NRAO Archive Tool Enhancements

On May 2, 2022, the NRAO transitioned to the new Archive Access Tool (AAT) for the VLA, VLBA, Legacy VLA, and GBT data. This new tool also includes ALMA data in its search returns. While the capabilities of this new archive tool go above and beyond what was possible with the legacy archive tool, we recognize that the transition for our users has not been entirely smooth. The NRAO is committed to maintaining and expanding the new archive interface and its capabilities to improve the experience of our users. Scripted access to the NRAO archive metadata is also availabe, see documentation.

We value feedback from our user community on improving the NRAO archive tool. If a user has a feature request, or feedback on how a current feature/implementation could work better, they can file a helpdesk ticket at help.nrao.edu via the department: ‘Archive Access Tool Feedback.’

Release notes for recent AAT versions:

AAT release (v4.3.6; 06/2025):

  • Bug fix for displaying ALFALFA images
  • Arecibo available as a telescope in search filters
  • Frequency search fixed
  • UI framework updates
  • New EVLA data ingestion system

AAT release (v4.3.5; 04/2025):

  • ALFALFA images ingestes
  • CHILES images ingested
  • Time on source calculation fixed in scanlists
  • Many Workflows migrated from Torque to Slurm scheduler

 AAT release (v 4.3.3/4, 02/2025) :

  • Non-user facing features
    • Updates to ingest VLA spectral line data from calibration pipeline
    • VLASS ingestion updates
  • Fixes to Mydata view for some users

AAT release (v 4.3.2, 11/2024):

  • Data acknowledgement system
  • Position search returns sort by distance from input positions
  • Search wildcards shown in tool tips
  • Scanlists for ALMA MOUSes
  • Scripted archive shows proprietary status and QA notes
  • Calibrated Measurement sets go through Workspaces system
  • Older CASA versions than the calibrating version cannot be selected for restores

AAT release (v 4.3.1, 07/2024):

  • Better error messages from Request HAndler
  • Source Resolver improvements
  • Scanlist improvements
  • Automatic selection of appropriate CASA version for restores

AAT release (v 4.3.0.3,  04/2024):

  • Updated more complete frequency information in the scripted archive data returns.
  • Number of antennas in AAT and scripted search returns
  • Corrections to the display of image products.

AAT release (v 4.3.0.0/1/2, 12/23/2023):

  • Scanlists have been refactored to include complete spectral window information
  • New VLBA/GMVA data is ingested into the AAT directly and no longer involves the legacy archive
  • Automated metadata reharvesting to populate scanlist for VLA and VLBA.
  • QA Notes now visibile for VLA calibrations.

AAT release (v 4.2.3, 06/2023):

  • Fixes for ALMA ASDM downloads
  • Addition of configuration to TAP (script interface) returns
  • Updates to support inclusion of self-calibrated data products for AUDI
  • Addition of wget2 download commands to user e-mails

 AAT release v4.2.2 (03/2022):

  • Improve availability of ALMA data for restoration and reimaging
  • Fix intermittent issues with the TAP server and implement speed improvements
  • Removed file number limit
  • Batch download of calibration tarballs
  • Reorganized download directory structure for non-processing downloads

 AAT release v4.2.1 (12/2022):

  • Position and radius searches should now return more accurate results
  • Fixes to 'Select All' functionality
  • Faster VLBA indexing
  • Handling of VLBA data with large numbers of correlations

 AAT release v4.2.0 (September 2022):

  • Scriptability of the archive query interface via VO-compliant Table Access Protocol (TAP); see documentation!
  • Inclusion of wget commands to retrieve data in notification e-mails
  • Sortable scanlists

 AAT release 4.1.1 (June 2022):

  • Data delivery for non-staff users in New Mexico (i.e., nm- visitor account holders) to their lustre disk areas.
  • Improved data delivery speed.
  • Organization of individual VLBA observations into their observation segments.

NRAO has prioritized the following large features for implementation over the next 2 years 2025-2027

  • ALMA on-demand imaging reimplementation (to streamline QA and maintenance)
  • Scripted downloads
  • VLA on-demand imaging
    • Should bring more VLA metadata display to main interface an not just scanlist

 Known Issues affecting data in the archive and archive use (which we are working on to address):

  • Basic MS data deliveries come in a nested directory structure where your file, MS, or SDM is within directories that have the same name as your file, MS, or SDM, and this MS is tarred whether you wanted it that way or not.
  • Frequency-dependent field of view searches are not currently supported.
  • VLBA projects that use VLA Y1, Y3, or Y27 do not show up properly in the VLBA segment format

 

Connect with NRAO

The NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory and NSF Green Bank Observatory are facilities of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Founded in 1956, the NSF NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NSF NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NSF NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NSF NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.

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