How is the S2S reforecast data organised in MARS?

In general it is organised, as a huge tree, with the indentation below, showing different levels down that tree:

  • centre (CMA, ECMWF, NCEP, JMA, ...)
    • reforecast
      •  type of data (control forecast or perturbed forecast)
        • type of level (single level or pressure level or potential  temperature)
          • model version date (2014-05-01 or ...)
            • hindcast dates (2014-01-01 or 2014-01-02 or 2014-01-03, ...)
              •  time-steps
                • members (for perturbed forecast)
                  • levels (for pl or pt)
                    • parameters

What would be the natural way to group requests?

The idea is to request as much data as possible from the same tape file. The natural way to group requests would be:
all parameters, all levels, all members, all time-steps for 1 hindcast date for a type of level for a type

(warning) Note the following:

  1. 'all' means 'all' that the user wants. It doesn't have to be all parameters.
  2. If a user is interested only on z500,  he may request more hindcast dates in one go, since the overall request will not be so big.