20 Transformation Module (Improved schema)

Contents

Transformation Module Configuration (New Version)

The Transformation module is a general-purpose module that allows for generic transformation and manipulation of time series data. The module may be configured to provide for simple arithmetic manipulation, time interval transformation, shifting the series in time etc, as well as for applying specific hydro-meteorological transformations such as stage discharge relationships etc.

An improvement version of the FEWS Transformation Module is currently under construction. The new version is much more easy to configure than the old version. The new version uses a new schema for configuration, also several new transformations are added.

Configuration    

When available as configuration on the file system, the name of an XML file for configuring an instance of the transformation module called for example TransformHBV_Inputs may be:

TransformHBV_Inputs 1.00 default.xml.

The configuration for the transformation module consists of two parts: transformation configuration files in the Config/ModuleConfigFiles directory and coefficient set configuration files in the Config/CoefficientSetsFiles directory.

In a transformation configuration file one or more transformations can be configured. Some transformations require coefficient sets in which given coefficients are defined. For a given transformation that requires a coefficient set there are different ways of defining the coefficient set in the configuration. One way is to specify an embedded coefficient set in the transformation configuration itself. Another way is to put a reference in the transformation configuration. This reference consists of the name of a separate coefficient set configuration file and the id of a coefficient set in that file.

Both the transformations and coefficient sets can be configured to be time dependent. This can be used for instance to define a given coefficient value to be 3 from 1 January 2008 to 1 January 2009, and to be 4 from 1 January 2009 onwards. This can be done by defining multiple periodCoefficientSets, each one with a different period, as in the following xml example.

<periodCoefficientSet>
  <period>
    <startDateTime date="2008-01-01" time="00:00:00"/>
    <endDateTime date="2009-01-01" time="00:00:00"/>
  </period>
  <structure>
    <pumpFixedDischarge>
      <discharge>3</discharge>
    </pumpFixedDischarge>
  </structure>
</periodCoefficientSet>
<periodCoefficientSet>
  <period>
    <validAfterDateTime date="2009-01-01"/>
  </period>
  <structure>
    <pumpFixedDischarge>
      <discharge>4</discharge>
    </pumpFixedDischarge>
  </structure>
</periodCoefficientSet>

If a date is specified without a time, then the time is assumed to be 00:00:00, so <validAfterDateTime date="2009-01-01"/> is the same as <validAfterDateTime date="2009-01-01" time="00:00:00"/>. To specify dates and times in a particular time zone use the optional time zone element at the beginning of a transformations or a coefficient sets configuration file, e.g. <timeZone>GMT+5:00</timeZone>. Then all dates and times in that configuration file are in the defined time zone. If no time zone is defined, then dates and times are in GMT. Note: 2008-06-20 11:33:00 in time zone GMT+5:00 is physically the same time as 2008-06-20 06:33:00 in GMT.

If for a given transformation there are different coefficientSets configured for different periods in time, then the following rule is used. The start of a period is always inclusive. The end of a period is exclusive if another period follows without a gap in between, otherwise the end of the period is inclusive. If for example there are three periodCoefficientSets defined (A, B and C), each with a different period, as in the following xml example. Then at 2002-01-01 00:00:00 periodCoefficientSet A is valid. At 2003-01-01 00:00:00 periodCoefficientSet B is valid since the start of the period is inclusive. At 2004-01-01 00:00:00 periodCoefficientSet B is still valid, since there is a gap after 2004-01-01 00:00:00. At 2011-01-01 00:00:00 periodCoefficientSet C is valid, since no other periods follow (the period of C is the last period in time that is defined). This same rule applies to time-dependent transformations.

<periodCoefficientSet>
  <!-- periodCoefficientSet A -->
  <period>
    <startDateTime date="2002-01-01" time="00:00:00"/>
    <endDateTime date="2003-01-01" time="00:00:00"/>
  </period>
  ...
</periodCoefficientSet>
<periodCoefficientSet>
  <!-- periodCoefficientSet B -->
  <period>
    <startDateTime date="2003-01-01" time="00:00:00"/>
    <endDateTime date="2004-01-01" time="00:00:00"/>
  </period>
  ...
</periodCoefficientSet>
<periodCoefficientSet>
  <!-- periodCoefficientSet C -->
  <period>
    <startDateTime date="2010-01-01" time="00:00:00"/>
    <endDateTime date="2011-01-01" time="00:00:00"/>
  </period>
  ...
</periodCoefficientSet>

Run transformations for a set of selected locations

In some cases it is usefull to run a transformation only for a specific set of locations. For example when the entire workflow has already ran and there is only a change at a specific location. This situation can occur, for example, when a water level has been editted or when the configuration is changed.

In this case the workflow can skip the calculations for the unchanged locations. The main benefit of this approach is that it saves a lot of processing time.

This functionality is now available in FEWS.However it is important to understand that this functionality cannot be used in all workflows. The functionality can be applied for transformations only. It cannot be used for running models or secondary validations. When a transformation is started for a location selection than the transformation will only start when the location of one of the input time series is selected. When a transformation has created output for a location which was not selected by the user than this location whill be added to the selection.

It is possible to run a workflow for a selected set of locations from the IFD, the task dialog and the manual forecast dialog. By default workflows cannot be run for a selected set of locations. To enable this the option allowSelection should be set to true in the workflowdescriptor of the workflow. Below an example.

<workflowDescriptor id="FillRelations" forecast="false" visible="true"autoApprove="false">
  <description>Met deze taak worden de gaten groter dan 2 uur gevuld dmv. relaties.</description>
  <allowSelection>true</allowSelection>
  <schedulingAllowed>true</schedulingAllowed>
</workflowDescriptor>

When a node in the IFD is selected with a workflow which has the allowSelection option set true, the GUI will look like this:

In the property dialog below the tree with the nodes two selection boxes will appear.

