An Aggregation Server is a DODS client/server pair that allow a multi-file data set to look like a single file.

Consider the WOCE TOPEX sea height data set. It is actually a 3-d data set - longitude, latitude and time, but it is presented as a number of 2-d files.

The Aggregation Server will allow the user to request a 3-d chunk out of this data set exactly as though it were a 3-d NetCDF file.

• The user makes the 3-d (or a 1- or 2-d request that includes time) request to the Aggregation Server.
  
  
• The Aggregation Server then makes the required number of 2-d requests from the data set and assembles these into a 3-d cube.