The figure below shows a generalized and somewhat simplified top level view of the UDF analysis environment.
The diagram is separated into local and external components. The external components are shown in the upper left and comprise the various UDF archives. A single archive will serve multiple (and often all) existing installed local UDF sites. The archives contain software packages and UDF data sets which can be accessed to add new or update existing information to the local system.
A local UDF installation is centered around four major components : the online UDF data system, the analysis suite, the software update facility, and the UDF client package. The base of any local installation is the online data system which begins at the top left of the topview figure. This system includes the UDF data sets which have been imported from various archives, a series of database to keep track of the data, and a Database Manager to oversee the system. The Database Manager provides the ability to add and remove data sets.
The primary users of the online data are the analysis programs. The generic core software provides the basic building blocks from which all all analysis programs are constructed. It provides three functions. It interfaces with the local databases to locate data containing the required time intervals, provides the access routines to retrieve the data, and the conversion routines to take the raw data to science units. It will also seamlessly interface with the Client software package to obtain required data that is not currently online.
The analysis programs themselves are the heart of a local UDF installation. A basic installation by default provides two core analysis programs, a generalized plotting program which can be used to display the data in a large number of formats, and a program which will generate ASCII dumps of selected data. Other programs which are more tailored to individual data sets are also available through the Software Update Tool. User provided programs can be C, IDL, or Tcl/Tk based.
The Client Software package provides the interface between the local and external environment. Requests for data and/or software are made directly to the Client interface which then acts on the requests, passing them off to the appropriate archives for retrieval of the necessary information. Both the Database Manager and individual analysis programs (the latter through the core software) will interface to the Client software to request needed data. The Software Update Tool uses the Client to both update existing and add new software.The last major piece in a UDF installation is the Software Update tool. This set of software allows installed software to be easily upgraded to the most recent releases. In addition the the Update Tool will display the current set of available analysis packages. From this list all or any subset of these can be selected to be installed locally.
The table below provides a quick reference to various UDF applications and their usage within the UDF environment. Links to the appropriate documentation for the applications are provided.
| Application | Usage |
|---|---|
| aTool | Archive management tool. Create, update, and manage UDF archives and Servers. |
| udfLibrarian | Update current or install new software or documentation packages. The primary tool to stay up-to-date and to add new applications. |
| dBAsk | Manage the local UDF database. Delete and add data, view what's currently online, repair damaged databases. |
| UDFplot | Produce plots of UDF data. A large number of possible plot formats to choose from. An extremely generic interface to the UDF data. |
| UDFToIDL | A dynamically linked set of routines which allows complete access of UDF data from within the IDL environment. |