Urbana, Illinois District Office, May 13-15, 1997 Present: Graig McHendrie Steve Brady Isabelle des Fontaines Sharon Goss Dave Shultz Jerad Bales Alan Lumb Tom Wood Bob Davis Linda Pratt Verne Schneider Brian Mrazik Richard Hollway Guests: NexWis Contractors Ken Mullins Dave Nuttall Absent: Jon Scott Bill Carswell Greg Allord Janice Fulford Agenda Tuesday, May 13 Introduction to IL District Meeting with IL District personnel Discussion of agenda CAVE demo at U of I Discussion with NCSA and CCSO personnel at U of I Meeting with NCSA software development group at U of I Discussion of RiverWeb with U of I Wednesday, May 14 Discussion of district meeting by CPAC members Review of action items from last meeting: McHendrie Total cost of ownership: Oberg HASS software library, enhancing communication among developers, and other software development issues: Lumb Presentation on Web Software Development (NWIS-W) Coordination of serving data on the Web: Schneider Report on Web Developers Workshop: Oberg Preparation of Annual Data Report with NWIS on DG: Lumb and Schneider NETSCAPE options: Wood Computing environment in the IL District Thursday, May 15 DIS review subgroup report: Bales Amdahl issues: Schneider and Lumb NexWis: Schneider and Lumb Coordinating new operating systems and application releases Tuesday, May 13, 1997 INTRODUCTION TO ILLINOIS DISTRICT o Welcome by Dan Fitzpatrick o Organization of District o Discussion of funding and program MEETING WITH ILLINOIS DISTRICT PERSONNEL o Overview of CPAC by McHendrie; introductions NWIS OVERVIEW--Lumb o Conversion of NWIS completed; extensive testing done; Alpha test completed in Idaho; Beta test/implementation complete in Arizona, Idaho, Maryland, and Texas (off the Prime and working on the DG). Few problems/bugs at Beta sites. Effort focused on rapid installation of software and transfer of database. Installations will be done over 3 five-week periods. First cycle will start May 26 (15 districts). Will meet WRD objective of getting off of Prime by end of FY97. o Installation goes well if installation document is followed closely and if data in database have been carefully reviewed and are clean. All of the necessary information is on the NWIS Web site. Programs are available to check data. o Need to get digitizers, plotters, DECODES, etc. off of Prime and on to DG. o NWIS will have telephone support teams available 0800 to 2200 during work week, as well as selected hours on weekend. o Question: What is status of WATSTORE (national data base)? Moving off of Amdahl. Have commitments to EPA and others to have national database. Therefore, need to have option to Amdahl. Working on these issues, and will discuss them at this meeting. o Question: How will we handle peak flow retrieval, etc. that we now do on Amdahl? There is software available on DG (e.g. PEAKFQ). There is a recognition of the problem; working on it; trying to set priorities. o Question: How will data be retrieved from multiple states without going to each Districts Web site? NexWis contractors working on national retrieval issues. Intermediate concern is current Web solutions. o Question: Will there be any fixes to ADAPS particularly unit value rainfall data? Very few fixes, but there is little new functionality or improvements. Look and feel should be the same. There will probably be a new release of the software in November 1997 after everyone is on the DG; will have some additional fixes in this release. DIS OVERVIEW--Wood o Received Directors approval for NCTM in April 1998, to be held in St. Louis. Mixture of training and papers. Training on Web development, security, UNIX and NT systems; papers on software supporting real-time data and analysis of natural hazards. o Modification to GIS contract signed last week; can order ARCVIEW 3.0. o Expect to sign a sole source contract with ESRI for non-UNIX GIS software. o Several DIS staff working on NWIS installations. o All District offices up to 128 kb speed. Illinois District may be one of first districts to be upgraded to 256 kb, later this summer. o Question: How many people in DIS, and what are their backgrounds? About 18 persons; computer scientists, hydrologists, programmers, systems persons. o Question: How do people get help from DIS? Web Page; Help-File system (see Web Page). o Question: Do you monitor netnews? Occasionally. Prefer that requests go through help-file systems. Monitor/document requests quarterly to determine what needs are, and how requests are made. Trying to improve tracking. o Question: What were results of last tracking? About 300-350 individual requests for DIS assistance in a week. Most active topic--45-50 requests for assistance on ARC products. 