port-sun3@netbsd.org

We're currently working on the web server problem, both short term and
long term.

-- Rob
----- Forwarded message from Mani Palani <mpalani@admin4.hsc.uth.tmc.edu> -----

Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1999 11:15:38 -0500
From: "Mani Palani" <mpalani@admin4.hsc.uth.tmc.edu>
Reply-To: mpalani@admin4.hsc.uth.tmc.edu
Organization: The University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center
To: Rob Windsor <windsor@warped.com>
Subject: Re: weather information

Dear Rob:

Thanks for the great info and your time.

mani

Rob Windsor wrote:

> On Thu, Jun 24, 1999 at 10:03:55PM -0500, Mani Palani wrote:
>
> > Hello Rob:
>
> > this is a very interesting page.
>
> > how do you manage to update the data continuosly.
>
> The graphing software is mrtg, which is designed to poll routers every
> 5 minutes for bandwidth information.  I simply told it to run a script
> instead and changed appropriate titles.
>
> > what is source for T/RH readings, and the software ?
>
> I have a script that fetches the weather underground webpage for the
> Dallas/Addison area and parses out the T/RH numbers.  mrtg executes this
> script and expects a 4-line output, the first two are the figures.
>
> http://www.wunderground.com/US/TX/Addison.html
>
> The major drawbacks to this setup are:
>     <1> It doesn't handle negative numbers gracefully.  Fortunately, DFW
>         temps rarely go that low, and RH by it's very definition can't.
>     <2> The same script gathers the data that also generates the chart.
>         This should be broken down to two independent processes (one
>         gathering data and keeping a particular file current, and
>         another reading the contents of the file to generate the graphs)
>         This can be easily fixed, but I haven't put the time required
>         into it.
>     <3> Nobody really cares about the average T over periods >5 minutes.
>         The graphs that average the figures in time compression should
>         reflect the high/low during the compressed period instead.
>     <4> It would seem that the Weather Underground updates their
>         information hourly.  I'd like to find a site that updates more
>         frequently than that.  I found one site that appears to be more
>         current, but they want to bill a credit-card for their services.
>
> I hope this answers your questions.
>
> -- Rob




----- End forwarded message -----