ATCA Users Guide: 4.1 Archiving Your Data

4.1 Archiving Your Data

There are several means for you to obtain a copy of your data once you have finished your observations. The following subsections will describe these methods in detail.

You are requested to make a copy of your data as soon as possible after the observations.

4.1.1 Optical Disk

You can back up your data to DVD. Each DVD holds 4400 MB, and the files from CABB are never allowed to grow larger than this size.

To make a DVD copy of your data, perform the following steps:

wait until your observations are finished - you do not want the backup process to try to copy an open data file
if necessary, open the EXPORTS GUI on FURIOUS
click on the “Update” button to ensure that the list of available files is the most recent
select the files you want to copy by clicking on them, while ensuring that the total size of the selected files remains less than 4400 MB.
select the actions you want performed by clicking on the appropriate buttons on the Exports display; see the web page
http://www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/software/utility/user/export/exports.html
for further information
push the GO button
your data should be copied within a few minutes
at the end of the backup, a directory of the backup and CD cover will be printed to the HP colour printer in the observer’s area

4.1.2 Portable Storage

Since CABB data is very large, it will be more convenient to take your files away on a portable hard drive than on multiple DVDs. To get your files onto your portable drive, you may use any of the PCs in the observer’s area by following the steps:

log in to the computer using your ATNF username and password
plug your portable hard drive into the USB port on the computer
- USB is the only supported interface for portable hard drives
wait for a couple of minutes while the hard drive gets mounted automatically by the computer. The drive should be mounted at /media/usbn, where n is the partition number (numbered from 0). You can use the command df |grep media to check whether it has mounted.
- the only supported filesystem types are ext2/3 and FAT32
Transfer your files across from the local archive:
- change directory to your portable hard drive. For example:
  cd /media/usb0
- and then execute the command:
  cp /DATA/ARCHIVE_1/ATCA/archive/*.CX167 .
  to copy all project CX167 data.

The local archive should keep up to three months of data. For older data files, you should go to the Online Archive.

4.1.3 Laptop

You can also copy your data to your laptop in a similar fashion to that described in Portable Storage. When your laptop is plugged in to a pink cable, you may access NELLE, so you can copy your data with the command:

scp username@nelle:/DATA/ARCHIVE_1/ATCA/archive/*.CX167 .

which would copy all project CX167 data, and where username is your ATNF username.

4.1.4 Online Archive

Your CABB data will appear on the Australia Telescope Online Archive (ATOA, http://atoa.atnf.csiro.au) within a few days to a few weeks after the end of your observations. Using the OPAL account you used to submit your successful proposal, you will have access to your data. Full instructions for how to use the archive interface are available on the website.

4.1.5 Remote Copy

If you are unable to get your data from the ATOA as soon as you would like, then you may get it directly from the disk on KAPUTAR that buffers the data.

To do this, you must set up an SSH tunnel from your local machine to KAPUTAR via the ATNF gateway machine VENICE. This can be set up with the command:

ssh -L 12345:kaputar:22 username@venice.atnf.csiro.au

where username is your ATNF username. This will log you into VENICE and set up the SSH tunnel. To copy data from KAPUTAR you should go to another terminal and do something like:

scp -P 12345 username@localhost:/DATA/ARCHIVE_1/ATCA/archive/2010-06-24_1342.C999 .

Users Guide last modified on 2011-04-27 15:49:06

/1./	The Australia Telescope Compact Array
/1.1/	The Australia Telescope National Facility
/1.2/	Overview of the ATCA
/1.3/	Centimetre Observations (16–3 cm bands)
/1.4/	Millimetre-wave observations (15mm–3mm)
/1.5/	Choosing an Observing Frequency
/1.6/	Choosing Angular and Frequency Resolution
/1.7/	Additional Observing Notes and Techniques
/1.8/	High Time Resolution, Pulsars, Planets and VLBI
/1.9/	Other Things to Consider
/1.10/	Submitting a proposal
/1.11/	Successful Proposals

/2./	Preparing for Observations
/2.1/	Scheduling Strategy
/2.2/	Calibration Requirements
/2.3/	How to Prepare a Schedule File
/2.4/	How to Prepare a Mosaic File
/2.5/	Observation Requirements
/2.6/	Pre-observation Checklist

/3./	Observing
/3.1/	Changeover
/3.2/	Setting up
/3.3/	Observing
/3.4/	Troubleshooting
/3.5/	cm Observing Startup Checklist
/3.6/	mm Observing Startup Checklist

/4./	After your Observations
/4.1/	Archiving Your Data
/4.2/	Report Your Experiences
/4.3/	Data Analysis
/4.4/	Publishing Results

/A./	caobs reference
/A.1/	Using caobs

/B./	cacor reference
/B.1/	Cacor Status Panel
/B.2/	Cacor Data Panel
/B.3/	Cacor Timing Panel
/B.4/	Cacor Log Panel
/B.5/	Cacor Command Panel
/B.6/	Cacor Commands

/E./	Web Scheduler
/E.1/	Scheduler Fields
/E.2/	Scheduler Actions

/F./	Observatory Coordinates
/F.1/	Site Location
/F.2/	Station Locations

/G./	ATCA Configurations
/G.1/	Array Configurations
/G.2/	Shadowing Diagrams

/D./	vis
/D.1/	VIS Commands