1100-1200 hits on DIS web page that week. Second most active topic--email. o DIS saves WRD money on software and hardware costs as a result of DIS-coordinated contracts. In FY97, saved about $13M compared to GSA prices. o Question: What will happen to DG and DG-based software? DG driven by corporate software (NWIS and AIS). DG servers will be with us for several more years; individual workstations can be phased out. USGS philosophy of one type of hardware system will likely change (see Futcom report). o Question: Will there be support for SUN and SGI systems? There is now informal support for these systems (see for example http://wwwdiaiwc.cr.usgs.gov/tac/instructions/sun_setup.html). But, no formal support (persons funded to do the work). DIS wants to fund support for SUN and SGI in FY98. Issue on table for CPAC--how much centralized support does WRD want to fund? AIS OVERVIEW--Isabelle des Fontaines o 3 main parts of AIS: financial, projects, and human resources. Financial part of AIS is complete. Project component is controversialnot user friendly. There is a subgroup of project staff looking at ways to streamline this component (earliest release--late spring 1998). This group has a home page (http://wwwqvarsa.er.usgs.gov/ais/cmb/project/index.html) giving mock-up of streamlined package. Can provide input to the subgroup through this home page. Human Resources part of AIS is somewhat complete. o What is next? Porting part of AIS to SUN. In release 5.0 (December 1997), can run application part of AIS on UNIX system or on NT platform. Transfer part of AIS will remain in UNIX system. In 2-3 years should be able to run on Sun. Will experiment with using JAVA for project component of AIS (faster and easier). Repository part of AIS will remain on UNIX. o Actively marketing AIS to other Divisions in USGS. o Question: Do we have a millennium problem for any of our systems? No. o Release 4.1 available within a month. Will show budgeted vs. actual funds. When electronic T&A is installed, can get more up-to-date salary information from AIS. Release notes for 4.1 available at http://wwwoper.er.usgs.gov/ais/update4.1/notes/notes.rel4.1. Additional documentation at http://wwwoper.er.usgs.gov/ais/user/Release.4.1.html. HASS OVERVIEW--Alan Lumb o About 100 programs (about 50 systems) on home page. Getting a lot of international hits and hits from consultants on home page. Updates to software posted on Web, before they are on application tapes. o HASS beginning to develop GUIs for some of the models. Using VisualBasic and JAVA. HASS sponsored an object-oriented training class in Reston last month. Also, will sponsor class on JAVA. SEDCALC is being converted to JAVA; prototype will be available for evaluation in a month. Using contractor for some of the development. o HASS will be shifting resources to organize and support software libraries/modules. o HASS has Web page (http://hassrvares.er.usgs.gov/development/) which is being used to identify individuals developing software in the division, and the type of software being developed. o GUI development priorities being set by funding sources; very little funding from Tech Support. Discipline offices also helping to set priorities. o HASS staff has doubled in last year. o Question: Is HASS the only group doing model support? Support persons identified on home page for each software package. HASS primarily provides support on installation and bugs. Should get reasonable response from HASS. o Comment: Discipline offices supposed to be providing leadership to WRD on modeling activities. However, expertise does not necessarily reside in offices. Moreover, discipline office staff already have too much to do, and cannot provide necessary support. WRD does not identify model of choice for a particular type of application. Model selection should be based on science. GENERAL DISCUSSSION WITH DISTRICT PERSONNEL o Question: How effective has CPAC been? High-water mark--NWIS recommendation. Senior Staff listened to CPACs recommendation. Since then, fewer burning issues, but Senior Staff seems to be listening. oCriticism of CPAC: not enough project staff or end users. o Question: Are we going away from software and hardware consistency across the Division? Likely will not have another big contract for hardware and software, like the DG contract. But, trying to standardize on software to minimize support. DIS can only support a limited amount of software. CPAC trying to determine how to constrain the mix of software and hardware, but still have functionality required by users. o Question: Will G2 continue to be supported? Graphics subgroup to have a report in August. Looking at commercial packages as well as G2. DG-UX, Windows-NT, Solaris, and SGI are the formally-, to loosely-supported OSs. Wednesday, May 14, 1997 DISCUSSION OF DISTRICT MEETING Good turnout; and good questions Discussions of models was different from what was heard in other districts. DISCUSSION OF MEETINGS AT UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Partnering with a group like RiverWeb would be useful. Should USGS belong to Consortium? $100,000 entry price is steep. AI: Verne to follow up on RiverWeb for Division AI: Kevin to follow up on RiverWeb from District perspective. AI: Tom Wood to determine if we are in consortium, and if we should belong. If BRD is a member, does that allow WRD to play? AI: Kevin and Verne to meet with Environmental Hydrology group at NCSA; determine if there is any role for WRD. NCSA, which has traditionally relied on MacIntoshes, is replacing Macs with NT boxes. The principle reasons were the decreasing number of applications for the Macs, the