19991001: NCEP damage-ADMIN NOTICE NOUS40 KWBC (fwd)

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 19991001: NCEP damage-ADMIN NOTICE NOUS40 KWBC (fwd)
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Fri, 01 Oct 1999 07:01:29 -0600

551 
NOUS40 KWBC 302235
FOS/NOAAPORT NOTICE NO. 1543   SEPTEMBER 30... 1999

PART 1 OF A 2 PART MESSAGE

ATTENTION    FAMILY OF SERVICES SUBSCRIBERS
              NOAAPORT USERS

NOTE         THIS MESSAGE WAS SENT AS A SPECIAL NCEP
              DISCUSSION ENTRAL OPERATIONS/NCEP/NWS/
              WASHINGTON DC

ALL FIELD PERSONNEL...BELOW IS THE LATEST INFORMATION
AVAILABLE ON THE OUTAGE OF THE CRAY C-90 SUPERCOMPUTER
AT SUITLAND... MD.  THIS INFORMATION WAS SENT TO YOUR
REGIONAL DIRECTORS LAST EVENING... AND THEY WERE BRIEFED
THIS MORNING.  THE EXACT SCHEDULE FOR THE BACKUP...
MODEL SUITE IS STILL BEING EVALUATED BY NCEP AND OSO.
AS OF 00Z THE...MODEL SUITE ACCOMPANYING THIS MESSAGE WILL
GO INTO EFFECT.  ADDITIONAL... OPTIONS REGARDING MODEL RUNS
AND BACKUP POSSIBILITIES FROM OTHER... ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUE
TO BE INVESTIGATED.  I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED AS
THE MODEL SUITE IS MODIFIED.  WE ALSO PLAN TO POST UPDATED
INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET BOTH ON THE NCEP AND OSO HOME
PAGES.  THE NCEP HOME PAGE ADDRESS IS

HTTP //WWW.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/

THE OSO HOME PAGE IS

HTTP //WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OSO/NOTICES/NOTICES.SHTML

INTERNET ADDRESSES ALL LOWER CASE.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE DURING THIS CRITICAL
PERIOD.

LOUIS W. UCCELLINI/DIRECTOR/NCEP


                       FACT SHEET ON
                NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICES
      CRAY C90 SUPERCOMPUTER FIRE AT SUITLAND CAMPUS

ON MONDAY 9/27/99 AT 4 00 P.M. A FIRE OCCURRED INSIDE THE
CRAY C90 SUPERCOMPUTER IN FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING 4 IN
SUITLAND...MD.  THE CRAY C90 IS THE CENTRAL NOAA NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ COMPUTER THAT GENERATES NUMERICAL
WEATHER FORECAST MODELS FOR THE NATIONAL CENTERS FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTION /NCEP/ IN CAMP SPRINGS MD.

THE PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED
AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE BY USING DRY CHEMICALS. TWO
OF THE POWER SUPPLY UNITS INSIDE OF THE CRAY C90 WERE
DAMAGED.  THE DRY CHEMICALS USED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
CONTAMINATED OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE COMPUTER AS
WELL.

AFTER AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CRAY C90 COMPUTER...SILICON
GRAPHICS INCORPORATED...THE COMPUTER CONTRACTOR...HAS
DETERMINED THAT THE COMPUTER HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY
DAMAGED.   SILICON GRAPHICS DOES NOT BELIEVE THE COMPUTER
CAN BE REPAIRED.  THE CRAY C90 IS INOPERATIVE.


NCEP CONTINUES TO INVESTIGATE OPTIONS FOR RESTORING
CRAY C90  SERVICE.  IN COLLABORATION WITH NOAA S HIGH
PERFORMANCE COMPUTING CENTER /HPCC/... NCEP IS GETTING
A SECOND OPINION THROUGH AN EXPERT AT NIST ON THE
EXTENT OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE FIRE.

ALL CRITICAL OPERATIONS AT NCEP CONTINUE TO BE SUPPORTED.
THE NWS FORECASTERS CONTINUE TO PERFORM THEIR
DUTIES UTILIZING NUMERICAL MODELS RUN ON OTHER NWS
COMPUTERS AND ACCESSED FROM OTHER NATIONAL CENTERS.
NCEP HAS IMPLEMENTED PRE-ARRANGED BACKUP SUPPORT
PROCEDURES USING AIR FORCE... NAVY... AND FSL FORECAST
PRODUCTS.

SOME MODELS WHICH USUALLY RUN FOUR TIMES DAILY ARE
NOW RUNNING TWICE DAILY AND ONE MODEL THAT IS USUALLY
RUN HOURLY IS BEING RUN EVERY THREE HOURS... WITH HOURLY
RUNS TO BE RESUMED BY FRIDAY OCTOBER 1ST.  WE ARE ABLE TO
MAKE DO WITH THESE RUNS IN ADDITION TO USING THE
OTHER MODEL INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM OTHER NATIONAL
CENTERS.

THE NWS HAS TAKEN ALL STEPS NECESSARY TO MINIMIZE POTENTIAL
IMPACTS TO NWS FORECASTERS AND THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE NWS WHO
RELY ON OUR PRODUCTS.
END
NNNN
  

---------- End Forwarded Message ----------