Vol. 1
October, 1978
No. 8
198O's OKTOBERFEST
San Brown. NCC Director
Agency-wide managers and ADP systems
people ushered in the new fiscal year and
the 1980's Acquisition Program with a
two-day conference in North Carolina on
October 4 and 5.
EPA has now gained joint OMB/GSA general
concurrence on the 1980's acquisition
strategy. Attendees at the conference
were introduced to the Agency plan, the
related studies currently underway, asso-
ciated timetables, and program responsi-
bilities.
Four studies are now in progress collect-
ing information for use in the acquisi-
tion program. They deal with:
a. Security/Privacy/Freedom of Informa-
tion
b. Reliability, Performance, and Cost
c. Agency-wide Documentation Assessment/
Upgrade
d. ADP Workload Characteristics
Each study is vital to the development of
the acquisition and will require consid-
erable involvement by each program area.
Study teams will schedule field inter-
views and collect pertinent data on EPA's
ADP systems, resource utilization, and
general ADP requirements. The details of
these activities will be forwarded to
field personnel during the next several
weeks.
Current schedules call for release of a
draft RFP for industry comment late this
year. After reviewing the input from
interested vendors, the formal RFP should
be released in April or May.
NCC REORGANIZATION
Mike Steinacher, Acting Branch Chief
September's EPA Data Talk addressed the
effects of the recent MIDSD/NCC reorgani-
zation on the functions of the NCC's Data
Center Branch. The Planning, Analysis,
and Research Branch (PAR) of NCC has
assumed a few new responsibilities as a
result of recent happenings as well.
PAR is the focal point for Agency-wide
consultation and research in Data Base
Management technology, statistical/
scientific software, large-scale appli-
cations development, ADP design and
documentation standards, and plans for
ADP services and facilities.
PAR develops ADP acquisition and tech-
nical evaluation strategy for hardware,
software, and general ADP services, and
serves as technical and administrative
liaison to the various governmental over-
sight agencies.
The organization also conducts design
reviews for developing ADP systems with
Agency-wide impact, and periodically
audits the performance of service con-
tractors and hardware/software systems.
PAR directs the EPA National ADP Insti-
tute, which provides a broad range of ADP
training throughout the Agency. It also
serves as the project officer for DM40
activities in the immediate RTP area, and
provides ADP review and approval for RTP
technical procurements and renewals of
existing ADP service contracts.
Mike Steinacher is Acting Branch Chief of
Planning, Analysis, and Research. His
staff members are Vic Cohen, Dr. Gene
Lowrimore, Ivan Mann, Aline Rolaff, Joe
Wilson, and Don Worley.
-------
[PA'S THIRD ANNUAL ADP CONFERENCE
Maureen Johnson, Conputer Specialist
Make plans now to attend EPA's Annual ADP
Conference being held November 7, 8, and
9 in North Carolina! The conference pro-
vides an excellent opportunity for people
involved with ADP throughout the Agency
to learn of current activities and future
plans, and to discuss mutual concerns.
Featured speakers will be Dr. Richard L.
Nolan of Nolan and Norton, Inc., Fred H.
Dietrich of the Office of Manpower and
Budget, Michael Jackson of Michael
Jackson Systems Limited, Dr. Brandt Allen
from the University of Virginia, and
Bernie Peters from the National Security
Agency. An entire afternoon will be
devoted to concurrent sessions on the NCC
and WCC describing current activities,
recognized problems and corrective
actions, and future plans, with time for
open discussions.
The conference agenda printed below is
from the brochure mailed in mid-
September. For further information,
registration, or copies of this bro-
chure, please call FTS 629-2116 or (919)
5M1-2116.
AGENDA
MONDAY - NOVEMBER 6
8:00 - 9 00 Early Restoration
(evening)
TUESDAY - NOVEMBER 7
8-00 - 9:00 Registration - Coffee
9-00 - 9-15 Welcome - WUlto Greenstreel
Director. M1DSD
9:15 - 10-30 Keynote Speaker - Dr. Richard L Nolan
Nolan and Norton. Inc
•Effective Management of Data
Processing hi the Late 1970". and 1980V
BREAK
WEDNESDAY - NOVEMBER 8
8:30 - 9:00 Coflee
9-00 - 10-00 -Structured Programming"
chad Jackson
Mh
Michael
Systems. Ltd
London. England
BREAK
10 30 - 12:00 Michael Jackson (cent)
concurrent with
Major EPA System Studies -
Morris Yaguda. Chief
Computer Systems Devek
Evaluation Branch. MIDSD
LUNCH (not provided)
11 00 - 12:00
bneragencyRegulatofy Liaison Group
(IRLG) - EPA. FDA. OSHA, CPSC
Morris Yaguda. Chief
Computer Systems Development ai
Evaluation Branch. MIDSD
I aijih
1.30 - 4-00 National O
-er Center Topics
Systems Development Corp /
Integrated Services. Inc. (SDC
concurrent with
-Managing Software and People'
Bernie Peters
National Security Agency
/ISO
nnputer Center Topics
Network Corp (COMNET)
4:30 - 6:00 Birds of a Feather Session
(Topics To Be Announced)
LUNCH (not provided)
1.30 - 4-00 A-109 ADP Procurer
6:30
PlGPIOUHr
I Strategy
Fred H Dietrich
Office of Management and Budget
and
Samuel C. Brown
Program Manager. 1980%
ADP Acquisition Program. MIDSD
I wllh
4:30 - 6:00
6:30 - 8-30
Major EPA Systems Development
Activities
Donald Worley
Planning. Analysis, and Research
Branch. MIDSD
Birds of a Feather Sessions
(Topics To Be Announced)
Social
Tuesday — November 7 U Election Day
Get your Absentee Ballots Early
THURSDAY - November 9
8-30 - 9:00 Coffee
9:00 - 10:00 Development. Maintenance ft
Operations Contract
Computer Sciences Corp (CSC)
concurrent with
Security In ADP
Dr. Brandt Allen.
