* * * Announcing LAS version 6.3 * * *

[Jonathan Callahan <Jonathan.S.Callahan@xxxxxxxx>]

* * * Announcing LAS version 6.3 * * *

Version 6.3 of the Live Access Server is now available from the LAS downloads page.

http://ferret.wrc.noaa.gov/Ferret/LAS/Downloads/

Please try out this new release and contact us with any problems you encounter.

This version of LAS works best with the latest version of Ferret -- Ferret 5.6.

We'd also like to take this opportunity to introduce our newest TMAP member, Yonghua, to the LAS community.  Yonghua has taken on development of the Ferret Data Server (FDS) that should eventually allow every LAS dataset to be accessible via OPeNDAP.


Jon Callahan
Joe Mclean
Roland Schweitzer
Kevin O'Brien
Ansley Manke
Yonghua Wei
Steve Hankin

What's new in release 6.3?

New features

1. Server-side map interface:
   • A map interface is included which allows region selection via mouse clicks, but does not depend on an applet
2. Better session management:
   • Invalid sessions now send the user back to the data sets page, without requiring a visit to the invalidsession.html page
   • New sessions include a welcome message with information about how long a session must be inactive before it is dropped.
   • Documentation on how to set the length of the session timeout.
3. Support for scattered (in-situ) data stored in relational databases.
   • drivers for MySQL, JGOFS, Dapper and WODB databases
   • support for database specific constraints
   • new visualization scripts for metadata plots, surface plots, section plots, automatic gridding, profiles
   • single profile access
4. Support for section data stored on an S-Z grid (S=ship track)
   • visualizations include section plots, surface plots and profiles
5. Easily installed example code
   • custom templates (including clickable maps)
   • scattered data support
   • section plots
6. Better interaction with Tomcat
   • configuration allows for pre-existing Tomcat server
   • LAS now bundled with Tomcat 5.0.18.
7. Updated installer documentation that is searchable and commentable
• http://ferret.pmel.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/LASdoc/
  
8. Output plot improvements
   • improved formatting of long variable titles

Bug fixes

• ASCII data output was returning (e.g.) 361 degrees of data for whole world requests. Now it returns only a single world's worth.