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Unified Model technical infrastructure

The Unified Model technical infrastructure team develop and support the model infrastructure and integrate scientific developments into code releases.

Ever since the Unified Model was introduced operationally, in 1991, it has been in continual development. Infrastructure development is vital to enable the  pull-through of scientific advances in both climate and weather prediction and to take advantage of steadily increasing supercomputer power. The Unified Model Technical Infrastructure team assess each scientific and technical development, ensuring that the proposed change meets defined software standards, the specified design requirement and maintains the integrity of the Unified Model system. Once approved the team integrates the change into the Unified Model system.

The coordination of Unified Model system code developments, from early stages through to implementation, are managed using the Met Office Flexible Configuration Management (FCM) system; as used for many Met Office software systems. The FCM is a software system for managing an building source code, developed at the Met Office using popular open source tools (e.g. Subversion, Trac and GNU make). UM system suites are configured and run using Rose and cylc.

The Unified Model system is available for research and operational use by external users under tailored Unified Model Partnership licence agreements.

Key Aims

  • Develop and provide the required infrastructure for science advances within the Unified Model system.
  • Ensure that all science and technical changes are tested and maintain the Unified Model system integrity.
  • Ensure that all new codes are efficient and work to improve code scalability so that the code can effectively utilise future supercomputer architecture.
  • Supply regular Stable releases of theUnified Model system; including portable releases for external partners.
  • Manage the Unified Model system changes following appropriate ISO9000 procedures.

Current Projects

  • Support and development of software for the Met Office and external partners.
  • Setting up of a Science Repository Service for all UM users and developers.
  • Future strategy for the Unified Model Technical Infrastructure.
  • Porting across to our new Cray XC40 supercomputer.
  • Providing a new suite of support utilities for the UM proprietary fieldsfile output file format.