ADDS Dataserver 1.2 Release Notes (MAY 2007)

Updates since release

Current data is now available in gzipped, CSV format.
• The current data directory format is consistent with the dataserver release directory structure:
  • weather.aero/dataserver_current/current
  • weather.aero/dataserver1_2/current
  • for this release,
    weather.aero/dataserver/current is still available

MostRecentForEachStation

• There is now a new mostRecentForEachStation type ('constraint') that offers improved performance. Please visit the Best Practices page for more details on the effective use of this constraint. Please refer to:
  
  TAFs Examples for examples of TAF mostRecentForEachStation queries and
  METARs Examples for examples of METAR mostRecentForEachStation queries.


• Users can obtain the most recent data using two different methods: 'postfilter' and 'constraint'. The 'postfilter' method is the same as mostRecentForEachStation=true in earlier versions of the server. For this and subsequent versions, mostRecentForEachStation=true will still behave as before. The postfilter method allows all other constraints to be applied first, then the results obtained from those constraints are filtered to yield the most recent for each station. The constraint method is a more straightforward, optimal means of obtaining the most recent for each station.
  
  
  • Use the 'mostRecentForEachStation=constraint' and 'mostRecentForEachStation=postfilter' (equivalent to 'mostRecentForEachStation=true') in conjunction with hoursBeforeNow or startTime/endTime to obtain the most recent results for each station within a specified time range.
  
  
  • Example: obtain the most recent TAFs for KORD, KLAX and KMIA from the past three hours using the more efficient, 'constraint' method.
    dataSource=tafs&requesttype=retrieve&format=xml&hoursBeforeNow=3&
    mostRecentForEachStation=constraint&stationString=KORD,KLAX,KMIA
  
  
  • Example: obtain the most recent TAFs for KORD, KLAX and KMIA from now to one hour from now, using the 'postfilter' version.
    datasource=tafs&requesttype=retrieve&format=xml& startTime=1268182917& endTime=1268186517& mostRecentForEachStation=postfilter& stationString=KORD, KLAX, KMIA
  
  

NOTE:The mostRecentForEachStation feature is available only for METARs and TAFs, and only 72 hours worth of data is kept in the data base.


Most Current Data

• The most current data is available for METARs, TAFs, PIREPs and AIRSIGMETs.
  Please visit Current Data for more details.
  
  
  
  • Results are in XML and CSV format and are gzip compressed. The data resides at:
    http://weather.aero/dataserver/current
  
  
  and to be consistent with the dataserver release directories:
  
  • http://weather.aero/dataserver_current/current
  or
  • http://weather.aero/dataserver1_2/current
  
  
  • This data is useful for users who require the most currently available data.
  
  
  • The load to the dataserver is minimized as the need for multiple, similar requests for large quantities of data is unnecessary.
  
  
  • Queries are made every five minutes throughout the day.
  
  
  
  
  

Schema

• The following schemas are relevant for the 1_2 release:
• metar1_2.xsd
• taf1_2.xsd
• pirep1_2.xsd
• airsigmet1_1.xsd
• station1_0.xsd