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ClimSOFT Climate Data Management System training workshop (English) - 29 September - 3 October 2025

Start date
End date
Location
Nairobi, Kenya

Activity Areas (1)

WMO Information System (WIS)

Objective

The primary objective of the ClimSOFT training workshop is to provide participants with comprehensive knowledge and practical skills to successfully deploy, configure, and operate ClimSOFT version 4 for climate data management within their organizations. The planned syllabus progresses systematically from foundational systems understanding and technical installation, through core operational functions including metadata management, data ingestion, quality control, and product generation, finishing with advanced capabilities such as the integration of AWS data and direct database management through Structured Query Language (SQL).

Venue

IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.

Language

English

Agenda (provisional)

 

SessionTopics
Day 1 - system overview and installation
Morning: 0915 – 1230
  • Welcome and introduction (30 minutes)
    • Kenya Meteorological Department
    • ICPAC
    • WMO
  • ClimSOFT CDMS overview and demonstration (60 minutes)
  • Coffee break (15 minutes)
  • Data model, database architecture and data flow (60 minutes)
  • Installation planning and requirements (30 minutes)
Lunch
Afternoon: 1330 – 1700
  • ClimSOFT v4 installation (hands-on) (60 minutes)
  • Coffee break (15 minutes)
  • Database connection and configuration on Windows and Linux systems (60 minutes)
  • Initial system setup verification (30 minutes)
  • Day 1 Q&A and troubleshooting (15 minutes)
Day 2 – configuration and system management
Morning: 0900 – 1230
  • User management and permissions (60 minutes)
  • Database storage and management concepts (60 minutes)
    • Coffee break (15 minutes)
  • Database storage and management concepts (cont.)
  • Quality control configuration setup (60 minutes)
Lunch
Afternoon: 1330 – 1700
  • Interfacing with external software (e.g. R-Instat) (60 minutes)
  • Coffee break (15 minutes)
  • Data migration principles and best practices (45 minutes)
  • System backup and restore procedures (45 minutes)
  • Configuration troubleshooting session (15 minutes)
Day 3 – core usage – data management
Morning: 0900 – 1230
  • Metadata management (60 minutes)
    • Station metadata, instruments, variables
  • Coffee break (15 minutes)
  • Data entry methods and best practices (75 minutes)
    • Manual/key entry, batch import, validation
Lunch
Afternoon: 1330 – 1700
  • Data ingestion from various sources (75 minutes)
    • File formats, automated imports
  • Coffee break (15 minutes)
  • Hands-on exercise – working with sample / participants data (60 minutes)
  • Day 3 Q&A wrap up – discussion and issues (30 minutes)
Day 4 – quality control and products
Morning: 0900 – 1230
  • Quality control application and workflows (90 minutes)
    • Running QC checks, reviewing flagged data
    • Manual correction and annotations
  • Coffee break (15 minutes)
  • Paper archive management (45 minutes)
Lunch
Afternoon: 1330 – 1700
  • Product development and generation (90 min)
    • Reports, summaries, climatological products
    • Inventory of uploaded data
  • Coffee break (15 min)
  • Data transfer and export options (45 min)
  • Hands-on exercise: Create products from participant data (30 min)
Day 5 – advanced topics and implementation
Morning: 0900 – 1230
  • Automatic Weather Station (AWS) integration (120 min)
    • Data modelling for real-time data
    • AWS data transformation and ingestion
  • Coffee break (15 minutes)
  • Automatic Weather Station (AWS) integration (cont.)
    • Customizable quality control limits
  • Advanced database management with Structured Query Language (SQL) (75 min)
    • Essential SQL commands for ClimSOFT
    • Custom queries and data extraction
Lunch
Afternoon: 1330 – 1700
  • Introduction to Climsoft Web Application
  • Troubleshooting common issues and versions upgrades (60 min)
  • Implementation planning and next steps (60 min)
  • Final Q&A and course wrap-up (15 min)

 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Install and configure ClimSOFT v4 systems - Participants will be able to independently install the software, establish database connections, configure user management and permissions, and set up quality control parameters for their organizational requirements.
  • Manage comprehensive climate data workflows - Participants will demonstrate proficiency in metadata management, data entry and ingestion from multiple sources, applying quality control procedures, and maintaining paper archive integration within the ClimSOFT environment.
  • Generate climate products and reports - Participants will be able to develop, customize, and generate various climatological products, summaries, and reports, as well as export data in multiple formats for external use and sharing.
  • Integrate real-time data sources - Participants will gain the skills to configure and manage automatic weather station (AWS) data streams, including data transformation, real-time ingestion, and customized quality control limits for automated monitoring systems.
  • Perform advanced system administration and troubleshooting - Participants will be able to conduct database management tasks using SQL queries, implement backup and restore procedures, resolve common technical issues, and develop implementation strategies for their specific organizational context.

Participants

ClimSA project focus countries and Regional Climate Centres.

Prerequisites

Technical knowledge:

  • Basic understanding of climate data and its role in meteorological and climatological services.
  • Familiarity with relational database concepts, including tables, fields, and relationships.
  • Experience using Windows-based software, including file management and software installation.

Software

  • Basic proficiency in Microsoft Excel or other spreadsheet tools for data handling.
  • Exposure to data quality control principles in meteorological or environmental contexts.
  • Familiarity with command-line interfaces (optional but beneficial for troubleshooting and advanced tasks).

Professional background

  • Employment at National Meteorological and Hydrological Service (NMHS) or WMO Regional Climate Centre (RCC).
  • Involvement in data processing, archiving, or climate product generation within their organization.

Language proficiency

  • Working knowledge of English

Equipment

  • Students need to bring a laptop with Windows 10 or higher, with the following minimum specifications:
    • Processor: 1 GHz or better
    • 2 GB RAM
    • 20 GB free disk space
  • Microsoft Office, including Excel, or similar spreadsheet software for displaying CSV files
  • NOTE: Students will need to run commands with administrative privileges on the laptop.

Metadata and sample data

Students need to bring metadata for their stations and sample data to be used for practice.

Contact

For further information, please contact dberry@wmo.int.