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Attendees
Town Meeting
Agenda and Meeting Minutes
Tuesday Notes Wednesday Notes Thursday Notes
Pending Action Items
Action Items

Constituent Reports:

Senior Staff Report
Data Chiefs Report
District Chiefs Report
AO Report
Study Chiefs Report

Data Chief -- Richmond, VA

Welcome and Introductions/Agenda Review
Presented by: Bob Swanson (Chair)

Bob kicked off the meeting with a Welcome and Introductions/Agenda Review, Introduction of ITAC members and GIO guests, and Introductions of Iowa WSC Staff.

Iowa Water Science Center Overview
Presented by: Rob Middlemis-Brown
Expected Outcome: Overview of the Iowa Water Science Center

Hydrologic divide-

• Eastern 2/3 goes to the Mississippi
• Western 1/3 goes to the Missouri
  

Most altered landscape in the nation (tall grass prairie > row crop)

• Corn and Soybeans
  

State & National Water Issues

• Land use Changes
• Row crops
• CAFO - feedlots
• Altered Hydrology
• Artificial Drainage
• "Tiles in Iowa are 1st order streams" - Bob Hirsch
• 1 million miles of tile and more every year
• Channel alteration
• Impaired waterways
• increased 10 fold in 30 years
  

2008 Flood

• Above normal precip, below normal temp, minimal plant cover, soil moisture above normal.
• Streamflow was below normal
• more that doubled Cedar Rapids peak since 1903
• Precip average increased 15% while discharge went up 65%
• Watershed coefficient - more water ending up in the stream. for every inch of precip-more water reaches stream, which was the purpose of drainage improvements.
• Phosphorus loads - 10 fold increase during flood. from 2 lbs/? to 28 lbs/?
  

2010 conditions

• complete crown cover from crops
• more soil saturation
  

The Future- Real-time flood mapping. Was exciting in 2008, but stalled out. Silverjackets group in Iowa. Has statewide LiDAR.

Iowa IT

• have several real-time nitrate probe.
• two-way communication with field equipment
  

Offices

• Ft. Dodge-5
• Council Bluffs-5
• Iowa City-40
• Surface water and water quality. Program ~$5M and about evenly split with data and studies.
• 1 RGE - Dana Kolpin

Ia WSC Flood Crews were out collecting critical flood measurements during June 2008.

Iowa Water Science Center IT Overview
Presented by: Shawn Noble
Expected Outcome: Information Exchange

http://ia.water.usgs.gov/usgs.IT/policy/it_roles.html
Shawn is chair of SunTAC

Two full-time people and one student (vacant)

• Shawn (Jack) Noble
• Brian Lehan-Mackin
  

Iowa IT User Base

• Iowa City 37
• Ft. Dodge 5
• Council Bluffs 6
  

Desktops

• Each user has a "power user" desktop and two monitors.
• heavy users (GIS) have GIS desktop
• Overhead covers the standard "power user" desktop and two monitors.

Laptops (all managed by the computer sections)

• All field people have own laptop
• primarily ruggedized toughbooks
• primarily CF-18/CF-19 convertible tablet
• Laptops purchased with project funds
• About 1/2 of non-field people that have laptops for meetings, working from home.

Handhelds primarily used by field users

• mostly HP IPAQs and mostly the Iowa City field office
• currently no smart phone usage, but a couple on order. (HTC Pro Touch with mobile windows)
  

Refresh frequency was 3 years, but now about 4 years. Don't need the horsepower. Pretty good working capital fund for equipment.

Printers spread out throughout the office

• one in each section (data, each field office, lab, studies, admin, IT)
• one dedicated to AO.
• 2 large format plotters (42" and 36")

Sun Servers (6 servers) pretty unique arranagement.

Windows Servers (4)

• Server1- DHCP
• Server2- Ghost Server
• Server3-Windows Terminal Server (GRSAT, SiteVisit) everybody logs in and runs this for anything with a display. Thinks this solved the speed issue. one click into wts. Kevin asked if they open up the firewall ports to allow remote access thru VPN for GRSAT and SiteVisit.
• Server4-Windows Storage Server (GIS), data sync'd from GIS Desktops to Server4
• Replacement for Server3 in procurement
• Replacement for Server1 & 2 in next 6-12 months.
  

Telephone System

• Older Lucent Merlin Magix PBX
• Created Working Capital Fund for a new Telephone System
• Plan to purchase new phone system in 2 years
• GIO has a "cash for clunkers" deal that contributes 30% of cost for new VOIP system
  

Boyce asked if they have a single or double T1 line. Have a single. Boyce said getting a double will really help network speed.

IT Operations -

Desktops

• Deployment by Ghost and Prism Deploy
• Use a GPO to deploy Symantec Endpoint Protection
  

Backups

• Nightly
• 30 days are kept
• Monthly off-site keeps sent to Ft. Dodge
• Encryption now used on NWIS file systems
• Sun backups automatically verified nightly
• Archive
• Projects archive onto a DVD (3 copies - project chief, Ft. Dodge, and keep one)
  

Status of 6 month priorities

eDEP most installed

• 2-factor
• 2 users (IT Staff) have activated cards
  need closer activation station than Ames (2 hrs away)
  

FDCC

• 4 field office laptops remain
  

FBMS

• installed on all 3 Admin Staff Desktops
• POAM Remediation-Think the ones that they can close are closed.
• Office 2007/2010 is about 95% complete. 2010 package is installed and tested
• Role Based Security Training. Both IT spec got 10 hours of training. Terri reminded them to self certify.
  

Current Projects

• Web refresh going on
• Windows 7
• Environmental monitoring device
  • computer Room
  • monitors, temp smoke, humidity, water on floor, power
• Wireless access for conference room
  

Questions
Dave McCormack asked if there are a lot of non-standard apps deployed. Shawn said Prism makes that pretty easy.