slowness of releases for Macs, and uncertainty about the future of the hardware. They are in the same position as WRD in terms of trying to manage a multitude of hardware and software. ACTION ITEMS FROM LAST MEETING Resend a notice about the FUTCOM2 report as only a summary and a reference to the URL--Graig has given memo to his supervisor for review. Will go out next week. ARCINFO contract: Forward Mark Negri's report that was sent to GIS contacts--done. Prepare a literature search of cost of ownership--on agenda today. DIS to provide Jo An Macy a target request in terms of funds needed to support the Graphics Workgroup--Done. Funding proposal sent in email to Macy on 4/26; no response to date. OWI needs to name a replacement for Jim Whitmer on the charting subgroup--Done; A.D. Long named as OWI representative. Form a subgroup of CPAC to analyze DIS organizational structure and funding--on agenda. Lack of coordination of web activities: Verne to organize meeting between Water Information, Technical Support, and Discipline Offices to address the issue--Minutes are on web page. Who is in charge and who is paying still being evaluated. Lew Wade will have to answer. There are personnel issues; Verne cannot be specific at this time. Are Discipline Offices doing some of their own thing? Still lacking coordination. Beginning to get acceptance of the need to coordinate. Included in NexWIS planning cycle. AI: Email from Kevin to WRD on development efforts related to serving data on Web. Progress on EPUBS Series--not done (Allord). District activities report is a good example of a publication which would work well using EPUB. HASS to develop a Web page to communicate information on development efforts underway in WRD--on agenda. HASS software library--on agenda. TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP--Oberg Handouts from Oberg TCO Literature - Search results 10 articles from Computer Select CD 31 hits from Wilson Periodical database Web sites for Gartner, Giga,.. White papers by vendors No technical journal articles Almost all research is proprietary TCO Numbers Source Type Annual Cost Gartner Group PC $9,784 Forrester Research PC $2,680 Zona Research PC $2,859 Gartner Group NetPC $7,267 Forrester Research NetPC $1,480 Zona Research NC $1,231 Forrester Research Java WS $800 Gartner Group WS $6,010 PC Week - Feb 97 TCO numbers vary widely Assumptions & methods not consistent Unrealistic numbers? (NASA) PC vs. Network Computer battle Recommendation: Use a TCO analysis as starting point Focus on benefits (TBO) Gartner Group Report Cost savings Class vs Win95 PC NC-S Server-centric NC 33% NC-C Client-centric NC 41% NetPC Diskless Win95 PC 26% PC Week - Jan 97 Lower TCO Standard acquisition Configuration and administration Employee education Small incremental changes result in large savings Customers don't always seek help Bring services to them - Be proactive Gartner Group Graph obtained from table in Interpose handout (data are below) 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Best Case $8,851 $7,523 $6,771 $7,177 $7,464 $7,091 Worst Case $8,851 $9,382 $10,133 $11,045 $12,149 $13,485 Summary No common basis for TCO analysis Vendor-specific recommendations TCO for workstations? Pros of TCO Provides start for managing support costs Use for purchase decisions??? Cons of TCO No future planning/opportunities Benefits are not included As part of program review, RCSs are requesting information on 3-year plan for computer purchases for each District. Districts also to provide some limited information on training and support plans. Perhaps this could be start of TCO analysis Is TCO analysis beneficial without analysis of benefits? Probably not. Perhaps TCO analysis could be done on 2 or 3 probable scenarios which Districts may face as they move off of the DGs. What about developing spreadsheet which would allow sites to document assumptions, and then sites could plug in their own costs for analysis. Studies presented by Oberg: lot of work, but they have not provided anything definitive. Would they change any decisions we might make? Probably not. AI: Brady will do TCO for Kansas (volunteered). Important issue: system management affects TCO significantly. See Web page on Cost of Ownership research: http://www.interpose.com/res earch.htm COORDINATION OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT--Lumb Alan sent out 2 drafts--Web page and email. Object oriented class held in Reston; 26 attendees from Reston. Java class to be held; will be open to anyone in WRD who is familiar with object oriented programming. Alan willing to hold object oriented class for division-wide attendees. Could we do a poll of the field to determine interest? This summer, there will be conflicts with NWIS port and NT training. Purpose of JAVA training: Applications, particularly GUIs. Begin applications slowly on something that is relatively small and not time-critical. Develop expertise and modules that can then be used on larger projects. Should plan to have a Java and/or an object-oriented course at NCTM. Maybe use someone from NMD to teach the class. Initial effort to share information on software development