Re: Multi-file netcdf dataset via dods?

[Roland Schweitzer <Roland.Schweitzer@xxxxxxxx>]

David,

It appears nobody has answered your question.  At least nobody has 
replied to the list.

In brief, yes, you can create a descriptor that treats multiple DODS 
URL's as as single data set in Ferret.

Below is a small (truncated from a larger file) example.

You might also want to check with the data provider to see if they have 
an OPeNDAP server that "aggregates" the information on the server side.  
GDS, and the THREDDS aggregation server can do this and they might have 
one of these servers installed at a different URL.

Roland

/* -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  */


&FORMAT_RECORD
 D_TYPE        = '  MC',
 D_FORMAT      = '  1A',
/
&BACKGROUND_RECORD
 D_EXPNUM      = 'contrl_2m ASSIMILATION',
 D_MODNUM      = '    ',
 D_TITLE       = 'contrl_2m ASSIMILATION',
 D_T0TIME      = '15-DEC-1978 00:00',
 D_TIME_UNIT   = 86400.,
 D_TIME_MODULO = .FALSE.,
/
&MESSAGE_RECORD
 D_MESSAGE     = ' ',
 D_ALERT_ON_OPEN      = F,
 D_ALERT_ON_OUTPUT    = F,
/
&EXTRA_RECORD
/
&STEPFILE_RECORD
  S_FILENAME      = 
'http://nomads.gfdl.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/nph-nc/dods-data/gfdl_ocean_assimilation/time_mean.001980.nc',
  S_AUX_SET_NUM   = 0,
  S_START  = 394.454545,
  S_END    = 699.,
  S_DELTA  = 30.454545,
  S_NUM_OF_FILES  =   1,
/
&STEPFILE_RECORD
  S_FILENAME      = 
'http://nomads.gfdl.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/nph-nc/dods-data/gfdl_ocean_assimilation/time_mean.001981.nc',
  S_AUX_SET_NUM   = 0,
  S_START  = 730.,
  S_END    = 1065.,
  S_DELTA  = 30.454545,
  S_NUM_OF_FILES  =   1,
/
&STEPFILE_RECORD
  S_FILENAME      = 
'http://nomads.gfdl.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/nph-nc/dods-data/gfdl_ocean_assimilation/time_mean.001982.nc',
  S_AUX_SET_NUM   = 0,
  S_START  = 1095.,
  S_END    = 1430.,
  S_DELTA  = 30.454545,
  S_NUM_OF_FILES  =   1,
/
&STEPFILE_RECORD
 s_filename    = '**END OF STEPFILES**'
/



David Wang wrote:

> Hello folks,
>
> greeting from a ferret newbie. I've got a question: is it possible to 
> treat a collection of netcdf files on a dods server as a single netcdf 
> dataset, through, say a local or remote .des file? For example the 
> model output from GFDL data portal 
> (http://data1.gfdl.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/nph-dods/dods-data/gfdl_cm2_0/CM2Q-d2_1861-2000-AllForc_h1/pp/ocean_tripolar/ts/monthly/). 
> In other words, to realize chapter 10.4 in ferret user's guide 
> (creating a multi-file netcdf dataset) with netcdf files on a dods 
> server rather than those on a local computer, which has only limited 
> disk space.
>
> Thanks,
> - David