Dave McCormack asked if they liked doing a lot of different things. Shawn said enjoyed doing a lot of different things.

Updates and Issues for ITAC - Office of Water Information
Presented by: Katherine Lins
Expected Outcome: Information Exchange

MobileAlert a success and needs to have a long-term plan for maintenance and new feature development.

Burl Goree continues to support Windows Mobile applications.

Water Information has done IT reviews primarily focused on NWIS. Need another FTE to do Terri Moore-type work, but headquarters has been asking her to hold off. Now have a PD, and announcement put together. Now a freeze on all HQ hires during the reorg.

• Some success with having GIO participate in the center reviews. Addition of Alan Wiser on the last review was a boost.
• ITAC will continue to advocate for the Science Center reviews
  

Working with GIO to coordinate the development of NHD dataset and work with the Jeff Simley GIO to get Water's interests and concerns over NHD on the desk.

Katherine sees ITAC as an extension of Water Information.

Questions-David McCulloch asked where Katherine sees the Office of Water Information landing in the new organization. Katherine thinks Water Information will be in Water but working closely with Data Integration & Integrity.

Updates and Issues for ITAC - NWIS
Presented by: Susan Trapanese
Expected Outcome: Information Exchange

Just got done testing the NWIS 4.10 release for later this summer.

recommending NWIS conversion to Oracle. testing in FY11 and implementation over in FY12

• INGRES contracts expire 2012. Every time we have to justify staying with INGRES. Right now it would not cost us any extra to liscense. There are advanced features in Oracle that we might be able to make use of.
• Going to be painful but in our best interest. Convergence of many issues. Contract cost us $500K/year for support. Oracle has an enterprise agreement with USGS, so data integration is better.
• If Oracle changes licensing to a CPU cost model instead of a per user model, that could hurt us.
• Ordered 4 new Sun Servers to test Oracle implementation.
• Average science center would need a little more memory and disk space. Might consider purchasing new server then and operating the INGRES and Oracle side-by-side.
• HIF and SLEDs folks rely on INGRES. Some SQL requests may still work and some may not.
• 4.11 will be the last rev for core enhancements and bug fixes until 2013. No new changes until after Oracle implementation.
• Aquatics Informatics is coming along very quickly on a replacement for NWIS all the way from the gage-to-the-page. Showed it off at the Data Conference. Joe Neilson is very excited about the possibilities. GW and QW not addressed in the AI package.

Central Region CTO Update (Presentation)
Presented by: Dave McCormack
Expected Outcome: Information Exchange

Budget a little over $2M (1.6 from GIO ITSO and .5 Sharable)

Staffing

• 3 tech support
• 2 systems/server support
• 4 telecommunication
• 3 systems security
• 1 IT Analyst/Planner
• 2 messaging/SharePoint
• 2 AD, Service Desk
  

Customer Philosophy

• Know your customer
• Know what they have
• Know what they want
• Know where they are going
• Know how to get them there
  

Katherine asked if they support S.A.s who might need higher level support and hand holding. David said "it depends". WSC SAs and others can request help. The CTO support is mostly used by the Regional Director and Centrally located regional offices.

Katherine thinks that it is very important for the CTOs to develop a personal relationship with SAs.

Boyce pointed out that it is often confusing when communications come out from various sources and the SAs don't know who they have to respond to or the balance of prorities.

Shaun Noble said that in the past they needed an advocate and a sounding board for issues. David offered himself as a contact for those types of items.

DIET - DOI Innovations and Efficiencies Team.

• will be collecting data on hardware and systems
• Locations
• OS
• Applications
• Bandwidth
• Customer
  

Inventory USGS Server Rooms

• DOI definition is 3 servers and a switch or router
  

New Goal for the New Decade

• Provide information to anyone, from anywhere at any time
• similar to the NWIS mantra "Data where you want it, when you want it, how you want it, from where you want it"
  

Katherine recommended that Dave try to find a way to develop relationships with the regional SAs.

SUNTAC Update (Presentation)
Presented by: Shawn Noble

Sun Technical Advisory Committee funded by OWI through NWIS

• Address Sun/Solaris technical issues and provide recommendations to support WRD Sun/Solaris
• Create detailed instructions to SAs in the Centers that run Solaris
• Provide Security recommendations and links to fixes
• Provide solutions for the field to assist with their NWIS C&A
• Email informal Help Desk
• Compile and package of software
• Members from WSCs, GIO, and OWI
  • Shawn Noble
  • David Boldt
  • Doug Burkhardt
    
  • Rich Hollway
  • Scott McFarlane
  • James Montoya
  • Jim Morris
  • Greg Shank
  • Dan Winkless
  • Steve Zehl

Products

• OS STIG
• Encrypted Backups
• Help Guides
• Training classes (Shawn and Steve taught Solaris classes at DFC)
• Email Archive
• Help Desk
• IT Reviews
• Hardware
  

Provides OS Installation Instructions
http://unix.usgs.gov/solaris/solaris10_clean.html

Application Software

• Moving more toward using Solaris provided packages (samba, ssh, etc.)
• Solaris Packages
• RPM Packages - one line of commands to install a package
  

Solaris Security Patch Cluster

• Released quarterly
• Pull Sun's patch cluster down and make modifications
• Testing performed by Sun TAC sites and by NWIS SOS
  • 3-4 weeks to complete. Critical security issues handled quicker
  • Machines include all common hardware types
    

Individual Security issues

• Address security issues reported by Bugtraq
• Issues are judged by severity and immpact
• Solutions are sent to the field, Lotus Alias GS-W SA All
  

Security Verification Script I

• Solaris Security Check Script (SSC)
• Verify sites are following Sun TAC Guidance
• Patch clusters are installed
• Each item returns OK, WARNING, or ACCEPT
  

Security Verification Script II

• Reports systems that are out of compliance
• Output sent to NWIS Security web page: http://smtp.water.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/secrep
• Monitored by NWIS Security Team
  