was not particularly successful. Information on application, on tools being used in development, and on status of development (software) is needed. AI: Information needed from NRP and Discipline Offices on above issue by June 2. Provide to Alan. AI: HASS to make information available to CPAC to review format and content by end of June. HASS will then announce availability of information to all employees. SOFTWARE LIBRARY PROPOSAL--Lumb Handout from Alan. NWIS, DIS, and HASS met to discuss work Kate Flynn has done. Information put on web; implementation plan also developed. Action items for CPAC developed. Would like to have field participation. Is there a commitment from HASS to provide necessary staff--HASS agrees to provide 1.5 persons to carry on work, but other work will slide. This work is important to make object oriented programming work in WRD. AI: Dave to identify someone in BRR to participate in the workgroup. AI: Graig to see if Randy Fields can continue to participate. AI: Alan to make design of software library available to TAC and CPAC for review. Until there is published documentation on software or software libraries, then the software cannot be disseminated to the public. Alan sees the library for internal use, at least initially. WEB SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT--Matt Williams Problem--data dissemination; USGS specific problem--dissemination of more than 100 years of data for thousands of stations. Solution: used Linux to develop flexible framework to allow for piecewise development and future growth. Everything involved (software) is free. Design philosophy: modular front and back end; flexible and scaleable; internal and external documentation. UNIX independent; Browser independent; language independent; modular; secure; standards-based; self (internally) documented; easy to program; configurable; standard look and feel. Can support any back end database or front end format; currently runs on compressed RDB (text) files. Needs no modification for next database. Has been successfully tested with a free SQL server. Library design allows massive, quick modifications; modular design allows customer functionality for specific need; components can be added or removed without interaction with main framework. First drafts are available for SWR programmers guide and guide to front end. Future work: update peak-flow database; add other daily values; add water-quality database; add GWSI; add Illinoiss custom real-time data; integrate with NWIS. Works with telephone dial-up as well as with LRGS. All stations in network are dialed sequentially, then cycle is repeated. Takes about 70 minutes for cycle, but that can be reduced significantly with multiple modems and other efficiencies. RT application paid for by cooperator--small amount of funding; will continue to get a little from them. Ken Lanfear provided small amount of money to do work with peak flow data. Security hole identified during peak flow work; a little additional money for that. Some additional funding from 2 other cooperators, with some Headquarters money. Generally get money for individual data modules. There has been little coordination/oversight from Headquarters. Can software be delivered to other Districts? Maybe by end of summer. Provided software to NY and H2O. Kevin and Alan met for Alan to review development and progress. COORDINATION OF SERVING DATA ON THE WEB Information on Web is not being reviewed. No checks and balances. Bad information is being placed there for public. District Chiefs are supposed to be reviewing information. AI: Rich to send Oregon's Web policy to CPAC. AI: Kevin to provide CPAC with copy of Illinois policy/forms for serving data during floods. May need to add some more documentation before it is ready for release. Issue related to serving current information during a flood. What should be done before-hand. REPORT ON WEB DEVELOPERS WORKSHOP--Oberg Kevin has draft memo; hope to have workshop at end of July. Focuses on web development; effort to coordinate development activities. Sponsored by CPAC. WEB BROWSER OPTIONS--Wood See report from Wood--CPAC Business Analysis for WWW Browser Support. (http://wwwqvarsa.er.usgs.gov/cpac/docs/netscape.html) Netscape is a cross-platform browser, which is an apparent advantage over Explorer. DIS is recommending that WRD purchase and support Netscape Navigator. Netscape does not run on DG. Can be served to DG using WINCenter Pro, or can use on a Sun, and serve to DGs. Can Frame be opened from Netscape? If you have Frame on a local device, it can be done. AI: DIS to prepare memo to WRD noting that CPAC recommends that WRD move ahead with Netscape, and noting that MOSAIC will no longer be supported. Just because MOSAIC is no longer supported does not mean that it will disappear or can no longer be used. Memo should include note that web pages should still be prepared for Mosaic. CPAC to review memo before release. Issue: What standards are used to develop Web pages? AI: As part of equipment analysis for Division, identify Districts which do not have NT systems, and encourage them to move in that directionGraig AI: Tom to discuss with Lanfear