Metadata and Tags#

file version: 8 Jul 2026

Introduction: Metadata and Tags in Versity#

The ATLAS system is able to import metadata from netCDF headers: global attributes, dimensions, variables and variable structure. Metadata from netCDF files which were archived via StrongLink was transfered into the ATLAS database. Metadata are read-only.

User can assign tags to files. Tags are either pure strings or key-value-pairs. Folders cannot be tagged.

Metadata#

Metadata are automatically imported from netCDF files after being transfered into the Versity system. They are stored in a metadata database of ATLAS and remain available also when the respective files are not cached anymore. Metadata can be access via the WebGUI (click on the filename) and via the atlas cli.

ATLAS WebGUI#

ATLAS WebGUI: click on a filename to view metadata
ATLAS WebGUI: metadata view

If you click on the file path in the metadata view, it is automatically copied.

ATLAS WebGUI: file path copied

ATLAS CLI#

$ atlas metadata /scoutfs/atlas/arch/bm0146/k204221/test_20260706a/test_netcdf_a.nc
Path:  /scoutfs/atlas/arch/bm0146/k204221/test_20260706a/test_netcdf_a.nc

netcdf  (v1, application/x-netcdf, extracted 2026-07-06T00:37:48.541596642Z)
----------------------------------------
  Class          value test class
  Contact        value test contact
  DateCreated    value test date_created
  DimLat         1
  DimLev         2
  DimLon         1
  Dimensions
    lat       1
    lon       1
    z         2
    zeit      3
  ExperimentId   value test experiment_id
  History        Wed Nov 23 01:48:00 2022: ncrename -a global@modell_version,global@model_version test_netcdf_a.nc
  Institution    value test institution
  InstitutionId  value test institution_id
  LatMax         9.969209968386869e+36
  LatMin         9.969209968386869e+36
  License        value test license
  LonMax         9.969209968386869e+36
  LonMin         9.969209968386869e+36
  MetadataLink   value test metadata_link
  MipEra         value test mip_era
  ModelVersion   value test modell_version
  NCO            netCDF Operators version 5.0.6 (Homepage = http://nco.sf.net, Code = http://github.com/nco/nco)
  Originator     value test originator
  Realm          value test realm
  Source         value test source
  Title          value test title
  TrackingId     value test tracking_id
  Type           value test type
  VarLongName    latitude, longitude, mass_concentration_of_nitric_acid_in_air, zeit
  VarName        data_var, lat, lon, z, zeit
  VarStdName     height, latitude, longitude, zeit
  Variables
    data_var  {"dimensions":["zeit","z","lat","lon"],"long_name":"mass_concentration_of_nitric_acid_in_air","missing_value":"-9e+33","type":"float","units":"1"}
    lat       {"dimensions":["lat"],"long_name":"latitude","standard_name":"latitude","type":"float","units":"degree_north"}
    lon       {"dimensions":["lon"],"long_name":"longitude","standard_name":"longitude","type":"float","units":"degree_east"}
    z         {"dimensions":["z"],"standard_name":"height","type":"float","units":"m"}
    zeit      {"axi

Tags#

Tags strings or key-value-pairs which can be manually set and removed by users. This can be done via the WebGUI and via the atlas cli. The same tag can be set to multiple files at once.

ATLAS WebGUI#

This is how tags can be set:

ATLAS WebGUI: select multiple files
ATLAS WebGUI: view to edit tags
ATLAS WebGUI: insert a new tag

View the tags in the WebGUI

ATLAS WebGUI: quick view of tags

ATLAS CLI#

Get tags of multiple files:

$ atlas tag /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_00?.tar
Path:  /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_004.tar

(no tags)
Path:  /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_006.tar

(no tags)
Path:  /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_001.tar

Tag                     Value
----------------------------------------
example_tag_no_value
test                    test!

Path:  /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_005.tar

(no tags)
Path:  /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_002.tar

Tag                     Value
----------------------------------------
example_tag_no_value
test                    test!

Path:  /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_003.tar

Tag                     Value
----------------------------------------
example_tag_no_value
test                    test!

Set tags:

$ atlas tag set --name another_tag --value abc /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_005.tar /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_004.tar
Set tag another_tag=abc on /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_005.tar
Set tag another_tag=abc on /hsm/arch/bm0146/k204221/iow/iow_data_004.tar
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