Neutral File Structure

• To: netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: Neutral File Structure
• From: Fokko Douma <douma@xxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 9:41:11 MET

To:         NETCDF usergroup (netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)

From:       DELFT HYDRAULICS

Date:       31 december 1992

Subject:    Software for managing large volumes of scientific data.




DELFT HYDRAULICS has designed a system for managing large volumes of
scientific data, called NEFIS. NEFIS (Neutral File Structure) is a library
of functions designed for FORTRAN programmers who regularly manage large
amounts of scientific data. 


DELFT HYDRAULICS:
      As a leading international Institute which deals with water-related
      problems DELFT HYDRAULICS uses software for specific purposes. This
      software, mainly designed at the Institute, covers a range of
      products and is also commercially available for others at competitive
      prices. 

The problem:
      For the last ten years DELFT HYDRAULICS has become increasingly
      involved in questions regarding the environment and the use of
      natural resources. The analysis techniques applied made it necessary
      to store considerable, if not huge amounts of data which required
      state-to-the-art software. After we had thoroughly ascertained the
      market (including the products NETCDF and HDF) we came to the
      conclusion that commercially available products simply did not live
      up to our expectations so that we had no other choice but to develop
      our own software.

NEFIS:
      NEFIS is designed as a tool for FORTRAN programmers who are faced
      with the problem how to manage large amounts of scientific data, say
      of the order of over hundreds of megabytes. NEFIS stands for Neutral
      File Structure.

      Starting point for NEFIS' design were the following conditions:
      -     a high performance, regardless the size of the files to be
            handled
      -     standardization of the data to be handled
      -     transfer of data to other platforms must be possible
      -     it must be run on PC and several UNIX plaforms
      -     the choice of data structures and their dimensions varies
            strongly. Such a choice can often only be made in "runtime".
            This requires specific facilities.
      -     the possibility to read and store N-dimensional matrix and meta
            datastructures
      -     it should be a medium between the various programs or their
            modules and it must be able to extend already defined data
            files 

      After NEFIS had been completed it was gradually introduced within our
      Institute. It appeared to be successful and currently it is installed
      on several front-end systems and integrated in a number of products.
      It was found that NEFIS not only reduces overhead but also
      considerably speeds up the process of getting through data. As was
      specified, the package can handle data sets of hundreds of megabytes
      and its main objective, namely, that NEFIS must be able to offer
      almost unlimited data-file functionality to applications, was also
      fully achieved.

How to obtain NEFIS:
      NEFIS software and documentation is free and available on the FTP
      server of the Dutch Unix Usergroup NLUUG, and can be obtained as
      follows:
            ftp archive.eu.net
            cd packages
            cd nefis
            binary  (to set transfer mode to binary)
            get Readme.first
            get Readme.intro
            get nefis.tar.Z
            quit

DELFT HYDRAULICS also provide manuals at $ 100.- or fl 150.-, shipment
costs not included. If you want to know more about the product, please send
a mail to our NEFIS Support Group adres: 

                  NEFIS-SUPPORT@xxxxxxxxxx