title: What ist a RESTful-resource in the context of large data sets, i.E. weather data?
body: <p>So I am working on a webservice to access our weather forecast data (10000 locations, 40 parameters each, hourly values for the next 14 days = about 130 million values).</p>
  
  <p>So I read all about RESTful services and its ideology.</p>
  
  <p>So I understand that an URL is adressing a ressource.</p>
  
  <p>But what <em>is</em> a ressource in my case?</p>
  
  <p>The common use case is that you want to get the data for a couple of parameters over a timespan at one or more location. So clearly giving every value its own URL is not pratical and would result in hundreds of requests. I have the feeling that my specific problem doesn't excactly fit into the RESTful pattern.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Update:</strong> To clarify: There are two usage patterns of the service. 1. Raw data; rows and rows of data for several locations and parameters.</p>
  
  <ol start="2">
  <li>Interpreted data; the raw data calculated into symbols (Suns &amp; clouds, for example) and other parameters.</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>There is not one 'forecast'. Different clients have different needs for data.</p>
  
  <p>The reason I think this doesn't fit into the REST-pattern is, that while I can actually have a 'forecast' ressource, I still have to submit a lot of request parameters. So a simple GET-request on a ressource doesn't work, I end up POSTing data all over the place.</p>