Forecast data in a Delft-FEWS central database are mainly intended for daily operational use and will be automatically removed when expired. Forecast data that needs to be preserved for later use is best preserved persistently in an external storage location. Exporting data to an external storage is a basic task in any water resources management system. This data often includes observations/measurements, (external) meteorological forecasts, historical model simulations and model forecasts. Commercially available databases including WISKI, Aquarius and CUAHSI HIS that are commonly used for timeseries storage allow for storage of both timeseries data and rating curves. However, it is not always possible to store forecast data (which is characterized by multiple time vectors) or 'messy' data such as text reports, communication logs, model states, database snapshots, etcetera. For this purpose, the Delft-FEWS team at Deltares developed the Open Archive. The Deltares Open Archive is a file based storage solution where data can be accessed through a catalogue and disseminated though FEWS' webservices. It integrates nicely with Delft-FEWS applications but can be used independently from Delft-FEWS, hence the name 'Open' Archive. The data can be easily accessed by third party applications using web protocols.
Delft-FEWS and the Deltares Open Archive: seamless integration
The Deltares Open Archive integrates nicely with Delft-FEWS in a number of ways:
- Delft-FEWS can export data to the Deltares Open Archive.
- Deltares Open Archive data can be visualized within Delft-FEWS.
- Deltares Open Archive data can be used in workflows in a Delft-FEWS application, e.g. a hindcast run.
- Deltares Open Archive data can be disseminated through FEWS' webservices, either directly, or via the operational FEWS system.
Sample applications
The archive can contribute to a number of tasks often encountered in water resources management:
Hindcasting
Sometimes referred to as re-forecasting, is the process of producing forecasts for times in the past, using only data that was available at the time. Reasons for hindcasting include testing of new models or other forecasting routine such as data assimilation or statistical post-processing. Hindcasting requires the availability of forcing data. In case of hydrological forecasts, this includes weather forecasts that were available at the time. Every hindcast should then be forced by another weather forecast. Delft-FEWS is eminently suited to carry out these hindcast exercises, especially if connected to an Deltares Open Archive. Within a hindcasting workflow, past weather forecasts are retrieved from the archive and used to force hydrological and/or hydrodynamic models.
Forecast verification
The process of establishing the quality of a set of forecasts. Often, these are compared to the verifying observations. The record of forecasts needs to be available to the verification tools and one way of achieving this is through an Deltares Open Archive. Indeed, one of the most often used forecast verification packages, the EVS, can source its data from an instance of the Deltares Open Archive.
Web dissemination
In real time hydrological forecasting systems as well as in water information systems, forecasts are often disseminated to stakeholders via the web. One way to do this is by actively pushing data from a forecast production system to HTML pages or to locations from where the data is ingested by a web viewer. The Deltares Open Archive, however, allows for web viewers to directly access the archive and visualize its data in a browser environment.
Available documentation
- Deltares Open Archive hard and software requirements
- Deltares Open Archive: Technical background
- Installation and configuration of the Deltares Open Archive
- Connecting to the Deltares Open Archive
- Delft-FEWS
- 22 Exchange with the Deltares Open Archive (configuration of archiving tasks in Delft-FEWS)
- 10 Archives.xml (link the SA, OC or FSS to the archive)
- 21 Archive display (configuring the OC display for the archive)
- Deltares Open Archive and third party applications
- Delft-FEWS
- Extensions to the Deltares Open Archive
- User guides
- Deltares Open Archive management
Links and references
Deltares Open Archive brochure
A PDF version of the Deltares Open Archive brochure can be downloaded
Conference papers
Gijsbers, P., Grijze, A., Dijk, M. van and Akker, O. van den: Usage of the Deltares Open Archive, in Proceedings of the 7th International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software, edited by D. P. Ames, N. W. T. Quinn, and A. E. Rizzoli, International Environmental Modelling and Software Society (iEMSs), San Diego, CA, United States., 2014. OpenArchiveUse.pdf
Grijze, A., Gijsbers, P., Rooij, E. de, Pelgrim, E. and Akker, O. van den: Technology behind the Deltares Open Archive, in Proceedings of the 7th International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software, edited by D. P. Ames, N. W. T. Quinn, and A. E. Rizzoli, International Environmental Modelling and Software Society (iEMSs), San Diego, CA, United States., 2014. OpenArchiveTechnology.pdf.
