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Non-Database Data Sources

Utilizing the datapoints config model, Release 2 extended the abstraction layer beyond traditional databases to incorporate several external, non-database data sources. These can be queried and presented as first-class datastreams, just like data stored in MySQL or InfluxDB.

---
config:
  flowchart:
    nodeSpacing: 40
    rankSpacing: 60
    padding: 16
---
flowchart TB
    DS["Datastream<br/>presented like any other"]

    subgraph ViewDef["View definition (metadata)"]
        DC["Datapoints Configs<br/>one per timeframe"]
        Source["Non-database source<br/>one of: WaterOneFlow · NOAA NDFD · Dendra-derived"]
        DC -. "defines source" .-> Source
    end

    subgraph QueryTime["At query time"]
        Client["Client<br/>Main App · API client"]
        API["API<br/>retrieve per config"]
    end

    DS --> DC
    DC -->|"selects source<br/>per timeframe"| API
    Client -->|"requests data"| API
    API -->|"queries or derives"| Source
    API -->|"returns data"| Client

Non-DB Data Sources in Release 2

Section titled “Non-DB Data Sources in Release 2”
SourceDescription
WaterOneFlow Web ServicesStandard hydrologic web services developed by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science (CUAHSI). These services deliver time-series observation data using the WaterML format from a wide range of federal, state, and academic hydrologic repositories.
NOAA National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) REST Web ServiceThe National Weather Service’s gridded forecast database, accessible via a public REST/XML API. This integration enabled forecast data (such as temperature, precipitation, wind, and cloud cover) to be treated as regular datastreams, supporting use cases like trip planning, field visits, or forward-looking reserve dashboards.
Dendra-derived datastreamsThe system itself became a data source. Multiple database-backed datastreams could be combined through expressions and Annotations into new virtual (derived) datastreams. This allowed users to create calculated or aggregated views without duplicating raw data.