ORIGIN :

• HIRLAM initiative
• a call for SRNWP cooperation with possibly EU fundings

GOAL :

collaboration of European projects in the area of NWP development to avoid duplication of work

PRESENTATIONS :

• description of present or planned operational suites, with their own technical constraints : UKMO, DWD, Switzerland, HIRLAM, LACE, ALBACHIR)
• already existing projects of collaboration (PRISM, DATAGRID, EUROGRID, AROME, WRF)
• software development (OLIVE)
• code optimization (WRF, NCEP model)
• coding tools and rules

WORKING GROUPS :

· Internal coding standards

• make the code as modular as possible (ex : dynamics and physics "plug-compatible", automatic code generation)
• technical conventions (ex : flux from physics, grid definition, grid interpolation, rules about s)

· External coding standards

• observation formats
• graphics
• version management

· User interfaces

web based (prepIFS, OLIVE) versus Tcl, Tk based (UKMO)

--> none of existing tools is general enough

GENERAL IMPRESSION :

• need for harmonization is recognized
• need for setting new rules for system development is also recognized (plug-compatibility, s exchange)

BUT :

• the precise goals are not yet clear
• no sufficient standards exist
  (? should be based on ECMWF software ?)
• the 4 European groups are at very different states of developments :
  + UKMO : new dynamical model but recoding of the control routines
  + HIRLAM : movement to a new NH system, general recoding considered
  + ALADIN : middle of its lifetime
  + COSMO : LM has just become the new operational model

OUTCOMES :

1. ask users about their real interest
   
2. discussion at the next EWGLAM/SRNWP meeting, with the proposal to set up a specific working group on "System Collaboration" in the SRNWP frame

CONCLUSION : THINK ABOUT COMPATIBILITY