20031112: accessing ADDE datasets from a COMET McIDAS account

>From: Patrick Dills <address@hidden>
>Organization: UCAR/COMET
>Keywords: 200311122238.hACMchOb005683 McIDAS ADDE

Hi Patrick,

>Say, we're having some trouble accessing one of the NESDIS ADDE data
>servers, specifically the 'PLR' server (140.90.195.52).  I've run into a
>dead end, and was wondering if you might have some ideas.

OK, ready.  I also have been allowed to access that server, so I
should be able to replicate your results.

>I was talking to one of the contracters at NESDIS and we explored a
>number of avenues to see if the server was visible from our MCIDAS-X
>machine 'gizmo' here at COMET...ping, telnet and 'DSINFO IMAGE PLR' for
>example.  At the same time I checked some of my other server entries, e.g.
>ULY, RTIMAGES, SUOMI and appear to have no trouble.

Yes, but those datasets are hosted on different machines.  I am glad
that you checked, however, since it confirms that your McIDAS installation
is working.

>Both 'ping' and 'telnet 140.90.195.52 500' to the 'PLR' servers produced
>positive responses, with 'telnet' they were able to see and accept my
>connect request.

>But whenever I entered a 'dsinfo' from the McIDAS side,
>it attempts to connect, and then after about 45 sec., responds with -->
>
>---------
>dsinfo.k: Cannot contact server (connect() failed)
>    No Datasets found of Type: IMAGE in Group: PLR
>dsinfo.k: Cannot contact server (connect() failed)
>    No Datasets found of Type: POINT in Group: PLR
>
>...and so on...
>---------
>
I am also able to telnet to port 500 on the server, but not to port
503.  This means that doing uncompressed data transfers should work,
but "compress" compressed transfers should/will not.  To test this, 
I tried to do the same DSINFO command as you ran for PLR first
using compressed transfers:

DSINFO IMAGE PLR

This eventually timed just as yours did.

Next, I EXITed McIDAS and restarted specifying use of uncompressed
transfers:

mcidas -config
<choose to use uncompressed transfers, not compressed ones>

DSINFO IMAGE PLR

        Dataset Names of Type: IMAGE in Group: PLR

Name         NumPos   Content
------------ ------   --------------------------------------
AMGAC           14    NOAA AM GAC data
AMHRPT          14    NOAA AM HRPT data
AMLAC           14    NOAA AM LAC data
AMSUA54          1    Latest NOAA-KLM AMSU-A CH07 54 GHz BT
 ...


So, like I supposed, uncompressed transfers work, but compressed ones
do not.  You should EXIT your McIDAS session and start a new one
that uses uncompressed transfers in the same way as I indicated above.

>Matthew Marshall, a systems guy at NESDIS in charge of the trouble
>ticket, mentioned he had an IP entry for you in their server access table
>for the 'PLR' server and I was wondering if you had any similar problems
>recently?  Might help us narrow the problem a bit?  I don't know.

We need to get those guys to setup their remote ADDE server to support
compressed transfers.  Do you have the name of the person responsible
for the McIDAS/ADDE setup there?  If yes, I could contact him and
help him to get compressed ADDE transfers working.

>Any insights you might come up with Tom would be greatly appreciated.

I think that the only problem is compressed vs uncompressed transfers.
If you find that you still have problems when using uncompressed
transfers, please let me know.

Cheers,

Tom