Intrusion Detection Script, Sumcheck

• Risk Assessment Control, SI-7 Software and Information Integrity
• Written by Sun TAC
  

Review of Log Entries - LogCheck

• Risk Assessment Controls
  • AU-6 and AC-13
• Free ware program compiled and distributed by Sun TAC
• Provides regular (hourly review of system log entries)
  

Disaster Recovery

• Taught class at ITEM
• Recover from a Disaster
  http://unix.usgs.gov/solaris/disaster_recovery.html
• Lost/Forgotten root password
  http://unix.usgs.gov/solaris/missing_passwd.html
  

Resource for C&A Solutions

• Provides advice, solutions, and documentation for NWIS-wide Risk Assessment Controls
• Provides Technical solutions for POA&Ms
  

Active Directory (AD) - Authentication for C&A Solution for UNIX

• AD Authentications, meets requirements for AC-2, AC-7, AC-11
• One less password to remember
• password aging, password complexity, and session locking
  

Encrypted Backups - C&A Solution for UNIX

• Encrypted backups, meeting MP-5 control
• Satisfies requirements for off-site NWIS backup tapes
  

Help Guides to SAs

• Disk and File System Configuration
• Network Scanning Guidance
• Solaris 10 Services
• Setting up Printers
  

Solaris Training

• Week long Solaris 10 Sys Admin training
• Hands-on training. Students built their own servers. Thursday geared towards troubleshooting and disaster recovery. Last day test.
• 12 attendees per training, 6 training servers
• 5 classes taught, approx 58 attendees
• Geared towards new SAs who administer Windows but have limited Unix experience
• Three classes taught at ITEM.
  • low attendance at intro class but a lot of attendees for advanced classes
  • Intro to Solaris
    Advanced Solaris
  • ZFS-Zeta File System -
    • Might move to this from UFS when we go to Oracle.
      More sophisticated than UFS. Does more.
      

All-SA Emails
All-SA email archive http://unix.usgs.gov/solaris/sa_notes/
Sends out solutions

Help Desk

• Email GS-W Help Sun
• Phone calls and IMs
  

IT Reviews

• Avenue to assist sites
• Review C&A documentation for NWIS
• Verify controls are in place
• Document recommendations for compliance
  

Hardware

• Conduit to assist the sites when upgrading hardware
• EOSL (end of service life dates) for current NWIS servers
  • V240, 11/30/2012
  • V440, 11/30/2012
  • V245, 07/31/2013
  • V445, 7/31/2013
  • V880, 6/30/2011
• Replacement Hardware
  • Sunfire M3000 (will fit for most sites) Approx $15,000
  • Sunfire M4000 (larger sites, CA, TX, TL) Approx $40,000
  • Sunfire M5000 (large site option)

Challenges

• Keeping up with software updates
• Sun providing more freeware (open source) applications

Iowa WSC Presentation - Annual Water Data Report Scripts
Presented by: Ed Fischer

Scripts are written in several different languages

Writes documentation and provides support to users

http://water.usgs.gov/usgs/adr/

Scripts written in mid 1990s.

Early versions helped centers automate Annual Water Data Report and were called the AAR scripts. Created simple hydrograph.

• Merrit Blalock wrote them. Eastern Region Comp. Specialist. Ed F. took over maintenance of the scripts in 2001 when Merritt retired.
  

Section 508 compliance in 2002

Brian Reece incorporated the manuscript into SIMS ca. 2004

2005, moved away from Framemaker to MS Word.

Move to SIMS provided for a single point process.

2006, all water science centers used the scripts ADRs were online

2010, Team Members: Gary Fisher (team lead), Ed Fischer, David McCullough, Brian Reece, Deanna Eames Terry, Sonya Vasquez.

Testing MS Word 2010, opens current site data sheets. Will be testing Windows 7.

New scripts for the WQ data this year.

• QW tabbed export.
• Worked with Y. Stoker to develop.
  

Should be ready by Oct 1. Testing against NWIS 4.10

Transition to Oracle, should not have impact. Scripts use output routines from NWIS. Scripts answer the questions. Output routines will be converted to Oracle.

Iowa WSC Presentation - Emerging Contaminant Studies
Presented by: Dana Kolpin

Multiple disciplinary team

Funded through Toxics program

Are compounds in the environment, what are adverse ecological health effects,

what can we do to minimize their entry into environment.
2002 paper published

Integrated with source-to-receptor research

Potential sources

• human
• animal
• source pathways
  • environment
  • wastewater treatment plant
  • surface runoff
  • land applications
• few data available to document
  

paper published by India, on PPM levels downstream

Forensic Study Design

• Unknowns ID'd in early samples
• Standards obtained to develop quantitative method
  

National Study 2006-2009

• 23 sites
• 7 Pharmaceuticals
  

Transport and Fate

• Quantify transformation processes (dilution, sorption, biodegradation, abiotic transformation)
• In order to minimize ecologic effects, it is essential to understand how a contaminant moves and is altered in the environment.
• Research being conducted
  • Fate through WWTPs (WERF, Metcalf & Eddy,and University of AZ)
  • Fate through DWTPs (USGS, USEPA)
  • Surface transport (2 research basins: Boulder Creek, CO and Fourmile Creek, IA)
  • Subsurface transport
• In-stream Study of ECs
  • Effluent impacted systems
  • background data show multiple ECs present
  • Relatively small basin sizes
  • Understanding the flow system
  • controls present above WWTPs
  • WWTPs undergoing major changes (50 million upgrade)
• In Our Streams: Prozac and Pesticides, article in Time, August 2003
• Antidepressant Pharmaceuticals
  • All effect neurotransmitters in the brain
• Antidepressants in Fourmile Creek
  • wide variety of antidepressants
• Boulder Creek
  • Venlafaxine highest concentration in both water and sediment

