**Distribute**

**Process**

**Observe**

**Products & Forecast Services**

**NWS Overview **

## NWS Overview

**Research, Development and Technology Infusion**

**Respond &**** Feedback**

**IBM Supercomputer Backup at Fairmont, WV**

***Feedback***

**Distribute**

**Process**

**Observe**

**Products & Forecast ****Services**

**NWS Overview**

- Critical backup of “process” step

## System Description

**Large high performance computing system that mirrors and backs up a primary system in Gaithersburg, MD**
**Comprised of IBM equipment**
**176 Power-4 Regatta H+ nodes**
**160 compute nodes, 16 server nodes**
**8 processors per node (1.7 Gigahertz clock speed)**
**16 Gigabyte (GB) memory per node**
**Copper based Colony interconnect **
**22.5 Terabyte disk storage**
**1 Petabyte tape storage**
**Theoretical peak power 8.7 Teraflops**

## In top 10 worldwide for weather supercomputers
Uses scalar computing model comprised of a large number of commodity processors
Balanced system in terms of node, interconnect & input/output performance

**Uses scalar computing model comprised of a large number of commodity processors**
**Balanced system in terms of node, interconnect & input/output performance**

**Disk I/O**** ****– 1.3 GB/s**

**Node/Processor**** ****– 4.0 GB/s**

**Interconnect****– 1.5 ****GB/s**

**System Description**

## System Milestones

| Milestone | Date |
| --- | --- |
| System Installation Complete | 8/25/04 – completed |
| Acceptance Testing Complete | 9/22/04 – completed |
| System Customization Complete | 10/6/04 – in progress |
| Production Readiness Test Complete | 12/22/04 |
| Full Operational Capability Reached | 12/22/04 |
| CCS Backup Activated | 1/18/05 |

## System Operational Uses

**Executes large scale computer models to predict the state of the atmosphere from hours to months in advance**
- Output of models is called model guidance
- Over the U.S., these models divide the atmosphere into a three dimensional grid comprised of 12km squares, split into 60 levels, from the surface up to about 10,000 meters
- Over the entire globe, these models divide the atmosphere into a three dimensional grid comprised of 55km squares, split into 64 levels, from the surface up to about 10,000 meters

**Notes:**
Reliably produce critical model guidance in support of NOAA National Weather Service operations
Produce critical model guidance in support of  Department of Defense & Department of Homeland Security operations over the Continental United States

## System Operational Uses

- Reliability is Key
- Support for Defense and Homeland Security

**Notes:**
Reliably produce critical model guidance in support of NOAA National Weather Service operations
Produce critical model guidance in support of  Department of Defense & Department of Homeland Security operations over the Continental United States

## System Operational Uses 

**GFS model guidance for location of Hurricane Jeanne for ****September 26, 2004**

## System Operational Uses 

**GFS model guidance for location of Hurricane Jeanne for ****September 26, 2004**

- Location of low (Jeanne) in model guidance issued 30 hours in advance of landfall

## Actual location of Hurricane Jeanne on September 26, 2004

**System Operational Uses**** **

## Actual location of Hurricane Jeanne on September 26, 2004

**System Operational Uses**** **

- Actual location of low (Jeanne)

## System Operational Uses

**GFS model guidance for 24 hour total precipitation for September 27, 2004**

## System Operational Uses

**GFS model guidance for 24 hour total precipitation for September 27, 2004**

- Precipitation concentration in model guidance issued 48 hours in advance indicates 125mm of rainfall

## System Operational Uses

**System Operational Uses**

**Actual 24 hour total precipitation for September 27, 2004**

## System Operational Uses

**System Operational Uses**

**Actual 24 hour total precipitation for September 27, 2004**

- Actual precipitation concentration of 120mm of rainfall

## System Operational Uses

**GFS model guidance for 250 MB wind speeds for September 30, 2004**

## System Operational Uses

**GFS model guidance for 250 MB wind speeds for September 30, 2004**

- Location and intensity of high speed winds (jet stream) in model guidance issued 72 hours in advance

## System Operational Uses

**Actual 250 MB wind speeds for September 30, 2004**

## System Operational Uses

**Actual 250 MB wind speeds for September 30, 2004**

- Actual location and intensity of high speed winds (jet stream)

## System Operational Uses

**Wave Watch model guidance for September 30, 2004**

## System Operational Uses

**Wave Watch model guidance for September 30, 2004**

- Significant wave heights of 16 to 18 feet in model guidance issued 12 hours in advance

## System Operational Uses

**Actual wave heights for September 30, 2004**

## System Operational Uses

**Actual wave heights for September 30, 2004**

- Significant wave heights of 16 to 18 feet

## System Development Uses

**Taxpayers are Getting their Money’s Worth**
**Support NOAA Research & Development **
**Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation**
**Operational Numerical Test Bed**
**Seasonal Climate Research & Development **

***Accelerate Transition from R&D to Operations***

**Fairmont West Virginia**
**An Important Part of the NWS Team!**