Test folder system run on IBM has been successful.

There is still work to be done to test and improve the automatic build and configure method for ROPP and its dependencies on the IBM.

1) buildpack does not automatically 'pick up' a new package file to build in the first step.

2) The BUFR library needs an update to enable building on the IBM (I have made a few initial tweaks, but not correctly working yet). Note we have a user (Rabindra Jena, NCMRWF) who requires BUFR support on the IBM.

3) Updated netcdf configure scripts need to be provided to enable local netCDF builds. To date, the test folder tests have been conducted by linking against the pre-built netCDF library under /opt/netcdf/3.6.2/ Note we have a user (Rabindra Jena, NCMRWF) who requires netCDF support on the IBM.

Update on item 3) above...

The configure script for ropp_io fails to perform the conftest where it uses a call to nf_open to test the netCDF library build. This is because the AIX configure script uses the '-qextname' flag. However, removing this complier flag results in the configuration script finding the netCDF dependency ok but then failing to find the installed ropp_utils library (for which it requires the '-qextname' flag). There is a bit more information on this here: ​http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/docs/other-builds.html#aix-xlf-qextname

A new configure file to build a netCDF distribution on the IBM has now been added. See [2494]. This enables the built module to be identified when building ROPP using the -qextname flag. This has been tested successfully, and the fix communicated to the user (Rabindra Jena, NCMRWF).

Ticket remains open for items 1) and 2) above to be investigated.

Ticket items 2) and 3) now covered by new ticket #213.

Close this ticket as fixed - testing on IBM completed successfully.