Iowa WSC Presentation - Automated Hydrologics Model Updating and Web Interface
Presented by: Brian Lehan-Mackin and Dan Christiansen

Idea to put ARC GIS on the web

Currently in test environment

• Dell Optiplex GX280
  

ArcGIS Server Setup

• .Net vs Java
• .Net (IIS Web Server, dependency on Visual studio)
• Java (Tomcat Web server)
  

Server configuration

• Basic
• layers are pubished on a dbase via Arc catalog
• ArcGIS Manager
  • Easy set up
    

What type of Web App Development Tools should we use

• Flex Framework - flash builder V4
• JavaScript (no cost)
• Silverlight (MS version of flash)
  

Secure Web Delivery

• Enterprise Secure Apps Service (eSAS) - ITSOT recommended
  • Proxy Server
  • Compliance with DOI/USGS Security
  • Redundancy
  • Threat Monitoring
    

Automated Hydrologic Model ( Dan Christiansen)

• AML program that runs every morning
• strictly stream flow modeling
• Precipitation Runoff Modeling System (PRMS)
• Cedar River basin calibrated model
  

Automation Process

• Python Code that grabs data from NWIS and IOWA Mesonet sites
• Code inputs into a data file and puts it in to where model sets

Iowa WSC Presentation - Remote Operation of Wetland Water-Quality Monitoring Equipment
Presented by: Bob Buchmiller (Laura Hubbard-Wagner)

Cloned project that was done in Wisconsin earlier.

Cooperator is EPA in Cincinnati.

EPA wanted to use the same technology that was used in Wisconsin (cell phone/modem technology)

Location: Bailey Carpenter Wetland (Skunk River Basin near Des Moines)

Restored wetlands that NRCS had constructed "cells"

Polk County, drainage Area~2 sq mi, wetland area 1 sq mi.

North and south dikes were constructed in summer 2003

Two tile lines were removed

data/communications (cell phone modem)

Stage/Velocity Instruments

• Sontek Argonaut SW (Inlet)
• ISCO 2150 Flow Meter (outlets),
• ISCO autosamplers- with 2-way communication can change the interval and the thresholds of when to collect samples
  

Advantages

• Flexibility of datalogger system from the office remotely
• Allow site to change data collection parameters
• Freedom to add sensors

Iowa WSC Presentation - Eclipse
Presented by: Steve Anders

Phase one electronic field form for Surface Water users

Currently set up for Colorado WSC

Runs on a PC

Create new visits, existing visits

Imports new site, syncs with NWIS dbase.

Based off of Access Dbase.

Can view file after download to laptop

Can direct upload to NWIS

VPN upload is an option

Can archive directly to server and sets them to read only.

SWAMI doesn't have any type of archiving engine in it currently.

Upload is done by secure shell (SSH), FTP upload in a secure manner that doesn't require staging. It goes directly in to the dbase.

Bureau CTO Update (migration to Windows 7)
Presented by: Paul Exter (by phone)

Information Technology and Security Office

Dept of the Interior Chief Information Officer has changed

• New : CIO (formerly of FWS), Bernard J. Mazer
  • "Hord Tipton-like" CIO
  • very much into centralization, not so much into allowing variances
• Deputy CIO hired yesterday(formerly of DoJ or Treasury)
  • Name?
    

Telecommunicatons

• Big 9 Issues
  • Remote Access (Two Factor Authentication)
  • some users will be able to use passwords and/or cards
  • Trying to migrate users based on their activated card status in response to complaints
    
• TIC
  • Originally 2 approved Gateways - Reston & Denver
  • Pushed back - now have verbal approval for 5 Gateways: Reston, Denver, Menlo Park, Sioux Falls, Alaska
  • Every federal network must go through these gateways; thought federal, trusted internet connections.
    • Example - joint connection through a university would no longer be allowed
      

Computing Infrastructure

• Browser STIGs; BUTST working on non-IE STIGs
• Only IE receives security updates from the OS, so other browsers are non-compliant, as they don't get security updates
  

Unified Messaging

• Mail will be stored off-site
• Pilot at two locations. Pilot contract signed last week (June 19)
• Communication lines are being installed
• 5 GB mailbox
• MS Outlook will be the full client
  • Macs need Office 2008
• IM, Calendaring, E-mail
  • All included - Blackberry included in the IM
• Solution run by 3rd party
• Web Outlook client
• Will be using Department Rules for messaging
  • Different restrictions on mail settings; who is able to access or share mail
  • Will not be able to have mail sent to home computers - off Federal computers, it will only be through Web Access. Web Access will have different content, for example, attachments will not be included in Web Access
  • Can't pop your mail
• Migration of mailboxes is a department responsibility. Lotus forms, etc is a Bureau responsibility
• LDAP question - will it be shut down?
• LDAP will be restricted; will not be able to POP mail
  

Active Directory

• Will be required to receive mail
• Messaging platform is based on AD
• Part of the messaging is standardizing the directory service under AD. First thing will be to start pointing Lotus applications to the AD.
  

Upcoming USGS Decisions

• GIO to present 4 options to ELT on:
  • Cost - local resources will be needed to deploy the packages and setup accounts.
  • First 8M funded by the Department. The rest of the cost is up to the USGS
  • Schedule (March 2011)
  • Resources
  • Impacts
  • Things are going to break.
    eg - Lotus is more deeply integrated into systems than is shown at HQ level - processes built at Center levels that may be so behind the scenes now that they're practically invisible (automatic mail forwarding). These things might not be recalled until they break.
  • Decision == Funding
    

Katherine said that there needs to be an adequate Mac resources in this effort. It is usually just shrugged off. Can't do that any more

DOI Access

• New Requirements for how you bring on a person and how you get User IDs for said new users (hires, volunteers, affiliates, etc.)
• Anyone needing more than 60 days must go through DOI Access program (i.e. DOI background check and smart card)
  • Wide spread problems with not being able to bring people on in a timely manner. Currently, lots of questions about student hires
  • User ID is not set by IT specialist - user ids are set by DOI Access system. It does not release these user IDs until background check and fingerprints (etc.) have cleared
• Less than 60 days-don't need any of this.
• What's that mean?
  • Start early
• Working on temporary ID solution to avoid problems and delays
  • If you don't have the check cleared or the finger prints back. Can waiver the process.
  • Form for expedited release of the user ID
  • Use this judiciously!

