IRAP February 1996 Status Report
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ON-LINE (UMOL)
Service Planning: We met with Bruce Madej and the Athletic department's new ITdirectors Tom Westrick and Julie Morris. The Athletic department plans and ideas for their web site were discussed. We also met with SILS, Lee Liming, Linda Bennett and Mariam West (a SILS alum), discussed status of UMOL and the possibility of migrating SILS alumni to UMOL service. UM online is getting involved with Orientation; it will perhaps offer subscriptions to parents as a means of staying connected to their student.
UMOL web page improvements are being implemented. Planning is underway to enhance the design and content.
A process for moving existing individual home pages from their current location in IFS space to the UMOL server has been drafted and is being reviewed.
We attended a presentation on Zenith/Microsoft Z station hardware software bundle program and plan to investigate possibility that the program can be expanded to include Alumni.
The advisory team discussed increasing membership categories beyond alumni. Site licensing ramifications are being researched. We met with Kitty Bridges about the relationship between UMOL and external accounts. Kitty will draft a document about external accounts and the relationship to other offerings such as UMOL. Issues regarding access to UMOL's secure area by faculty, students and staff were raised. Further discussion on both the technical and policy front are necessary.
Site Licenses: Deb Masten is reviewing the status of the site licenses for the software included in the UMOL kit. Deb is checking with vendors about the financial ramifications of enlarging the categories of UMonline subscribers to include parents of enrolled students, Friends of the University, and individuals enrolled in continuing education programs.
Dial in: We are keeping apprised of Merit's negotiations with CREN for national dial in service. Until national dial-in is available, UMOL will not advertise for national subscribers. Requests will be handled on an individual basis--those inquiring will be invited to participate in a national pilot.
Service: Service agreements between UMOL and the Accounts Office(for account creation and administration) and 4-help(for subscriber support) are under development. Account creation procedures for the Accounting and Billing System(ABS) are in test mode. Actual UMOL accounts (service package) can not be created until testing is complete --expected during the week of March 11th. A toll free number for subscribers to use to contact the accounts office has been ordered. Consulting positions for customer support have been posted internally.
Communication: Pilot documentation materials were edited and enhanced for the production service. A number of letters and e-mail communications geared toward different populations of potential subscribers were developed. An internal press release for the 3D list is currently under development. Procedures have been drafted to aid subscribers in clearing out there IFS space--moving data ( to disk) and or home pages ( to UMOL server).
Start-up issues: Since UMOL will be billing subscribers on an ongoing basis, dealing with credit card expiration (and a subscriber changing credit card companies) is being researched with NBD. The need for a new signature when status changes from student to alumni is also being researched.
Plans and procedures for dealing with the various wait list groups have been finalized. Letters for each population have been drafted and reviewed. Two categories of gift certificates ( 2 month and 6 month) will be issued to those on wait lists, that can not be accommodated (no or busy NASs), who were *promised* some time period of free service.
Core team members continue to have significant contact with Pilot participates and potential subscribers who respond to messages concerning UMOL.
Production versions of UMOL software kits to fulfill UMOLs immediate needs were produced, current kit content is being reviewed.
Development of the authenticated web space continues. (EV)
A second demonstration of the front-end and GQL portions of the new environment was conducted for about 50 members of the university development community on 02/02/96. Additional input for canned queries attached to buttons was solicited from 13 invited representatives of the development community on 02/16/96. These requests are now being reviewed and prioritized by the subgroup working on predefined queries attached to buttons (with built-in prompts) for Round 1, along with requests already identified by the subgroup itself. A tuning phase awaits the developers as new canned queries are developed. A demonstration of how to produce mailing labels on the high-speed DSC printers using GQL and the established mainframe procedures for formatting data was conducted at the 02/22/96 DAC Reporting Group meeting. The Round 2 data has recently been loaded and several Development Office staff are validating it concurrently with the Round 1 activities. Centrally-funded development of the PowerBuilder front-end to the Round 1 dataset in the Business School and the Development Office continues to progress. The Development Office is working with Elaine Cousins to develop training for the front-end and with Margaret Loveless for the dataset itself and for GQL access as a result of a training and support meeting conducted with ITD and Development Office staff on 02/08/96. Consulting support for both access methods is also being discussed. Plans continue to call for completion of development of Rounds 1 and 2 by the end of this fiscal year. Additional funding will no doubt be sought for 96-97 in terms of adding Round 2 information to the front-end and offering further enhancements to the dataset. (PB)
CAMPUS WIDE DIGITAL LIBRARY PROGRAM
MUSEUM EDUCATIONAL SITE LICENSE (MESL) PROJECT
Distribution: Four museums are participating in an optional redistribution of their first distribution text data. Redistribution of data from Harvard University Art Museums, and the Library of Congress is now complete. Data from the National Museum of American Art required several iterations of modifications by the museum and checking of the data structure by Michigan. The data is now ready and will soon be made available to all MESL institutions by FTP. Data from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is also ready for distribution, but is awaiting final approval of the README file that will accompany the data file.
To date, FTP distribution has been done at a temporary FTP site. The permanent MESL FTP site for distribution is now in place, but not yet in use. It will be tested and then used with for the next distribution scheduled for May.
