Sugon 2nd-generation Computer Solution for Meteorology

1. Demand Analysis

These years, with the rapid development of urban construction and daily improvement of people’s livelihood, a higher requirement is posed for the meteorological departments to improve their service forecasting ability and their meteorological service level. Elaborate numerical forecasting is being carried out based locally across the country, which is a development trend advocated by China Meteorology Administration. However, mid-and-small meteorological departments of prefecture-level cities are faced with the following two challenges in carrying out the numerical forecasting service.

1. High-performance computer equipment usually needs to be installed in an expensive professional computer room. Many mid-and-small meteorological departments are not equipped with a professional computer room;

2. To carry out numerical forecasting requries specialists who are proficient in numerical modes and high-performance cluster environment and familiar with know-how on programing, operation and debugging, etc. under Linux system. But many departments are in lack of talents who are professional not only in meteorology, but also in high-performance computing.

2. Solution

Considering the problems such as high technical and equipment requirements existing in the current numerical meteorological forecasting, Sugon has designed an automatic mesoscale numerical forecasting product specially for mid-and-small meteorological bureaus of prefecture-level cities, namely, the 2nd-gneration computer for meteorology. The hardware computing platform is the personal high-performance computer (PHPC) customized by Sugon for the field of meteorology. In many areas, it has transcended the traditional rack-mounted server, blade server and cluster server, being a new generation of table-type high-performane computer featuring high stability, high performance and low environmental requirements. It adopts a design of integrative optimization, which can effectively cut the power consumption of the system. Plus the humanized design, strong system extensibility and excellent cost performance and computing density, it can meet the needs of office or even a severe environment. The software product adopts Sugon mesoscale meteorology forecasting system which is based on WRF. Each day the data of background field is downloaded, which can be imported with the data of ground-based upper-air sounding; it can automatically finish the pre-treatment, mode computing and post-treatment and generate WRF numerical product and graphic product. The computer for meteorology can be applied in mid-and-small meteorological departmetns of prefecture-level cities and used to solve the problems of mesoscale numerical weather forecasting with an accuracy of 3-15 km of prefecture-level cities.

2.1 Topograph of the Scheme

The application mode of Sugon 2nd-generation comptuer for meteorology is shown as follows,

2.2 System Composition

2.3 Advantages of the Scheme

Owning to its unique computing module design and humanized forecasting software development, Sugon 2nd-gneration computer for meteorology has solved the tough issues faced by meteorological bureaus of prefecture-level cities in fulfilling numerical forecasting,

1. An expensive professional computer room is no longer required. Optimized for the office environment, the noise is lower than 52 decibel. It can be powered with the indoor power outlet (16A); the whome computer is low in power consumption, so it needs not be configured with a special cooling equipment.

2. It does not need specialists who are familiar with the numerical mode. Based on the most advanced mesoscale forecasting mode WRF, it’s operating fully automatically, from the timed automatic download of background field data, pre-treatment, mode computing to post-treatment to the generation of numerical forecasting product. The whole process requires no manual intervention;

3. From ordered product manufacturing to the township level, the mode parameter scheme can get adapted to the regional features. The variety and accuracy of mode forecasting product reaches the corresponding level of meteorological bureaus of capital cities of provinces in China. The displayed content, form of the mode product and the browsing method based on B/S are simple and nice.

4. It can fulfill regular online release of numerical forecasting product, which makes it easy for exchanging with the outside; a high post-period return is available from only small initial investment. The elaborate numerical weather forecast is all under control.

5.  It’s preinstalled and configured with weather forecasting application software before being delivered out of the factory. It’s equipped with the backup and restore function, so user needs not worry about the data security of the forecasting system.

6. It does not need to be equipped with special system management personnel. It’s as simple as operating PC. Everyone can manage the high-performance computer.