Data Center Consolidation
Data Center is:

• 3 servers and a router
• Preliminary inventory completed
• Next requirement is a comprehensive,detailed list of equipment in the computer room inventory Deadline - July 30, 2010
• OMB Requirement for Consolidated Inventory
  • Data calls to Science Centers asking for Inventory
    or
    Agent loaded on USGS systems to "provide a repeatable systematic collection method for IT assets via electronic auto discovery tools that will scan the network and provide reports."
    
    SAs may be able to add or verify location to servers in 10 minutes
• Strong preference for Data calls
  

May try to make a difference between servers that access information outside of the Science Center. Negative impacts of people incside the center would be experiencing latency in accessing the WAN as opposed to the LAN.

Case that they are making

• most machines are completely local
• resources are only across LAN; never moving outside of the Center across WAN to the internet or other Centers
• latency involved for centers to lose their local servers would have a negative business impact
  

FDCC

• IG Testing is particularly looking at Admin Access and non-IE browsers. Non-IE browsers need to be STIG'd like IE. The BUTST is currently working on STIGs for Firefox, Safari, and Opera.
• The IG finished testing in Denver.
• The first MAC training class is being held at the Denver Training Center this week. Additional USGS Mac training classes will be rolled out in 2 months.
  

Windows 7

• Need to use the right version - Windows 7 Enterprise
• Do not move any users over that use FBMS (Financial process system)
• XP is the approved operating system.
  • Windows 7 is not supported yet. It will be supported later.
  • We have asked centers to start installing the software.
  • XP virtual machine will work for folks using FBMS that centers want to move over to Windows 7
• Windows 7 is more memory and caching efficient that XP and faster than XP.
  • Paul will check on the performance of Windows 7 on older machines. Might be a way to extend some of the life cycle on center computers.
• Offices in USGS do not have to purchase Windows 7 licenses for any purchased equipment through this enterprise agreement.
• Systems purchased outside of the enterprise agreement such a Macs, that want to dual boot to Windows 7 will need to purchase a separate license. Centers that like to build their own systems will need to purchase their own Windows 7 license as well.
  

Security

• 5,000 POA&Ms and trying to remediate them.
• 2 POA&M families had a March 17 deadline and over 50% of sites did not close any POA&Ms.
• Reworking the strategy for POA&M completion
  • Memo & Deadline did not work
  • New plan - individual office visits and assistance to help centers close POA&Ms.
    

Threat Management

• 75% completed in the Bureau.
• Requesting Centers migrate to eDEP by the end of summer

Patch Management Reporting

• Working on a SCCM architechture to evaluate deployment
• Removes potential of GIO or Dept to install agent on user computers to track compliance
  

Data at Rest (DAR)

• Still in pilot mode
• Testing the software solution that the department purchased and analyzing results
  

Six Month Plan

• POA&M remediation
• Validate FCC
• Complete eRAS and TFA
• Complete eDEP
• Install FBMS
• Complete Macintosh migratoins
• FISSA+ and RBST
• Upgrade Office 2003 to 2007/2010 by the end of summer
  

6-12 Month Priority Plan

• POA&M Remediation
• Data at Rest
• ePMR
• FDCCI
• GFE (Memo on the Government Furnished Equipment will be sent)
  

In the near future the GIO will begin announcements on the migration to a Unified Messaging system.

Will be sending instructions soon saying to load Outlook when configuring a machine, even if/when Outlook is not activated

DIET - Department Innovation and Efficiency Team

6 components of Diet:

• Thin computing (not likely to affect the USGS)
• Workstation Reduction (number of machines to an individual)
• Radio site consolidation
• Unified messaging - move from 8 existing systems to 1 (Microsoft Outlook)
• Data Center consolidation
  • By end of July we need a detailed inventory of every device in our computer rooms for the Dept. The GIO put together an initial inventory from AD, but it doesn’t match what we actually have. The inventory did not include all of our non AD systems such as our Linux, MAC and UNIX devices. We have two options to send in an accurate inventory.
    
    We can ask the science centers to inventory by using IP Control (map IP address to the host name of the computer). We need to get all the Non windows/non AD systems inventoried.
    
    Have the Dept install agents and do the inventory.
    Infrastructure consolidation- application, server, data center, network consolidation. Six projects related to initiative. Co-locate and consolidate data centers. An example of network consolidation would be multiple circuits coming in to a shared facility by multiple disciplines. Consolidation would require them to share a circuit instead of having several circuits in to the facility.
  • Risk-based Information Security Services
    
    Potentially the biggest win
    
    We are working with the department in rewriting the security handbook to be more risk-based instead of "stopped" based.
    
    Also working with the department on how we are doing our C&A to be more risk based.
    

Smart Phones

• The Blackberry is the only supported and managed device by the Department.
• The goal is to support and manage the Android and iPhone.
• We currently have no way to track and manage the Android and iPhone.
• If we request support for smart phones there will be an additional fee.

Data Integration Team Update (Presentation)
Presented by: David McCulloch

Live demo Web Feature Services in ArcMap - how Water got involved with the Council of Data Integration

Genesis:

Council for Data Integration (CDI) was having trouble with ArcMap and the ability to use Web Feature Services. Dave had written a description of the problem that was submitted to ESRI. Conversation began - CDI wanted the ability to access various USGS "corporate" data sets.

