Direct Broadcast Network for NRT Relay of LEO Satellite Data (DBNet)

Programmes > Space > Data access and use > Direct Broadcast Network for Near Real-Time Relay of Low Earth Orbit Satellite Data (DBNet)

DBNet Implementation Status

The status of implementation of the main DBNet services is shown in the following diagrams:

DBNet-ATOVS coverage in February 2019	DBNet-ATMS coverage in February 2019
DBNet-CrIS coverage in February 2019	DBNet-IASI coverage in February 2019
DBNet-VASS coverage in February 2019	Legend
The shading shows for a given point on the ground, how big a fraction of the satellite observations of that point will be captured by the DBNet stations. The darkest shade is the area around the location of the station where 100% will be captured.

A list of the current and planned participating HRPT stations is available (See the DBNet Network Status and Plans below), with their geographical coordinates and BUFR identifiers. The planned expansions will contribute to filling the geographic gaps visible on the graphics.

DBNet Product Monitoring

Data quality flags and other indicators are generated when the data are processed by the AAPP software. Embedded in the format of the retransmitted data, they alert to any inherent quality problems that might be present in the data themselves.

Routine DBNet data monitoring takes place at two levels:

• The Regional Processing Centres are responsible for monitoring the performance of the DBNet in their region; in particular to monitor timeliness and completeness of the products.
• The EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility on Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP SAF) is monitoring the data quality provided by the whole DBNet network and in particular routinely compares the products from all DBNet with corresponding (full orbit) global data.

Monitoring by Regional Processing Centres

Service-related information is also gathered and published by the respective DBNet Regional Processing Centres. They monitor the completeness of the data that they receive from direct readout stations by comparison with the data expected from the nominal regional configuration. Additional factors are monitored by regional centres such as end-to-end timeliness indicators, or consistency of the navigation.

Monitoring by the NWP SAF

The NWP SAF lead institute, the UK Met Office, is responsible for routinely and automatically performing comparisons of DBnet data sets and the equivalent data in the global data sets received via another means. In this way the DBNet data sets are examined for consistency with equivalent data that has not passed through the DBNet processing chain. Such consistency is vital to enable the DBNet data to be used alongside global data, for example, in NWP applications.

The NWP SAF publishes the results of the consistency checks on the NWP SAF web site and has the capability to generate alerts and send them via email to the appropriate centre. Data locally received in Exeter, UK are also compared with corresponding DBNet data.

 

DBNet Data Access

Identifying the data of interest

The first step is to know what area you would like data from. The areas for which DBNet data are available, and the corresponding centre(s), are graphically illustrated in the status graphics above.

If data is available from the considered area, the next step is to identify the particular reception stations from which data is required. The coordinates of each station and their associated processing centre are indicated in the DBNet Network Status and Plans (See below).

The normal mechanism for receiving data is via the Global Telecommunications System (GTS). In some cases other mechanisms are available such as DVB-S broadcasts, or FTP over the Internet.

To receive data via the GTS

To receive data via the GTS, users should contact their National Meteorological or Hydrological Service (NHMS) indicating the nature of the data that is required. The detailed identifyers and data descriptors for each reception station are given in the DBNet Coding Summary (See below).

The point of contact within the NMHS is the Regional Telecommunication Hub (RTH). The list of RTH Focal Points per country is available in List of RTH Focal Points.

To receive data via other mechanisms

To receive data via other mechanisms (if supported) users should contact the RARS Centre associated with the particular reception station (See the DBNet Network Status and Plans). The contact details for each RARS Centre are given below. The contact point will then inform the user about the relevant procedures to be followed for obtaining access to the data.

DBNet Contacts and Links

DBNet Contact Points (updated 7 November 2018)

Role	Name	Email address
DBNet Asia-Pacific Co-ordinators	Ms Kelly Desker Mr Tasuku Tabata	kelly.desker@bom.gov.au t_tabata@met.kishou.go.jp
DBNet South America Co-ordinators	Mr Sergio Pereira Ms Gloria Pujol	sergio.pereira@inpe.br gpujol@smn.gov.ar
DBNet EUMETSAT (EARS) Co-ordinator	Mr Nicholas Coyne	nicholas.coyne@eumetsat.int
DBNet NOAA coordinator	Dr Mitch Goldberg Mr Liam Gumley	mitch.goldberg@noaa.gov liam.gumley@ssec.wisc.edu
WMO Space Programme	Werner Balogh	wbalogh@wmo.int

Links to Websites of DBNet Operators

(for operational information concerning the provision of the DBNet services)

DBNet	Web site
EUMETSAT (EARS)	http://www.eumetsat.int/website/home/Data/RegionalDataServiceEARS/index.html?lang=EN
Asia-Pacific	http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/satellite/rars.shtml https://www.data.jma.go.jp/mscweb/data/rars/index.html
South America	Not available yet
NOAA	Not available yet

Other Links

NWP SAF: http://nwpsaf.eu (Providing AAPP Software and global monitoring)

NWO SAF global monitoring: http://nwpsaf.eu/site/monitoring/dbnet

 

DBNet Documents

• Guide to DBNet
• DBNet Network Status and Plans (February 2019)
• DBNet Satellite Priorities (DBNet-CG-3, October 2018)
• DBNet Coding summary

Meeting Reports

Reports from DBNet Coordination Group meetings and other relevant meetings may be viewed on the Meeting Reports page  (Type DBNet or RARS as search keyword)

Communications and posters

A global network of Regional ATOVS Retransmission Services (RARS), by M.Dumont, J. Lafeuille, A.Soerensen. Paper presented at the 15th International TOVS Study Conference (ITSC XV, Maratea, October 2006).

Update on the RARS project, by D. Griersmith, paper presented at the 16th International TOVS Study Conference (ITSC XVI, Angra dos Reis, Brazil, May 2008)

"Evolution of the EUMETSAT ADvanced Retransmission Service (EARS)", by C. Ponsard, A. Soerensen, D. Lee, at NOAA's 2008 Satellite Direct Readout Conference (Miami, Florida, USA, 8-12 December 2008).

"RARS Global Network Status and Plans", by J. Lafeuille, poster presented at the 17th International TOVS Study Conference (ITSC XVII, Monterey, Ca, USA, 14-20 April 2010)

WMO Space Programme data access challenges: update on the RARS initiative, by J.Lafeuille, Netspace Workshop, Athens, February 2014.