GLOWS: refine L3e handling downstream of L3b initializer (Phase D deferred)

[jtniehof]

Summary

The GLOWS processor, when triggered for L3b:

1. Calls the L3bc initalizer and processes L3b and L3c data for CRs with new data.
2. Checks if any L3d inputs have changed. This includes any new L3c files, but also any changes to any of the external dependencies downloaded by the L3bc initializer.
3. If any inputs have changed, completely regenerate L3d, starting from the "seed" file and adding information from all the L3c files.
4. The L3e initializer then compares the new L3d to the previous L3d and finds the first CR which has changed. It then reprocesses all L3e from that point forward.

So the L3e are made on a CR cadence along with the L3bc, and are updated as each L3a is (#42).

However, a given CR of L3c data affects the L3e for that CR and maybe one or two more, as the solar wind propagates out. It does not have to reprocess L3e for all time. The knowledge of new L3c should be enough to decide which L3e to update.

This is essentially an efficiency feature: the current behavior is enough to ensure that the L3e are always up to date, but may result in excess reprocessing.

It may be worthwhile performing integration tests of the described existing behavior above.

Requirements

• Upon completion of L3d processing, create new or updated L3e files for any Carrington rotations where new or updated L3c were created.
• Also, if possible, create L3e for a tunable number of CRs later (Most likely to be 1 or 2). E.g. if new L3c for CR N, create L3e for CR N and N+1. No need to check if the L3e already exist; just make if there are enough data to create for that CR.
• Do not perform reprocessing of L3e based solely on changes to external inputs, although external inputs changes would trigger new L3d. Manual triggering of reprocessing based on external inputs would be via the same mechanisms as triggering for L3bc; GLOWS: allow manual reprocess of L3b+ (Phase D deferred) #43.

Related tickets

#42, #43

Estimate

Not estimated

[jtniehof]

Currently the L3b initializer will process through to L3e. Any changes in L3d result in updates to L3e from that line onward. JTN needs to rework this issue to reflect what changes might actually be needed.