Cost figures for the distribution service are being pulled together for analysis.
Instructional Use: Feedback from faculty and students has been generally positive. Some weaknesses in the system have been exposed. They are largely related to image viewing. JPEGView is a wonderful helper application for viewing images, however it is not the default method for viewing with Netscape. In order to use JPEGView, Netscape preferences need to be modified by the user. Once JPEGView is enabled, it is not obvious how to get it to achieve certain tasks. Students need to view two images at once. Attempts to do so have encountered color palette conflicts (on 8 bit systems) and difficulty managing image windows and screen space. JPEGView can handle these situations, but users need instructions for doing so. A help document for basic set-up of JPEGView has been written and put online. Maria Bonn, a graduate student from SILS, has been hired in conjunction with SILS and the Library. Maria has technical writing experience and will work on MESL documentation.
Cara List, also a graduate student from SILS, will be working on the MESL project as well.
MESL data has been transferred to a FileMaker Pro database for History of Art Professor Diane Kirkpatrick to use. Kirkpatrick will use a selection of the MESL images with an instructional application that she is developing in conjunction with the Office of Instructional Technology. (http://www.oit.itd.umich.edu/WIP/ArtsHumanities/20thCenturyArt.html)
Web System: Good progress has been made in preparing multiple versions of the MESL images at varying sizes. Each image will be available in 5 sizes: thumbnail (90x90 pixels), small (320x320), medium (640x640), large (960x960), and max (varies by museum, but usually over 1000x1000 pixels). Currently, only the max image is online, which is problematic for obvious reasons. Other changes that are in the process of being implemented include a redesigned "details" page (includes access to multiple resolutions) and the use of shortened data category names. These changes are being made on the MESL development machine, and will be moved to the production environment when ready.
The Perl scripts that are used for building and running (CGI) the MESL web site, have been rewritten to make them more consistent, flexible, and scalable.
The MESL production system has been updated with the redistribution data. The most significant update came from the National Museum of American Art (NMAA). NMAA data previously had many errors and inconsistencies, which have been corrected.
Publicity: During the month of March, the display cases in the North Lobby of the Hatcher Graduate Library will host an exhibit about the U-M Digital Library Projects. MESL will be included.
Content Selection: Comments about what content should be included in the next distribution can be submitted via a web site at the University of Virginia. Participating Faculty are being encouraged to participate.
(http://jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU/uvamesl/content_selection/index.html)
MESL ITD Team: John Weise, Zoe Gurevich, Gail Lift, Sean Sweda, Andrew Inman. (JW)
| February 1996 Core Journals statistics | |
|---|---|
| Total Articles Requested | 9287 |
| Total Successful Prints | 8879 |
| Total Pages Printed | 49142 |
| Average Article size (pages) | 5.53 |
| Total Unsuccessful attempts | 408 |
| Test printing (i.e. printer=none) | 1 |
(NG)
The online data dictionary will be added to all Data Access datasets and the GQL split model feature enabled this fiscal year. This will include the financial and CRAS tables, which are both in production with no concurrent enhancements being made at this time. The payroll subgroup took the recent recommendation of the Data Availability Plan Committee to heart (targeting rollout of a core set of payroll data this fiscal year, even if that involves fewer links to the personnel tables) and is now officially in "rollout mode." All data model issues have been resolved and testing completed. Canned queries are being finalized and training/support efforts intensified. The Official Third Week Count (O3WC) subgroup is currently working on new indexes to improve performance after having completed the winter load on 02/16/96. Future phases of the project are now officially on hold due to resources being redirected to PeopleSoft implementation. The move of the O3WC dataset to the production server has been delayed until mid-March to allow time to complete the data dictionary and performance tuning. The Registrar's Office (RO) is developing training materials and anticipates an internal training session in mid-March in preparation for an April rollout to staff in the RO. Student Data Subgroup (SDS) developers continue to add degree information to the dynamic student dataset and to modify the population of the dataset to comply with a previous SDS decision on the contents. Progress on data validation is moving slowly, presumably due to competing commitments by subgroup members. Several non-SDSers in LSA have volunteered to help with testing, however. Plans still call for a rollout to a first group of users in June/July. ITD developers in the Personnel Data Subgroup (PDS) continue work on the final enhancements to the dataset: addition of historical jobclasses, enabling of direct cross-functionality with the financial tables, backloading data to 1978, and the addition of a few useful tenure-related canned queries. A final plan for testing these enhancements was recently developed. The target for completion of all changes and testing is still 06/30/96. The procurement subgroup continues to automate the refresh process and develop canned queries and training. A rollout subgroup has just been established. All work is slated for completion this fiscal year. The Data Availability Plan Committee (DAPC) continues to oversee the efforts of the subgroups as well as the integration of differently-funded datasets into the warehouse (several Data Access users recently participated in UMTel data modeling, e.g.). There has still been no final word on possible funding cuts for Data Access this fiscal year. The group continues to discuss whether and what to request for central funding for 96-97 and has asked to outline criteria for the data warehouse to the PeopleSoft Core Process Management Team in the near future. Considerable end-user concern continues to be expressed about the lack of academic unit and professional school representation on the PMLT and high-level PeopleSoft implementation teams on campus. Progress is being made on developing the access/compliance database (for tracking requests for access, attendance at training, signing of compliance forms, etc.) now that a full-time ITD resource has been secured. The UIS "TechDev" group continues to meet to share information, develop standards, and ensure consistency among the datasets. A presentation/demonstration on Data Access was conducted for two visitors from the University of California Davis on 02/14/96. (PB)
Reorganizational work: Reassignment of all the DSS jobs has been completed accept for two internal DSS job numbers (0340 & 0209) which still need to be taken care of. Both have an account number of 952450. Many jobs, programs, filenames, etc. need to be reassigned before job 0209 can be closed. More research needs to be completed before job 0340 can be closed.