Dave wrote a NWIS Web Services tool., initially a web service pulling site file data

Point of tool - showing how to query NWIS to pull site file data

(demo of Initial "NWIS Web Services Tool")

• ArcMap browser window brings up web page with NWIS Web station information page
• NWIS services are already exposed to potential developers
• Tool pulls in site information, unit & daily values
• Developed without consulting (intentionally) NWIS team. Took him an afternoon to do, just using the documentation from NWIS.
• A general lack of "practitioners" within the GIO
  

Council of Data Integration has labeled this the "McCulloch Model"

Fundamental problem

GIO/GIS users, even GIS support users, are no longer practitioners.

They don't have the fundamental understanding on how to set up a Web Service from NWIS Web. They don't model GW data themselves. Some disagreement within the Data Integration Committee about what to use for a GIS Platform. Dave "decide who the customer is. If it is the USGS, then we already pay $6.5M a year for ESRI GIS services and we should use what we are paying for"

Question about the NWIS Web Services Tool:

• pulls in 2 types of service, the query of the XML file (as pulled by the Web Service) and the web mapping service, which overlays the location of the sites.
  

Brian Reece has also been working on a program to pull NWIS data from the local Water Science Centers using NWIS Web Services and creating a local geodatabase copy of the stations of interest. Council of Data Integration may eventually pursue a "McCulloch-Reece" model.

Data not in the web service - well construction data (still internal only, as the data is not of sufficient quality to host nationally), water quality

Status report on the GIS Position Paper
Presented by: David McCulloch

Response to initial email was lukewarm

Tentative meeting schedule at San Diego ESRI conference (room reserved)

Everyone agrees that the team environment is no longer present

EGIS & EA are understaffed and overwhelmed

• focused on licensing, software support - not development support
• 4000 ESRI licenses - but only one FTE in EGIS and 2 FTE in EA
• Many of the current GIS support folks have wrong skill set, are not practitioners, or were unfunded or facing separation - most support issues are resolved by volunteers in the GIS community.
• DOI "geospatial" activities have become confused with GIS.
  

2010 USGS GIS Conference was preempted by the hypothetical DOI GIS Conference. Said DOI conference was not fully planned, not scheduled, and is now informally cancelled.

We've confused GIS with Geospatial.

Geospatial is becomming the tail that wags the dog.

Needs

• Vision, Strategy, and Implementation
• Project support
  • If every center had a geodatabase, most of the issues facing the DIC would be mute
• Application Support and long term stewardship
• Hosting platform/Infrastructure platform
• Training related specifically to WSC requriements
• A working group with actual practitioners
• GIS Workforce with this skillset:
  • Geospatial Database Management
  • Server oriented GIS
  • Modern Web Mapping Applications
  • Modern development tools (Python, .NET)
  • ESRI will drop support for AML soon
    

What fixes this?

Money and staff?

As our support for these activities has decreased, our technical abilities (networks, tools) have increased. This makes the gap between what we do and what is possible VERY frustrating.

suggestion - support the USGS GIS Workshop

ESRI conference is in July

Data Integration meeting is in August - opportunity to gather and funnel information

Get it in front of Kevin

Town Hall Meeting

• 9 folks in attendance from IA WSC (many out in the field)
• Bob -Orientation to ITAC
• Invitation to attendees to ask us questions
• Short introductions of the ITAC team members

Office of Water Information - Katherine Lins

OWI supports several high level water initiatives - provides the executive secretary with information related to collecting and dissiminating water information in a non-redundant mode so that we're working efficiently across federal and state level governments

Succes

• National QW network
  

International programs to match international needs with skill sets within the WSCs

Web page development for high level water.usgs.gov

Connection to Geospatial

Participation on several national committees where a water perspective is critical

• Committee for Data Integration
• Security Advisory Council (SAC)
  

Special products support

• Developing Annual Data Report as online report
  • Incorporating SIMS into ADR
  • ADR Mapper
    

Working with external communities to develop web services standards

NEW: Water Alerts

Support NWIS Web User Group (Gary Fisher)

Web Computing Development (Burl Goree)

NWIS - Susan Trapanese

Operate and support EDDN (Emergency Data Distribution Network) - Wallops Island backup

Operate & manage NWIS backup servers

NWIS Collaborators:
SW, GW user groups, Phoenix - user perspective, bug fixes, and testing. Involves annual meeting

Upcoming release:
NWIS 4.10 going into beta in a bout a month; full release late summer

Algorithm files for chemical constituents was completely redesigned; allows more flexibility

MAPS - GIS,

Sites on the PC, allows you to manage your site information in NWIS - add stations, view existing stations

Coming late summer
Improvements to ADAPS
Calculations to precipitation calculations

Improvements to Site Visit

Improvements to the performance, faster processing

Water Use system has been focused on the aggregated water use compilation for 2010. System will be available Summer of 2011.

Will be a brand new type of system - centralized database

NWISWeb

ability to release 3 times a year

discrete & continuous water measurements

bringing back channel measurements

120 days of unit data

releaseing improvements to instantaneous values web service (more flexible, better querying - multiple sites & multiple parameters, reliable & redundant at three different sites - aiming for same load balanced scheme as rest of NWIS Web)

Has already accomplished the release goals for 2011.

Will be a small release later, but am gearing up for planning & coordination towards transition from Ingres to Oracle. That release will come in 2011.

Central Region CTO Update - David McCormack

Messaging - contract signed to migrate to Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Web Outlook

• Deadline is March 2011 for conversion from Lotus to Outlook
• AD password will be fully integrated with Outlook
• 5 GB of storage
• Recommendation for the IT staff is to load MS Outlook when they upgrade to the newest MS Office suite.
  

