ESO Archive Frequently Asked Questions
Instant Download: What does the DONT_EXIST/"question mark" flag mean for recent VST/OmegaCAM and VISTA/VIRCAM data?
While most data from Chile reach ESO Archive in Garching within one day of the observation via network, the currently available bandwidth is insufficient for high data volume instruments, like VST/OmegaCAM and VISTA/VIRCAM data, or burst mode data from other instruments. Those data have to be transferred to Garching off-line. This leads to a delay (up to 10 days) between the moment when they are visible on the query forms and the moment when they are actually downloadable. During this time, if requested, they get assigned the question mark/"DONT_EXIST" flag. As soon as the data become available in the Archive, the flag is dynamically turned to the green OK flag which means that they are accessible and downloadable. This situation is temporary since the bandwidth should be increased by 2012.
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