One-Time Data Delivery Services: There continues to be a total of 2 jobs (contract programming) currently in progress. (CE)
We are currently in the process of converting Rackham's gopher menu's to web pages.
There were 55,991 GOpherBLUE client sessions over the period 01/21/95 to 02/20/95. Total gopher calls for the period were 580,335. Total Gopher file accesses for the period were 479,925. The most accessed Gopher resources were:
| X.500 | 253,794 | (52.88%) |
| Ann Arbor Jobnet | 123,333 | (25.70%) |
| All Others | 102,798 | (21.42%) |
(BV)
The Wolverine Access production server for WA on the WEB has been installed. Operations Management staff are making some final touches to the operating process and completing "reboot" and "operations procedures" documentation. Once this is complete the server will be ready for the WA system. We have started the process of converting the web programs from Perl to C. Three transactions (grades, courses, & academic report) have been converted to C and moved to the BETA server to be tested. The address transaction has been completed in TEST and is currently being reviewed by the Registrar's Office. Jeremy also spent quite a bit of time this month investigating memory problems which were occurring on the BETA server.
Testing identified the need for more work on the encryption bag routines which are needed for the student transcript project. Changes have been completed and testing has once again started. Revised timeline again due to requirement changes. We hope to have customer sign off in mid-to-late March.
A contractor resource was assigned (50%) to the Office of Financial Aid Wolverine Access server (mainframe) transactions. Preliminary coding was scheduled to begin February 29.
A meeting with users to discuss technical options and requirements for the new Wolverine Access Diploma Request transaction occurred on February 29.
No progress on the Payroll sick & vacation accrual transaction for Wolverine Access. (CE)
February has focused on active projects and future planning. We extended an offer to Steve Burdick to join our group, and it appears he will work with us 25% time, with the rest of his time going to OIT, which will strength our connection to that group.
We currently have 8 projects w/active black borders:
Chemistry> Bret: Not as busy this month, but continuing to make changes as requested. There is more to come, so this is a lull, not the end.
MI Sea Grant> Sascha: Continuing to work with customer on web page development.
Pharmacy> Bret: Development work continues, focusing on alumni info and changes to main pages. At customer's request, Bret has attended meetings with other Pharmacy staff and faculty to identify future additions to the site.
ITD HTRM> Bret: There has been confusion on this project about what the expected deliverables are. We will be meeting with Dale Johnson and Suzanne Schluederberg to resolve this.
U-M Library> Maureen: Nothing this month. Waiting for response from Library on mockups we submitted.
U-M Online> Zoe/Neda/Gordon: Additional changes to web page, including addition of NAS dial-in numbers list completed. Gordon completed a draft architecture for implementing the auto-generated web page facility. Goal for completion is May 1 (April 1 beta).
Faculty Senate> Sandy W, Maureen P: initial web pages and graphic elements developed.
In addition, we have met with Development Communications (commencement information) and expect to begin web site development for them in March. Other potential and/or upcoming projects include:
Purchasing - would like to develop web-based purchasing interface. Requires secure/authenticated capabilities.
Global Leadership - a program affiliated with the B-school. We expect information from them shortly to be able to provide them a price quote.
Physics - have had an initial inquiry. Expect followup in March/April.
Michigan State Strategic Initiative (MSSI) - they have requested assistance with prototype web pages. Funded through AOP. Staff will attend organizational meeting on March 22, with planned demonstration date in early June.
Rackham - Sandy Webster will be working with them to convert current Gopher content to the Web.
The business plan for our Web Services offerings is well under way. Due to lack of resources, we have decided not to offer our services to external customers at this time. We also need to address the issue of pricing, as the current ITD model of charging depending on who works on a project is less than ideal for our needs. In order to maximize our opportunities, we are working in parallel on a plan for marketing and communication activities that can occur immediately. (CK)
Carol, Sandy, and Gordon met with W. Lougee and D. Richtmyer at the Library to discuss how best to proceed with this project. Wendy is spearheading policy development. We identified several areas for improvement, including a revamped searchable catalog. We would also like to foster heavier involvement from Campus Information Centers, News & Information Services, and University Relations to create more dynamic content on the Gateway site. (CK)
IRAP One-Time Data Delivery Services: Received 1 new request this month and closed 3 requests. This now leaves us with a total of 9 external jobs and 6 internal jobs currently in progress. (CE)
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