BREAK
11:00 - 12:00 National ADP Institute (NADPI)
Victor Cohen. MIDSD
concurrent with
International Data Corp (IDC)
ADP Research Analysts
-The 1980V
-------
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WCC
Curt Lackey, VCC Project Officer
V COMNET and IBM began a joint Storage
Systems Study in September to examine
storage systems (tape, DASD, mass stor-
age) . Together they will find more cost-
effective alternatives and place more
data under system control. This study,
expected to last ten to twelve weeks,
will recommend implementation of a new
mass storage system.
A Capacity Management Program is
underway to better understand the EPA
workload and the capacity of the WCC con-
figuration. Ray Hardy, one of the newer
system programmers at WCC, has co-
authored a performance measurement pack-
age, SARA (Systems and Resource Account-
ing), which will be the major tool used
in this program.
V
Discussions have begun concerning a
WCC Quality Assurance Program. This pro-
gram will improve the follow-up to user
problems and result in an overall im-
provement in services.
V
An automated Assignment Control Sys-
tem (ACS) is being developed to improve
the tracking of tasks status, information
requests, and EPA technical directives.
The new ACS will also include an expanded
SUPR/USER capability for exception
reporting.
EPA Data Talk is published monthly by
the National Computer Center, Manage-
ment Information and Data Systems
Division, for EPA personnel and con-
tractors interested in general ADP
topics.
Comments and suggestions are soli-
cited and should be addressed to:
William G. Allen
Editor, EPA Data Talk
National Computer Center
Research Triangle Park,
North Carolina 27711
To ensure that our distribution list
is up-to-date, please indicate any
required changes on the mailing label
attached to this issue and mall it to
the above address.
AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING
MANAGEMENT STUDY
Ed Franklin, MIDSD
MIDSD will launch a major ADP Management
Study this fall. The study, to be con-
ducted by Nolan, Norton and Company, will
assess EPA's current stage of AOP devel-
opment, review the status of performance
measures within ADP, make recommendations
for improving this program, and design a
plan for implementing the recommended
improvements.
The study, directed by Dr. Nolan, will
use proprietary methods which evolved
from original research conducted at the
Harvard Business School and applied in
previous studies for the General Services
Administration and the National Science
Foundation.
The study will be initiated with an ori-
entation workshop for EPA Headquarters
and regional ADP personnel.
NCC HIGHLIGHTS
Ton Rogers, NCC Project Officer
V
New rates for user chargeback for
FY79 were announced the first week of
September. Most items remained un-
changed; however, the general processing
charge increased.
V A full-time NCC security officer has
been appointed to coordinate the multi-
faceted ADP security effort. A compre-
hensive disaster recovery plan is being
developed and will be tested when com-
plete.
The extensive NCC hardware upgrade
continues. The additional high-speed,
high-density tape drives were installed,
and a new operating system makes them the
primary drives for the Center. One sub-
system of old tape drives was removed to
make room for the second large-capacity
disk system now being installed. The
first new disk system has been installed
and is presently being tested.
-------
"HELP"
Fred Hastier
Many sites are and have been experiencing
problems with low-speed local-dial multi-
plexer lines installed for primary access
to UCC and NCC. The WATS lines are only
for backup purposes and for those users
who do not have local multiplexers.
COMNET and I are again making a dedi-
cated, concentrated effort to resolve all
networking problems, but we need vour co-
operation.
If you know of problems either with
multiplexer access, WATS line access, or
RJE access, please contact the COMNET
technicians. If you do not get satis-
factory solutions, then please contact me
(919-541-2932 or FTS 629-2932) and/or
Dave Jordan at CQMNET (202-537-2568). I
do realize how frustrating it is to ex-
perience problems and to report them.
But it is even more frustrating and dif-
ficult for me to get resolutions when the
problems are not reported.
Meanwhile, new dial-up lines and modems
have been installed at NCC for RJE ter-
minal access providing increased capa-
bility for dial-up, 4800 bps operation.
New circuits have been installed to
improve reliability for San Francisco,
Dallas, and New Orleans. COMNET has AT&T
working on the troublesome Denver-to-WCC
circuit. AT&T admits to having problems,
and they realize the problems are having
a great impact on all the western cities
in the network.
COMNET is planning to drop support of the
half-duplex 1200 bps 202-type modems in
the near future. If this will cause a
problem for you, please let me and/or
Dave Jordan know immediately. COMNET is
continuing to develop and test the net-
work software which allows dedicated line
access to NCC for 1004 and NTR RJE ter-
minals.
UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
National Computer Center
Research Triangle Park
North Carolina 27711
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE S3OO
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYEP
POSTAGE AND FEES PAID
U S ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA-33S
THIRD CLASS
BLK. RT.
------- |