A major paradigm shift in the way material and scientific data are collected, managed and accessed on board the JOIDES Resolution is set to occur on Leg 171B. The existing data collection systems will be replaced by an integrated set of applications and a new relational database which will provide a central repository for all the data collected on board (the JANUS project). This includes operations related functions as well as the material tracking and scientific data collected for all cores and the samples taken from them. Significant highlights include;
Since the Miami port call (Leg 165), a great amount of progress has been made on the JANUS Project. During that port call, the DEC Alpha servers (hudson and byrd) were installed on the ship, as well as the JANUS database and client builds that were available at that time.
A production database and a test database were installed at the shore-based facilities at Texas A&M University in College Station, by ODP/TAMU and Tracor personnel. These databases were installed to provide the Marine Computer Specialists with a tool for JANUS training, as well as a means of testing the ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship data transfer functions. In addition, ODP/TAMU and Tracor personnel cooperatively installed the defect tracking database at the ODP/TAMU facilities. The defect tracking database is currently being utilized to record and track bugs which are discovered in the JANUS applications either on the ship or on shore.
At the present time, Tracor considers the development of Group 1 applications (Corelog, Curation, Sample, Operations, Splicer) to be 100% complete and user group requirements met. The following tasks have been completed: software development, functional specifications, on-line help, user manual, test plan, and build test. Still incomplete is the internal documentation of the software source code, but this does not affect functionality of the code. `Complete' does not mean `perfect' and there may still be some minor software bugs, but the applications have been tested quite extensively at ODP/TAMU in College Station, at Tracor in Austin, and on the ship. No major problems are being found now in the Group 1 applications. Extensive data collection and testing have taken place during the current (Leg 170) and previous Legs.
As of mid-October 1996, software development was considered by Tracor to be 100% complete for MST, Logging, Paleontology, Phys Props M&D, Chemistry IW, Chemistry Carbonate, and Chemistry Rock/Wet. The Phys Props V&S was considered to be 95% complete, and the Chemistry areas of Gas, Support, XRD and XRF were in various stages of completion. No testing has been done since that time to substantiate this information.
A final decision to deploy JANUS on Leg 171B will be made on December 13, 1996. The current view (end Nov 1996) is that deployment will almost certainly take place on Leg 171B. A contingency plan is in place in the event that any catastrophic problems were to occur where data might be lost; therefore ODP/TAMU is confident that deployment can take place even if problems are detected. Extensive shipboard testing will take place on the deployment leg, and problems will be corrected as they are found in the production environment. The actual environment found on the ship cannot be recreated on shore, so the most crucial testing toward acceptance of the product will occur on the ship during the deployment and subsequent legs. Tracor is obligated to correct any defects which are found during this time before final acceptance of the product, after which maintenance of the software will devolve upon ODP/TAMU personnel.
There are certain risks associated with the deployment and initial production use of a system of this magnitude. In order to minimize the risks, two different approaches will be taken. First, two developers from Tracor, Inc. (the subcontractor who developed the system) will be sailing on Leg 171B. They will be working split shifts, so that there will always be someone available for consultation, explanation or problem handling. Second, the existing S1032 data collection system, spreadsheet templates, processes, etc. will remain on board. In the unlikely event that the new system must be backed off, the old system will be put in place for use during the remainder of the leg. This is viewed as highly unlikely but these situations must be planned for.
The 18-20 October JANUS SC meeting recommended the following:
The next SC meeting will be at the Charleston port call, 13-18 February 97, to review the production version after 171B. This will be part of the acceptance process.
Deployment: Leg 171B (9 Jan.-14 Feb., 1996); testing and acceptance: Leg 1 72 (19 Feb.-16 April, 1997); and warranty support: mid July, 1997.
ODP/TAMU has programmed enhancements to the curation sample request screens that are actually part of, and incorporated into, the JANUS application. Other JANUS related development by ODP/TAMU includes the JANUS Repository Sampling (JRS) and Biblio applications. JRS, a program for doing sampling in the repositories, has been ready to go for months now. Biblio (Bibliographic Application) is a publications database linked to the sample requests to verify publications and cross reference research. All three of these applications are currently in the hands of the users and being looked at in test mode. In addition, coulometrics and moisture density software applications have been delivered and are currently in use on the ship.
This homepage is being developed as an exercise to review the viability of providing Internet access to the JANUS database. Both the homepage, and the database it queries, are still under construction.
[ Contents of the Semiannual Report, No. 2, June-November 1996 |
| Program Updates | New Initiatives | Project Summaries | Laboratory Working Groups |
| Panel Recommendations | Appendixes |
| Semiannual Report, No. 1, December-May 1996 ]