ECMWF Services

We provide different types of service to our Member States: access to our computer systems, access to our meteorological archival system (MARS, Archive), running experiments with our forecasting system (prepIFS) and programming the dissemination service. Those services are restricted to Member States and Co-operating States authorised users.

• Computing
• Archive
• PrepIFS
• Dissemination
• ECaccess
• ecCharts
• EFAS (European Flood Awareness System)

Computing

We provide a state-of-the-art supercomputing facility which our Member State organisations have access to, for weather forecast research and development. Each Member State organisation has dedicated network access to ECMWF over our RMDCN network.

• Overview of computing systems
• Initial information and help
• New ecgate server
• High Performance Computing Facility (HPCF)
• Documentation
• Batch job examples
• Computer Training
• Computer News Sheets
• Survey
• RMDCN Information
  
  
• Cosinfo (opens new browser window)
• Operational reports

Archive

All data, analyses and forecast fields available at ECMWF are stored in the Meteorological Archival and Retrieval System (MARS). Use MARS from your browser. Retrievals will depend upon your access rights.

• Overview
• Catalogue
• Data Finder
• Last Update
• Parameter database
• Server Activity
• MARS documentation
• Changes in the archive
  

PrepIFS

PrepIFS is an interactive meteorological application to prepare research experiments using the integrated forecasting system (IFS) at ECMWF. Both researchers at ECMWF and scientists in institutions anywhere in Europe (subject to prior permission) can access the complex computer environment at ECMWF via the Java application prepIFS or via the INTERNET using the Java-Applet PrepIFS and any standard WWW-browser. The IFS Source code is also available.

Dissemination

All products from the forecasting system are distributed to Member States and Co-operating States through a dedicated network (RMDCN). Here you will find the information about this data dissemination service.

ECaccess

ECaccess provides a portal for registred users to access the Centre's computing and archiving facilities with single step authentication from anywhere on the Internet. Strict authentication is performed in a uniform way using SecurID cards and standard (X509) certificates. SSL is used to guarantee the integrity of the application data, the transferred jobs and the monitoring information.

The ecCharts web service for forecasters

EcCharts is a suite of web browser applications that can be used to interactively explore ECMWF forecast products. The functions that ecCharts provides are beyond our standard web charts, in that forecasters can use the service to create bespoke charts on demand and do this themselves as and when they need to using a easy to use web interface. Using ecCharts they will be able to explore ECMWF's medium-range forecasts in far greater detail than has previously been possible on the web.

European Flood Awareness System

Following the disastrous floods in the Elbe and Danube river basins in August 2002, the European Commission announced the development of a European Flood Alert System (EFAS http://floods.jrc.ec.europa.eu/). The operational European Flood Awareness System (also EFAS) service is hosted by ECMWF and provides medium-range flood simulations across Europe with a lead-time between 3 to 15 days.