Large files access time

[J-M Epitalon <Jean-Marie.Epitalon@xxxxxxxxxx>]

hello,

I have daily simulation output covering the period 01-01-1950 to
31-12-2005. It is in a NetCDF file that is 1.5 Mb large.

When I access it through Ferret, it takes 2 to 4 mn to open it (execute
instruction "use").

I read in NCO documentation that "Some random access operations on large
files on certain architecture are slow when using the NetCDF interface".

That seems to be the problem. I could check that it is slow also with
other tools than ferret (Python, or NCO tools).

Anyway, what solution would you suggest to work around this ?
Is using MC descriptors a good idea?

Thanks

Jean-Marie Epitalon
CERFACS
Toulouse, France