Deployed Environment / Overview

This documentation describes the deployed environment configuration. The deployed environment requires different software than the development environment, although some components are used in both.

This documentation includes the following sections:

Deployed Environment IT Infrastructure

The following IT infrastructure design is from the Open Water Foundation's perspective. This perspective is limited by the fact that OWF has not to date deployed software to the State's Google Cloud Platform environment. OWF has utilized Amazon Web Services on other projects and uses a Google Site for CDSS software downloads.

Deployed System

The following IT infrastructure design is from the State of Colorado Office of Information Technology's (OIT's) perspective. The OIT perspective more specifically indicates the use of Google Cloud Platform to provide a virtual machine (VM) and cloud storage space (Google Sites).

Deployed System

The deployed computer environment (item 1 above) will run the SNODAS tools operationally, as described in the Software Design.

Consequently, the deployed environment must include software necessary to run the operational tools. However, the deployed environment does not need to have development environment software installed. In some cases the software is used in both the deployed and development environment.

Computer System to Run SNODAS Tools

The following sections describe how to install necessary software on a computer that will run the SNODAS tools.

Linux Virtual Machine Computer

The target computer environment is as follows, in order to provide suitable processing capabilities, minimize ongoing cost, and allow for system support:

  • As discussed with OIT, a Linux Ubuntu 14.04 LTS VM will be used - this will be stable and provide several years of support:
    • Windowing environment for administration/support - Gnome? Mate? XFCE?
  • Open Water Foundation needs access to install the software and provide support - sudo privileges would be good.
  • Decent processor speed to run daily scheduled task - this machine will not initially be responding to real-time requests (could expand to this in the future depending on success of the project)
  • Local disk space for historical SNODAS grids and daily output snow products, to allow software to process - estimate is ~37 GB/year for years 2003+ and into the future, which through 2025 would be ~820 GB - start with 1 or 2 TB capacity? Note that a nearly equivalent amount of space would be required in the Google Site to archive products for public access. The local files are needed to process and static archive is used to provide public access.
  • Network configuration needs to support pushing data to Google Site, CDSS Map Viewer, and Colorado Information Marketplace, as discussed in sections below.

QGIS Software

The QGIS software should be installed in the standard location using the same instructions as for the development environment. Open Water Foundation can install this once the VM is available.

SNODAS Tools Software

TODO smalers 2016-12-04 need to describe how to install the SNODAS tools. For example, might install in /home/snodastools/CDSS/SNODAS-Tools or in /opt on the Linux VM. Need to finalize script names, configuration files, location of data, etc. as per the Software Design. OWF will install this software once the VM is available.

TSTool Software

The TSTool software should be installed in the standard location using the same instructions as for the development environment.

TODO smalers 2016-12-04 need to finalize which version and provide basic installation instructions - will probably install in /opt since a Linux VM is going to be used.

SNODAS Tools Configuration

TODO smalers 2016-12-04 need to describe final configuration of the SNODAS tools once all software components are installed. This will be similar to the development environment for file structure.

Test SNODAS Tools

TODO smalers 2016-12-04 need to describe how to do basic testing to make sure things are working

Run Operationally

TODO smalers need to describe how to run operationally, scheduled process and also manual re-run. Refer to other documentation if appropriate.

Computer Systems to Publish Results

The following sections describe how to configure other system components to receive the SNODAS tools output products.

Google Cloud Storage for Static Website Data Product Archive

The VM that performs the calculations will have a local copy of input and output files. A subset of these files will need to be pushed to a Google Cloud Storage bucket...only the files of interest to Colorado data users, but not the large input files for the entire USE.

OWF has discussed with OIT using Google Cloud Storage, ideally published as a static website. It is not clear whether a Google Site is needed given that website files can be stored on a static website. See:

TODO smalers 2016-12-29 Need to figure out bucket name and domain for these resources. Perhaps OIT can recommend a standard assuming that multiple cloud-hosted services could be implemented going forward.

OWF will work with OIT to use the Google Cloud Storage. However, OWF may also prototype on its Amazon S3 space, which is similar to Google Cloud Storage. This will involve configuring a bucket that will OWF's corporate Amazon S3 space is being used for the prototype SNODAS products, including historical SNODAS grids and products generated from this project. Expect that a folder will be created such as: http://projects.openwaterfoundation.org/cdss-snodas-tools, with a folder structure that allows simple Leaflet static web pages to be provided. Scripts will be developed to push the products to OWF's Amazon S3, using an Amazon Web Services profile for CDSS-SNODAS that is restricted to only that project folder.**

TODO smalers 2016-12-04 need to explain in more detail and flesh out when a working prototype is implemented.

CDSS Map Viewer

The daily SNODAS Tools output map layers will need to be made available to one of the Map Viewers implemented by the CWCB.

TODO smalers 2016-12-04 Need to work out final details with CWCB/DWR/OIT on how to publish to Map Viewer. How will files generated on the VM be pushed to DWR/OIT staff to load into a Map Viewer?

Colorado Information Marketplace

The Colorado Information Marketplace (CIM), data.colorado.gov uses the Socrata data portal software, and can be used to publish daily tabular datasets produced by the SNODAS Tools.

OWF has discussed with Jon Gottsegan the need for documented protocols for systems to submit datasets to CIM. It is OWF's understanding that protocols are being written.

TODO smalers 2016-12-04 Need to work out final details with CWCB/DWR/OIT on how to publish to CIM