Weather data repository desktop application

Abstract

• Background and scope of the project Weather Information Management in East Africa (WIMEA-ICT) project aims at improving the accuracy and access to weather information by the communities in the East African region through the suitable ICTs. The Weather Data Repository Desktop Application (WDR) is a software product developed under the WIMEA-ICT project to allow easy weather data entry, storage, retrieval and synchronization of data in places of limited internet connectivity. WDR is a supplement on the already existing WDR system which is web-based but highly interrupted by intermittent Internet.WDR receives weather data from both the Automatic Weather Stations (AWSs) and manual weather stations across Uganda. This data is required for weather assimilation, modelling, forecasting and also as an input to the message switching system at the National Meteorological Center. This section describes the general functionality of the system, context and design; The WDR is a desktop application that has been developed to run on the windows machine and Linux operating systems. It has been developed with a local server that is to store weather data for a certain period of time. The system has a synchronization module that listens in intervals of9 seconds to availability of internet connection, and if its available, it synchronizes weather data to the central server. This module is accompanied by an interface that has a home where weather users (observer and officer in charge) at the station login. The user’s page has different modules like data entry for adding weather data, report generation for generating reports, import CSV files.

• Overview of the document This document describes the implementation, testing and validation findings for the WDR Desktop Application. It is divided into the following sections:

Section 1: This section gives an overview of the application explaining how the system operates and an overview of the document.

Section 2: system specifications This section gives the system specifications showing what that system does and the objective criteria on how the computer system should be tested to ensure that the requirements are fulfilled and that the desktop application performs as required in the environment in which it will be used. It also shows the version of the requirements, inputs, outputs, limitation, safety, default setting, version control, dedicated platform, installation, service and maintenance and the errors and alarms.

Section 3: Design output This section gives the full description of the System design and implementation process which is relevant when developing new systems and handling changes subjected to existing systems. The output from this life cycle phase is a program approved and accepted for the subsequent inspection and testing phase. The section also provides the system documentation used in the developments of the desktop application.

Section 4: Inspection and Testing This section gives the System inspection, testing plan and documentation of the test plan. It also contains the requirements compliance with the testing, the acceptance test specification, the approach, complexity, risks, and the intended and expected use of the desktop application. This section also identifies all the elements that are to be tested, the expected results of testing, how the testing is carried out, importance of tests to the system, the scope and level of the tests carried out and the different types of tests along with their expected results.

Section 5: Installation and system acceptance test It details the validation of the installation process to ensure all system elements are properly installed in the host system and that the user obtains a safe and complete installation. It also includes the precautions of using the third-party software environment such as the Linux operating system.

Section 6: performance, servicing, maintenance and phase out This section contains descriptions of Performance, servicing, maintenance and phase out stages. In this phase the desktop application is in use and subject to the requirements for service, maintenance, performance and support. This phase is where all activities during performance reside and where decisions about changes, upgrades, revalidation, and phase out are made. Section 7: conclusion and recommendation This section summarizes the whole project, makes remarks and highlights several issues about the project. Section 8: user manual This section contains the user manual for the system which gives details on how the system can be used and where to go for help while using the system.