The CWMS 3.4 client package contains upgrades to some of the individual modeling applications and most of the client applications that make up CWMS. Many of these upgraded applications require user input during the upgrade of models or configuration files. This Migration Tips page was prepared to help you manage the migration of your CWMS 3.3.1 watersheds into CWMS 3.4. 

Please read this page carefully before you start the migration.

BACK UP YOUR WATERSHEDS! 

Watersheds brought into CWMS 3.4 will become incompatible with prior versions of CWMS. 

Before opening an existing watershed using the new software:

  • Zip a copy of each CWMS 3.3.1 watershed on your PC, as well as any master watersheds on your shared network drives.
    • If you use Team Forecasting, coordinate with your team members to determine whether to update the master watershed or create a new copy of the master watershed for CWMS 3.4.  
  • Name each zip file so that you and/or your team members will know which archive(s) to use should you need to revert to the previous version of your watershed.

Convert Files from DSS6 to DSS7

Before forecasting using CWMS 3.4, please follow the steps here to convert your DSS files from DSS6 to DSS7.

CWMS 3.4 Folder Structure

The folder naming structure for CWMS 3.4 was modified to be consistent with CWMS releases prior to CWMS 3.3.1. Scripts that expect the CWMS 3.3.1 folder structure may need to be updated .The naming convention for CWMS 3.4.0 vs CWMS 3.3.1 is shown below.


Updating Individual Models

If you open a CWMS 3.3.1 watershed in CWMS 3.4 before you update the individual models, then you will see prompts asking if you want to update the model(s) to the newest version or quit the update. In all cases, the models will no longer be usable in CWMS 3.3.1 once updated in CWMS 3.4 (i.e. there is no backward compatibility between model versions).  

PC Installation

HEC recommends extracting and running the portable CWMS software package from a folder under the C Drive (e.g. C:\wmsoft\CWMS-vX.Y.Z or C:\Local_Software\HEC\CWMS-vX.Y.Z, etc.). Do not extract and run the software from the user profile area (i.e. C:\Users\<userID>\Desktop\CWMS-vX.Y.Z) as it may be blocked by antivirus software. In addition, CWMS watersheds should not be saved within the user profile area. 

CWMS Login 

The CWMS login establishes connection to the CWMS host server for data access through:

  • Time Series Icons
  • CWMS-Vue CAVI Plugin
  • Extract/Post Editors
  • Data Validation Editor
  • Data Status Summary Report

In addition, login to the CWMS server provides access to remote HEC-DSS files stored on that server.

During CWMS migration (and COOP exercises), it is expected that the server information stored in the watershed properties may not match the latest CWMS host server information.

Here are a few scenarios describing what you may encounter:

  1. When you log into the same server configured for the watershed, no additional login dialog should appear and you stay logged in.
  2. When you initially log into a different server than the one configured for the watershed, another login dialog should appear with a drop-down list presenting you with the following options:
    1. If you choose the watershed's server, you will be logged out of the server currently logged into and then will be logged into the watershed's server.
    2. If you choose the same server currently logged into, you will maintain access to that server.
    3. If you choose a different server than the one currently logged into and different than the server specified in the watershed properties, you will be logged out of the server currently logged into and then will be logged into the newly selected server.
    4. If you cancel the login dialog, you will maintain access to the same server currently logged into.
    5. If you choose Local from the login dialog, you will be logged out of the server currently logged into. This is the equivalent to the Log off menu item.

Regardless of the choices above, the server information stored in the watershed properties will remain unchanged unless manually updated in the Watershed Properties dialog.

Logging into a different server than the one configured for the Watershed

When logging into a server that is different than the watershed's server, the retrieval of CWMS data will work if time series records and HEC-DSS file location names match between the different servers. So, CWMS time series record data previously configured for the watershed will work with a different server connection as long as the CWMS time series data records are the same in both databases (and any remote HEC-DSS files configured for the watershed are named the same and in the same locations on each server). This includes the Extract and Post processes, Time Series Icons, Data Validation, and Data Status Summary.