Instrument States Database Up and Running

 
Published: 15 April 2004

At the three ARM Climate Research Facility locales (Southern Great Plains, Tropical Western Pacific, and North Slope of Alaska), more than 260 instruments and 1,500 individual sensors operate continuously to provide uninterrupted streams of data to the ARM research community. Existing principle metrics provide information on what data is or is not available, but doesn’t explain the reason for any missing data. In early April, a new web-based information tool was implemented that will greatly improve operations performance by gathering quantitative instrument information that will help identify issues, set priorities, and guide decisions objectively.

The Instruments States Database gathers information from maintenance reports, shipping and receiving reports, calibration reports, and problem reports to track the operational states of instrument systems, computer systems, and facilities along with their components. Combining the diagnostic metrics gathered from the Instruments States Database with the principle metrics derived from data files delivered to the ARM Data Archive will enable the user to assess what data are available and when. Because the metrics are easily accessible and clearly presented via a website, any negative trends can be quickly identified and actions taken to correct the situation in a timely manner.

The Instrument States Database fills a critical gap in the overall picture of instrument operation, by providing the answer to “why” certain data is not available. It allows operations personnel to track the status of every component of each instrument, including during repair (e.g., what stage it’s at and how much time it’s taking), frequency of repair, shipping, etc. This level of detailed information allows operations managers to determine, for example, the need for spares for specific instruments, and to account for this information during budget planning.