Trop-NET system requirements and recommendations (hardware, software)

General requirements/recommendations about the hardware and operational system are following:

  • stable and reliable Internet connectivity (>5Mbps recommended)
  • optimally (recommended) independent Linux/Unix servers for a) core data processing with Bernese GNSS Software and b) data/products local data centre and product archive
  • a conservative Linux operational system such as Debian is recommended for keeping a high stability of the server and a long-term support without frequent updates, but keeping important security patches)
  • if possible, servers should be designed for an uninterrupted processing (e.g. reliable cooling, UPC, RAID, optionally: redundant power-source, rack design, durable CPU/RAM)
  • it is recommended to install the root user as well as operating system at an individual partition at each server keeping it separate from an intensively used working areas. This makes the Linux system more robust from unpredictable errors and, generally, facilitates fixing any file system problem at more extensively used working areas

Minimum characteristics of the core data centre (and archive) if it differs from the processing server:

  • no special requirements, but should be designed for a reliable data archive (disk space, redundancy) and a stable Internet connectivity
  • autofs package to support automated NFS mounts from the processing server to the data server (recommended)
  • minimum 150GB free disk storage (recommended for the local data archive) at a separated disk partition from the operating system in order to avoid any Linux system corruption due to extensive IO operations at working area

Minimum characteristics of the core processing server:

  • OS Linux (required), optimally Debian GNU/Linux or its clone using deb-package system (recommended)
  • minimum 300GB free disk storage (recommended for the processing itself only) at a separated disk partition from the operating system in order to avoid any Linux system corruption due to extensive IO operations at working area
  • minimum CPU 1.5 GHz, optimally 4-16 cores (always better multi-core processors than a single ultra-fast processor)
  • minimum 4GB RAM (strongly recommended, while it is always better to have more memory in support of more stations processed, more parameters and higher time resolution etc.)

Software requirements for system and processing software:

  • Bernese GNSS Software (V52, alternatively V50
  • qt3/qt4 – development libraries (required for BSW menu compilation)
  • zlib1g-dbg – development compression library(required by menu)
  • RNXCMP – compression tools (http://terras.gsi.go.jp/ja/crx2rnx.html)
  • teqc – UNAVCO's transform, quality check and editing tool for GNSS data (http://www.unavco.org/software/data-processing/teqc/teqc.html)
  • bash, csh and perl scripting languages (required)
  • gcc, g++ and gfortran – compilers (required)
  • make – compilation tool (required)
  • tar/gzip/ncompress – archiving and compressing tools (required)
  • wget and lftp – download and mirroring tools (required)
  • recode – tool for format conversions (required)
  • Subversion (SVN) – version control system (required)
  • gnuplot (optionally GMT) – plotting tools (recommended)
  • ImageMagick – graphics library (recommended)