Q: will you be able to import the archive files from lotus?
A: Boyce has tested and has been able to move the archives, but there is not an easy way or a batch process to move more than one archive at a time. The Lotus Team is aware that archives are a big concern for users. They are working with the contractor to develop a plan for migration of Lotus archives. USGS owns the licenses for Lotus. Therefore, the worse case scenario is that we can continue to access your archives via the lotus client

Q: How about transferring your archive and email? Will the formatting be preserved?
A: Boyce has tested and commented that the archive, address book, calendar, and email migrated over well. May be some slight changes
Working on POA&M remediation
Other things impacting users:
Annual security training
Consolidation efforts (greening the IT environment) - the computer consolidation/reduction effort

Q (Shawn) : can you purchase the laptop docking stations on the contract?
A: Yes. Boyce refitted their whole office
Lesson learned - Dell Precision laptops fwere purchase for everyone, more rugged laptops for the field personnel
Next time round, will move some back to the mix of desktop/laptop for the more frequent travellers - wanted a lighter weight laptop, but need the power of the desktop

Qs: tablets are better in the field - can't really perch laptops or shield them from rain - gage house isn't large enough, taking measuremenst in the river
A: Weather. In bad weather, you'll have two folks there anyway. Have one fo the person stay in the truck, or in a sheltered area, and then bluetooth (or other wireless sync) with the equipment
Boyce, Shaun - some times some hassle with Dell about some of the full service replacement. Laptops dropped, rained on, and such - but get the support contract. It's worth it.
Bob - reminder to folks that you can do a single sign-on to Lotus if you are set up on AD. For a while it was discouraged, but now it's OK.
Might not work for IA - they have computers set up to accept logins from everyone
KeePass and Bomgar are being used in Iowa.
All users are now using Government Furnished Equipment
PR accounts are being used for field folks, but not on desktops.

Q: A question was asked about MAC computers.
A: They are permitted upon an approved waiver. It is a local decision if they are supported in the Centers. Macs do have to be intergrated in to AD now and have the same STIGs applied as the Windows systems.

Q: What is the timeline for the NHD/WBD integration
A : Both programs are complete. Still pushing that the two datasets be integrated

Q: Kymm Barnes mentioned the idea of a WSC GIS Review, similar to the kind of reviews that are conducted for Surface Water and Groundwater studies.
A: David agreed and mentioned that in the past GIPO actually had GIS "SWAT" teams that would visit WSC's and help with GIS related issues.

Q: Any new information on privitazation of the GOES network?
A: It's not privatization ... it's that the FCC sold off a lot of bandwidth, some of which is within our download frequencies. All of our upload frequencies are protected, so they are not at risk. Downlinks were not protected, and so they were sold. We are trying to work with FCC to get those frequencies back. Worst case scenario is that we'll have to rent that frequency from some private company.

Mobile Computing and SMART Update
Presented by: Burl Goree (By Phone)

http://wwwrustla.er.usgs.gov/FCIS/

Monkees

• V. 4.9.1
• Data out of Monkees goes directly into NWIS 4.1
• New creates a SiteVisit for every single well
• Drop that into SiteVisit ingestor
• mHYDROML - m for Monkees
• No place to store recorder values in GWSI, or comments. enables the automatic drafts of data correction.
  

CHIMPS

• V. 4.9.5
• Released at Data Conference
• Can sync CHIMP and NWIS
• can include the info on monitors and parameters at each site
  

LEVELS

• 1st or 2nd week of July delivery with standard methods
• Temperature correction for rod
  

SWAMI

• This next version due in fall
• RP tape downs added
• Load FlowTracker and AQUACalc files
• Acoustic data enhancements
  

SWAMI PC

• Like Eclipse and mimics the SWAMI handheld version
• Out and available for testing
• Being used right now. ND, LA, and Washington.
• 95% the same as SWAMI but bigger windows and fields
• Official release in the fall for NWIS 4.10
  

SMART

• agreement is to implement front end for testing by November
  

Boyce asked if WSC should be going toward using smartphones? Burl "already doing it" LA, WI, UT. Some issues from a security point of view. PDA is a scientific device. Phone is different.

All our apps should run on Windows Phone 7. Burl talked with MS representative at ITEM. We might be able to get a beta copy of Windows Mobile 7 for phones to test.

Paul Frederick, LA, is testing Eclipse to give the SWAMI team feedback on its features.

MobiControl (SOTI) is a app for remote management of Windows Mobile devices.MobiControl can lock the device down. Simiiliar to Active Directory for handhelds. Odyssey and BOMGAR are other apps that could work. Several centers are testing MobiControl.

Looking into porting the software to the iPhone/iPad. Novell has a program that can port to C.

Training

• Data Conference (several sessions)
• Missouri
• California
• Cyber Seminars

ForeSee Demonstration
Presented by: Ramona Traynor

Web Metrics Overview

• Contract with ForeSee to gather customer satisfaction comments and web access logs.
• Provides graphs and tables with bounce rates, up and downstream users, and amount of time on sites
• ForeSee provides 3 main products
  • ForeSee Portal -
    • Reports on web page.
    • Results tool - priority map
    • Ad Hoc tool
  • Satisfaction Insight Reviews
  • Quarterly Reviews - trends/ priorities
• Usability Audit Reviews -
  • Map locator function
  • signed up for 2 usability audit reviews
    Reports on web page http://internal.usgs.gov/gio/eweb/metrics/cust_satisfaction.html

Open Ended comments the most fun.

any body can request a log on but will not be able to pull stats on local site unless the program is loaded locally.

can centers get this loaded on their web page? It's just for top level USGS sites. Local sites would have to pay some additional fee, but Ramona has not be able to determine what the fee is. Ramona will take action item to check on contract guidelines as to who can load the script.

A lot of information collected relating to hazards.They don't have it loaded on their pages.

Ramona will check to see if we can we get a priority map for a group.