issue of when users can stop writing for Mosaic and begin writing for Netscape Netscape Licensing Terms: technical descriptions and assistance for configuration options; purchase needed elements (hardware and software licenses); expanding web page development limits. CPAC demonstrates some sense of pro-active rather than reactive planning. FRAME 5.0--Wood Handout from Tom on Frame update. History: licenses for Frame 4.0 on DG were never recognized as a valid license. Therefore, upgrade path requires that we go through Adobe. Received price for upgrade. Support not included in the prices; support is available at 20 percent of purchase price. We have not used their support much in the past. DIS plans to go out with memo to WRD to determine interest in upgrades. Will allow upgrades on NT and on UNIX machines other than DG. CPAC recommends that we move ahead. DIS will move templates as needed. PREPARATION OF ANNUAL DATA REPORT USING TEMPLATES--Lumb and Schneider Alan met with Sr. Techs and asked if a cookbook approach for preparing Annual Report using Frame would be useful. Techs felt that the approach would not be useful. Paulachok committee recommended that the FrameMaker Annual Report workgroup be reconvened to develop templates using Frame so that all Districts prepare annual report in same manner using standardized software, and that there is less duplication. AI: Tom and Verne to (1) talk with Water Information about the issue; (2) to ask Data Chiefs for information on methods used by various Districts; and (3) to identify person who will take lead on developing standardized procedure for creating annual data report tables from DG. May also only want to document and distribute existing methods, rather than generating new method. Goal is to have process available by October 1. COMPUTING IN THE ILLINOIS DISTRICT Handout from District DIS SUBGROUP REPORT--Mrazik and Bales Presentation of preliminary report. Most CPAC members felt that development of standardized releases of operating system support was important; that DIS should support and standardize operating systems for Sun, SGI, DG, and NT. AI: Circulate draft of report to CPAC by June 15, for comments back by July 1. Some members of committee support a stronger statement on support of centralized computer support. Possibly use staff in field, or move some of Reston staff to field. Priorities should be in report. Possibly take assumption about level funding out of report; rather look at functions and customer satisfaction. Need report to be independent from Lynch committee report, which seems to be focusing on funds and less on functions. NWIS IMPLEMENTATION--Lumb On schedule; will start on May 26. Tapes will be sent out the previous week. Meeting last week between TAC and NWIS. Detailed instructions completed, reviewed, and revised. NWIS staff will provide telephone and email support (0800 - 2200 M-F; 0800 - 2000 Sat - Sun); some staff to be equipped with cell phones. A person who has some knowledge and experience in installation will be sent to the District. Starts during each of 3 cycles should be staggered. Prime support at installation sites will receive priority during installation. TAC wants every site to send in a brief daily summary; sites may not understand when they need help. AMDAHL ISSUES--Schneider Dont have well-documented time line to get off Amdahl; related to our ability to serve data on web. Software to compare historic WATSTORE DVs and DVs in District databases has been completed, and comparison has been done for all Districts except for Texas. Numbers are not compared, only existence of record. Handout from Lumb on results of comparisons. Memo will go out next week informing Districts of this process. When Illinois web system can serve historic DVs, then Districts will no longer have to upload data to WATSTORE. WATSTORE--Schneider EPA will direct users to our web site, rather than to WATSTORE; will get a letter of agreement from EPA on this issue. 17 Districts have agreements to provide monthly updates of QW data to WATSTORE. USGS will request to allow Districts to upload data directly to STORET. Verne will send memo next week to Districts asking them if they want to review GWSI data on Amdahl. Peak flow files: number one priority; it is on NWIS enhancement list for this summer. Station header information: Difference may exist between what is available on h2o server and what is on WATSTORE; must provide EPA with complete information, which is on WATSTORE. AI: Progress report evaluation of on web database serving tool. Will WATSTORE be a complete reflection of ADAPS? USGS does not rely on WATSTORE data, but on ADAPS. NOVEMBER 97 NWIS RELEASE ENHANCEMENTS--Lumb Interim report on planned enhancements. Completion of enhancements to be done by end of August, with testing in September. Source of identification of enhancement--problem tracking; user group feedback; results of questionnaire. Will get feedback on preliminary list of enhancements (and priorities) from user groups, Discipline Offices, Regional Computer Specialists, and CPAC. (Request sent May 29th, with deadline of June 13.) NexWIS STRATEGIC PLANNING--Lumb and Schneider