The first checkbox will enable the option to run a workflow for a specific set of locations. The second checkbox will enable to run the workflow for specified period.

In the taskrun dialog an additinal checkbox will appear.

 Which locations should the user select?

The transformation will run for the selected locations. If one the input timeseries is selected in the filters or in the map the transformation will run.

This means that the user should select the locations which are changed. This can be a change in the data or a change in the configuration.

This can be explained with the use of a simple example. Lets say we have a system which has a workflow which consists of a user simple function which estimates the water level at location B by simply copying the water level at location A to location B.

After the copying a set of statistical transformations are run to compute statistics.

The user edits the water level at location A and want to recompute the water level at location B. However the workflow which does this, is configured to do similar estimates at another 500 locations. In this case the user should select location A.

When the run starts the majority of the calculations are skipped except when the water level for location will be recalculated because in this case location A which is one of the input time series is selected. When this calculation is done, FEWS will

remember that location B is now also changed and will add location B to the list of selected locations. When the statistical transformations are started after the water level at location B is recomputed the statistics for location B are also recalculated because in this case the transformation which recomputed the statistics for location B has a input time series with location B and because location B was added to the list of selected locations, the statistical transformations which calculates statistics for location B will also be started.

This functionality cannot be used for spatial transformations. Before enabling this option for a workflow, the configurator should check if the workflow contains spatial transformations.

In addition to the above, this functionality can only be used for non-forecast workflows. Typically this functionality should be used for pre-processing of post-processing.

Therefore it is by default not possible to run a workflow for a specific location selection. This is only possible when in the workflowdescriptors the option allowSelection is to true. This option should only be set to true when the configurator has checked that the workflow is suitable for running for a specific location.

Steps to follow when implementing selection specfic calculations

The following steps should be followed when this functionality is implemented.
1) Decide in which situations this functionality is needed
2) Make a list of the workflows which need to run in this type of situations
3) Ensure that the workflow only consists of transformations for which this functionality can be used.
4) Move transformations or other parts of the workflow which are suitable for this type of operations to another workflow
5) Set the option allowSelection to true in the workflow descriptor for the workflow which can be used for selection specific calculations
6) When the workflows will be started from the taskrun dialog of the manual forecast dialog no additional configuration is needed. These displays are available in almost every FEWS system. However when the IFD will be used for this. the following additional steps should be taken.

Implement selecion specific calculations for IFD

First step is to create a topology.xml to configure the content of the tree from which the workflows should be started.

Detailed informations about configuring the topology.xml can be found at 24 Topology

The following steps should be done when using the IFD for selection specific calculations.

1. first create the tree structure by creating nodes in the topology.xml,
2. add workflows to the nodes.
3. add dependencies to the nodes by configuring the previous nodes
4. by default leaf nodes will run locally and not at the server. This is not desired in this case Therefore the option localRun should be set to false for the leafnodes.

Below an example (part of the topology.xml)

<nodes id="HDSR"><nodes id="oppervlaktewaterstand"><relativePeriod unit="week" start="-52" end="0" />
  <node id="vul gaten kleiner dan 2 uur">
   <previousNodeId>secondary validatie</previousNodeId>
   <workflowId>FillGap2H_WerkOpvlWater</workflowId>
   <filterId>Fillgap</filterId>
  <localRun>false</localRun>
 </node>
 <node id="vul gaten groter dan 2 uur">
  <previousNodeId>vul gaten kleiner dan 2 uur</previousNodeId>
  <workflowId>FillRelations</workflowId>
  <localRun>false</localRun>
 </node>
 <node id="berekening debieten">
  <previousNodeId>vul gaten groter dan 2 uur</previousNodeId>
  <workflowId>DebietBerekening</workflowId>
  <localRun>false</localRun>
 </node>
 <node id="sample werkfilterdata nonequi naar 15min">
  <previousNodeId>berekening debieten</previousNodeId>
  <workflowId>SampleRuwNaar15M</workflowId>
  <localRun>false</localRun>
 </node>
 <node id="langsprofielen berekenen">
  <previousNodeId>sample werkfilterdata nonequi naar 15min</previousNodeId>
  <workflowId>Langsprofiel</workflowId>
  <localRun>false</localRun>
 </node>
 <node id="aggregatie van kwartier naar uur">
  <previousNodeId>langsprofielen berekenen</previousNodeId>
  <workflowId>AggregeerWerkOpvlWater</workflowId>
  <localRun>false</localRun>
 </node>
 <node id="Peilbesluit evaluatie">
  <previousNodeId>aggregatie van kwartier naar uur</previousNodeId>
  <workflowId>PeilbesluitEvaluatie</workflowId>
  <localRun>false</localRun>
 </node>
 <node id="export LIZARD">
  <previousNodeId>Peilbesluit evaluatie</previousNodeId>
  <workflowId>ExportCIW</workflowId>
  <localRun>false</localRun>
 </node>
 <node id="export WIS-REPORTS">
  <previousNodeId>export LIZARD</previousNodeId>
  <workflowId>ExportCIW</workflowId>
  <localRun>false</localRun>
 </node>
</nodes>

second step is to add the following line the explorer.xml to add the IFD tool window to the system.

<explorerTask name="Forecasts">
  <taskClass>nl.wldelft.fews.gui.plugin.selection.SegmentSelectionDialog</taskClass>
  <toolbarTask>false</toolbarTask>
  <menubarTask>false</menubarTask>
  <toolWindow>true</toolWindow>
  <loadAtStartup>true</loadAtStartup>
</explorerTask>