Online Retrieval of PI Packs: Frequently Asked Questions

How do I login into the system?

You can access the service here by entering your ESO User Portal credentials.

I don't have access to the ESO User Portal yet. How do I register?

You can create your new User Portal account here.

I have forgotten my User Portal credentials! Do I need to register again?

No! Your User Portal username and password can be requested again at any time here and here, respectively.

I have entered the correct User Portal credential, but the system returned the following error message: "The server encountered an unexpected condition which prevented it from fulfilling the request". Could you, please, advise?/dt>

The authentication server is momentarily overwhelmed with requests. Just wait a few of seconds and then reload the page. Also, please double-check that you have entered correctly the full address of the service (http://www.eso.org/requestHandler/pipacks), including the leading triple w.

What do the data packages contain?

The packages contain the raw data belonging to the selected run, the associated raw calibrations, the masters derived from them and the pipeline science products generated from them all. The packages also contain ancillary information such as data reduction reports and plots, excerpts of the relevant night logs, etc.
In fact it is the same content of the data packages that Service Mode users have grown accustomed to receiving from ESO on hard media after the end upon of their run (e.g. find here the description of a FORS2 package).

How are the data in the packages organized?

The packages are subdivided in directories, with the OB ID at the top of the hierarchy. As an example, find here the description of a FORS2 package.

How are the data products generated?

The data products are generated in Garching by the Data Processing and Quality Control group using the instrument pipelines (see also here). Raw calibration data are processed into master calibration products. The quality of the master calibrations is checked and only the certified master calibrations are used to process the science data. You can find here extensive documentation about the data and the processing.

What data are available through this service?

All VLT/VLTI data taken in Service Mode as of ESO Period 83 (April 1st, 2009).

How do I select which files to download?

You can select data by run ID (only your runs are shown in the selection pull-down menu) and the nights in which the data were acquired. Upon pressing the "Select" button, the name of the selected raw science files are displayed on the web interface to help refine the search as needed. In addition to these raw science files the actual package will contain all of the file types detailed above.

I have made my file selection, but the system told me that it is too large a volume. What is this about?

The whole system is geared towards online retrieval of data, which is ill suited for extremely large requests. Try to reduce the time interval of your request in order to correspondingly reduce its volume. In the rare case in which in the minimum allowed time interval of one night the volume limit is still exceeded, please consider obtaining your raw data from the main archive interface (separate queries might be needed to obtain all the relevant calibrations).

How do I retrieve the package?

Upon the successful completion of your request, you will receive an e-mail with the detailed instructions to download the package. For the download itself you will need a web browser (Firefox recommended), or command line tools such as wget or curl.

Can I get my data on a hard medium (DVD, USB disks, etc.)?

No, the data can only be downloaded online through this channel, as the service is intended to provide fast access to the data. You will, in any case, receive the full package on hard media upon completion of the run or at the end of the observing period, whichever comes first.

When can I expect my data to be available?

The data become available through this interface once they have been processed in Garching, i.e. typically 2-3 working days after their acquisition. Please notice that this also applies to raw data, as they are only made available through this channel together with the corresponding data products. If you want/need faster access to the raw data, then you should use the main archive interface instead.

What are the differences between obtaining my proprietary data here or from the main archive interface?

The main archive interface allows for a faster access to the data, typically less than 30 minutes after acquisition, but is limited to raw data only. In particular, no automatic association is provided between science and calibrations: separate archive queries are needed for this. Also, master calibrations, processed science frames and ancillary information (plots, excerpts from the night logs, etc.) are currently not available through the main archive interface

How is the proprietary period regulated?

As customary with ESO data, the science files are under proprietary period for one year from the moment they are first made available to you. Specifically, this is when the data are copied on the ftp area for you to retrieve them. Special cases, e.g. extended or shortened proprietary periods, are, of course, treated individually (more on the ESO data access policy is here).