See document on /var/ftp/pub/CPAC/NexWIS_disc_paper.doc (qvarsx). Office of Technical Support developing Strategic Plan for NexWIS, first phase to be completed by October 1997. Review and input being solicited from CPAC. Senior Staff does not want to get involved in planning; Hirsch wants Senior Board involvement, but Wade seems to want to pass planning activities off to CPAC. Policy Council and Director may also get involved in a review capacity. NWIS is soliciting review and input from CPAC on the NexWIS Action Plan, with a focus on technology assessments, high-level system architecture, and software engineering methods. Using a contractor for development of Action Plan. There are two phases in the contract; phase one is funded, but phase two not yet funded. Goal is develop a target architecture and options for implementation. Senior Staff wants assurance that NWIS has looked at alternatives closely. AI: Preliminary report on high-level architecture, business analysis to be used, etc. to be provided to CPAC prior to next meeting. Report by contractors. NWIS is soliciting review and input from CPAC on the draft NexWIS stakeholder analysis, focusing on the key question of whether any stakeholders have been overlooked. ISSUES FOR NEXT MEETING AI: DIS to do business analysis for statistical packages. NEW ISSUES - - ---------- Coordination of New Releases such as: o New DG/UX release o Open INgres/Open Road o AIS o Arc 3/ Arc View Dependencies -AIS: No issue with Open Ingres -NWIS: the existing NWIS works with Open Ingres but OpenIngres failed in multi-user, multi-database mode. A new release of OpenIngres with fixes will be required. -DG/UX: Rich Hollway says TAC has not received a copy of the new OS yet but it should be shipped in a couple of weeks; They are planning extensive testing the last week of September pending the availability of funding Linda Pratt asked Kevin Oberg about the Web Workshop and whether its purpose was primarily training. Kevin said that he didn't see training as the main focus of the the workshop but rather the developers brainstroming and sharing with each other where they were on their respective projects. Next Meetings August 19 (8:30) - 20 (4:00), in Manchester, New Hampshire November 18 (8:30) - 20 (noon), in Raleigh, North Carolina SUMMARY OF ACTION ITEMS AI: Verne to follow up on RiverWeb for Division AI: Kevin to follow up on RiverWeb from District perspective. AI: Tom Wood to determine if we are in consortium, and if we should belong. If BRD is a member, does that allow WRD to play? AI: Kevin and Verne to meet with Environmental Hydrology group at NCSA; determine if there is any role for WRD. AI: Email from Kevin to WRD on development efforts related to serving data on Web. AI: Brady will do TCO for Kansas (volunteered). AI: Information needed from NRP and Discipline Offices on development of software and application tools by June 2. Provide to Alan. AI: HASS to make information available on coordination of software development to CPAC by end of June for reivew of format and content. HASS will then announce availability of information to all employees. AI: Schultz to identify someone in BRR to participate in the software library workgroup. AI: Graig to see if Randy Fields can continue to participate in software library workgroup. AI: Alan to make design of software library available to TAC and CPAC for review. AI: Rich to send Oregon's Web policy to CPAC. AI: Kevin to provide CPAC with copy of Illinois policy/forms for serving data during floods. May need to add some more documentation before it is ready for release. AI: DIS to prepare memo to WRD noting that CPAC recommends that WRD move ahead with Netscape, and noting that MOSAIC will no longer be supported. Just because MOSAIC is no longer supported does not mean that it will disappear or can no longer be used. Memo should include note that web pages should still be prepared for Mosaic. CPAC to review memo before release. AI: As part of equipment analysis for Division, identify Districts which do not have NT systems, and encourage them to move in that direction--Graig AI: Tom to discuss with Lanfear issue of when users can stop writing for Mosaic and begin writing for Netscape. AI: Regarding production of the annual report, Tom and Verne to (1) talk with Water Information about the issue; (2) to ask Data Chiefs for information on methods used by various Districts; and (3) to identify person who will take lead on developing standardized procedure for creating annual data report tables from DG. May also only want to document and distribute existing methods, rather than generating new method. Goal is to have process available by October 1. AI: DIS subgroup to circulate draft of DIS subgroup report to CPAC by June 15, for comments back by July 1. AI: Progress report evaluation of on web database serving tool--Verne and Alan. AI: Preliminary report on high-level architecture, business analysis to be used, etc. to be provided to CPAC prior to next meeting. Report by contractors. AI: DIS to do business analysis for statistical packages. Prepared by Jerad Bales - ------- End of Forwarded Message ------- End of Forwarded Message