An Assessment of the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System Operational Test and Evaluation of the First System Build (1997) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
2 OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION FOR AWIPS
2 OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION FOR AWIPS
Pages 9-18
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 9... ...
The Build 1 services evaluation was based primarily on a questionnaire that asked AWIPS users in field offices to compare AWIPS performance with current systems. In the OT&E for later AWIPS builds, the services evaluation will also include substantial input from users of field offices' services and products.
|
From page 10... ...
Installation at the nine field offices was staggered over six weeks, so the intensive week of OT&E activity overlapped at two sites, at most, at any given time. SATISFACTION OF OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION OBJECTIVES The OT&E for AWIPS is intended to evaluate the effectiveness and suitability of each incremental build to support field services for warnings and forecasts.
|
From page 11... ...
In addition, demodulators to improve error correction algorithms are in production and are scheduled to be installed at field sites after the Build 3 OT&E. Operational Limitations of the Workstation User Interface Several major performance issues associated with the Build 1 workstation user interface first identified during the development and test of Build 1 were subsequently confirmed by the OT&E as significant operational problems.
|
From page 12... ...
The technical approach adopted by the AWIPS Program Office in NWS2 and approved by the AWIPS Acquisition Office in NOAA required FSL to prepare a iWFO is the acronym for weather forecast office, the name for meteorological forecast field offices of the postmodernization NWS. The second type of field office is a river forecast center.
|
From page 13... ...
NCF's duties include remote monitoring via the network of the AWIPS servers and workstations at each field site; taking calls from field sites when problems are encountered; diagnosing and solving problems; acting via the network or through directions to field office staff to correct problems found by either route; and maintaining records of problems (by writing up trouble tickets)
|
From page 14... ...
The prime contractor has also increased the programming resources committed to automating test and recovery sequences with scripts that will be run by NCF operators to replace manually entered multistep command sequences.
|
From page 15... ...
Change management processes usually make use of various automated systems, such as databases, electronic mail systems, project management and support tools, and an automated management tool called a "software configuration management tool." Although the automated tool is often thought of as a complete configuration management system, in fact the rules established for its use are also part of the system. These rules include, for example, giving one person (the configuration manager)
|
From page 16... ...
The program staff subsequently briefed the panel and the NWSM Committee indicating that progress had been made toward implementing a better system. Nevertheless, some of the glitches that occurred during the deployment of Build 1, particularly at the early sites, resulted from weaknesses in the change management process.5 An effective change management process covering all current AWIPS IDD participants has now emerged in response to the OT&E discrepancy reporting process.
|
From page 17... ...
However, regular interaction between AWIPS users and other members of the team increased dramatically with the Build 1 OT&E and its periodic teleconferences. Status reports back to field offices through the AWIPS change management process, along with a reasonably good record for following through on user-reported problems, have kept system users involved in the IDD in ways that have contributed to the overall success of AWIPS.
|
From page 18... ...
Specific issues related to the role of field office staff in local development are addressed in Chapter 3. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the review of the OT&E plans and procedures, observation of how OT&E was conducted, participation in regular teleconferences, and a review of results of OT&E systems and services evaluations, the NWSM Committee has drawn the following conclusions regarding the OT&E process as implemented for the ongoing IDD of AWIPS.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.