Problems

• what does the data tell us.
• What do we do with the data
  

Revision of WRD Data Archiving Policy
Presented by: Dave Mueller

Need a clear policy on archiving data

• ADCP, Data Tracker - all electronic data
• Some WSCs are going by old documentation that says that all electronic measures have to be backed-up with paper (or microfiche) copies.
  • Other WSCs are relying on electronic archiving.
    Yet others are scanning paper copies and archiving those electrronically.
  • Key final question - what will hold up in court? What archival form is legally defensible?
    

We need a policy and an idea of what other Water Science Reports.

Some ambiguity in existing best reference - says that data created through electronic means (through a computer) is legally defensible as a first record - but is the first record the electronic data, or the first paper record printed out from that data? Guidance is unclear.

This is the last best document that gets referenced most of the time.

"WRD Memorandum 87.85
Permits electronic archiving but is focused on time series
data. Important excerpts:

Adherence to the policy guidelines will also sustain the legal status of electronically recorded data. The Associate Solicitor, Energy and Resources, in a memorandum to the Director, Geological Survey, dated June 10, 1983, concluded that "Data originally prepared as microfilm or recorded directly into a magnetic tape, and processed through a computer to produce the first hard copy is properly admissible and will constitute valid evidence in a court proceeding."…

5. Data archival.--It is the policy of the WRD, as stated in WRD Memorandum No. 77.83 dated March 30, 1977, to indefinitely maintain and preserve all geologic and hydrologic raw-data records in their original form. In the case of electronically recorded data, a copy will be preserved on a nonvolatile medium such as paper or microfilm."

"WRD Memorandum 92.59
The purpose of this memorandum is to announce the adoption of the recommendations contained in Open-File Report (OFR) 92-56 "Policy
Recommendations for Management and Retention of Hydrologic Data of the U.S.
Geological Survey" as Water Resources Division (WRD) policy.

Important statement: “* Once NWIS-II is functional, paper copies
will no longer have to be made for archiving hydrologic data that are in
electronic form”

Replacement of existing guidance:
Superseded Documents WRD Memorandum No. 77.83 is superseded."

NWIS-II was never realized....or is it through our current version of ADAPS

Still, it doesn't really matter what our policies are - it matters if our data policies will hold up in court. Should get we get this checked by Solicitor General?

Karen - recently had experience with data rescue

PDFs are considered official record - NARA is accepting several electronic forms as archival, as a federal record,but this may not be accepted in court. Steve Blanchard says our solution must be acceptable in court.

Current policy is mostly laissez-faire - whatever you're doing it, keep doing it because there isn't a clear decision yet.

David mentioned taking the decision to ELT. Katherine suggested that David contact Carol Wippich who is the Chief of Records Management in Reston. Ken Skipper is also a contact.

We also have to include the electronic data that are not in NWIS (geophysical, aquifer tests, etc)

Science Advisory Committee (SAC) for Information Update
Presented by: Katherine Lins

Reaching out to the disciplines to scrutinize policies, to make sure that the policies do not negatively impact operations. If there is a security issue, is this a security issue we can deal with?

Group was put together to review various policy documents. Starting with Privacy Procedure, mostly as an example project.

Data Encryption

• What constitutes a device?
• cell phone?
• flash drive?
• hard disk?
  

Data at Rest

Decisions are then turned into position papers which will then taken to -

Every discipline, region, admin function are represented

Lead by Rich Frasier. Drew Brooks is the co-chair. Vito Nuccio is a co-chair.

Initially was set to meet monthly, then every other month. Haven't met for a time - will possibly be an ad hoc committee.

Terri got feedback at ITEM about concerns that there was no field representation on the group. The group didn't want to get "in the weeds" ... but that's where the problems are. Also comments that the decisions have not trickled down to field levels. Will the structure and focus of the group change after the feedback from ITEM?

ITAC Field Trip

Visited IIHR (Dan Ceynar), 100-yr gage, and Devonian Fossil Gorge (thanks to Kaylene Carney)

IIHR
http://www.iihr.uiowa.edu/ - Iowa Institute for Hydraulic Research
http://www.iihr.uiowa.edu/facilities/towtank/index.html - towing tank

100-yr gage
05454500 Iowa River at Iowa City, IA, established 1903 - http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/nwisman/?site_no=0545450

Map - http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/nwismap/?site_no=

Riverbed Wan Accelerator Tests in MOWSC - (Presentation)
Presented by: Gabe Newman

Improve network speeds between field office and WSC office

Users having connection performance response issues with "SiteVisit" and Lee's Summit office

Lotus Notes and NBC speed improvements hoped for

Doesn't compress files - they compress bit streams (10-1)

• Caches bit stream patterns on both sides. When the sending unit sees an identical bit stream pattern in a subsequent file, it sends the bit stream cache ID instead of the actual bit stream. The receiving unit reconstructs the full bit stream by pulling the pattern out of its own cache
• Does not cache any files, just bit streams
  

Self discoverable to all other Riverbeds around the country

Model Riverbed Steelhead 250

Large Files: 70 kb/s to 130 kb/s improvement

A really large file (3gb) took 10-20 minutes versus an unreliable 2+ hours (Sometimes 6 hours and sometimes would terminate)

NWIS database results: slightly faster for login, but appreciably faster once inside ADAPS and SiteVIsit

Telecom is looking at getting a BPA for the units.

Took longer to install than to set it up

Cost: $5,500 for each one. Need two if you are going to link to a field office.

Conclusions: typical file speeds were doubled, big files "incredibly" faster; less traffic; NBC removed tet="_blank">.usgs.gov

Autostore allows you to scan directly from a scanner to a SharePoint.

Send a message to "GS Help Sharepoint/USGS/DOI" if you want to try it and for requests.

ITAC Action Items - New from Meeting and Review of Outstanding AIs

Reference - http://water.usgs.gov/usgs/itac/docs/outstanding_ais.html

Review of Town Hall Meeting
Presented by: Bob Swanson

No outstanding questions - all were answered during the meeting

ITAC Meeting Schedule - Next F2F Location and Dates