workflow for user modification of fates parameters

[bandre-ucar]

Summary of Issue:

Proposed workflow for users changing fates parameters as part of a land model run. This workflow should be accommodate all the identified users (basic user, science dev, automated science).

Workflow

• Store backend defaults in repo as: fates_parameters_default.xml

• Create case copies fates_parameters_default.xml to ${CASE_DIR}/fates_parameters_user.xml

• User workflows:

  • User creates netcdf binary (automated science?):

    • create netcdf file using what ever tools they want.
    • At any point between case creation and run, automated users can override the defaults.
    • Set fates_parameter_file in user_nl_clm to point to their file.
    • If that variable is set, clm infrastructure will simply add it to the name list and do nothing else to fates parameters.
    • Host infrastructure will do zero checking of the netcdf file. 100% responsibility is on the user to get it correct.

  • User modifies parameters via netcdf file:

    • Case is created with parameter defaults.
    • Call preview-namelist once to generate a netcdf file.
    • rename netcdf file?
    • Edit netcdf file using preferred method
    • Set user_nl_clm fates_parameter_file to point to your netcdf file. This prevents build-namelist from doing any additional manipulation of the file.
    • Run preview-namelist to have changes take effect.
    • advanced users only, no additional validation of user input after.

  • User modification via xml

    • At any point between case creation and run, users can override the defaults.
    • user can use what ever tool they want to: read fates_parameters_user.xml, modify, write back out.
    • Do NOT set fates_parameter_file in user_nl_clm.
    • Run preview-namelists to have changes take effect.
    • Host infrastructure will validate against an xml schema. Possibly additional consistency checking. Still a significant burden on the user to get it correct if they modify xml incorrectly.

  • User changing parameters via plain text:

    • Use an editor to change fates parameters via the user_nl_clm file.
    • Do NOT set fates_parameter_file in user_nl_clm.
    • preprocessor infrastructure constructs the netcdf and sets namelist to point to the correct the correct file.
    • preprocessor will attempt to validate the user input (non-negativity, bounds, etc).
    • preprocessor will ALWAYS overwrite an existing netcdf file in this case if the user_nl_clm parameter is not set.

• Submit and run case.

Critical concept of workflow:

• If fates_parameter_file is set in user_nl_clm, then clm build-namelist does nothing to the binray netcdf file.
• If fates_parameter_file is NOT set in user_nl_clm, then clm build-namelist constructs the netcdf automatically, overwriting any existing file.
• By modifying netcdf files, the user is saying "I'm and advanced user, trust me I know what I'm doing." 100% responsibility on the user to get things correct. Zero help from the infrastructure, minimal error checking in fortran.

[ckoven]

closing this and related issues because the new cdl file scheme takes care of these problems.