LATDocs   The SLAC GLAST-LAT Document System

A new document system has been developed by SLAC to provide a better storage system for LAT documents. It is our goal to provide a system that better meets the needs of LAT team members.

ROLL-OUT – when, how, what to expect

After a month , CYBERDOS will no longer be available. All external links should point to documents in LATDocs.

How the new system works

 The web interface for LATDocs  very  different than the web interface for CYBERDOCS and may take some getting used to. But we feel that once members become accustomed to it they will like it much better than CYBERDOCS.

Changes to the document system

There is a major change in how documents are stored in LATDocs.

In the CYBERDOCS system, a document number has only one “file” (PDF, word etc.) associated with it.This file can have multiple revisions and revisions but it is still only the one file.

LATDocs is built upon a different concept. The document number refers to a “suite of documents” and this suite of documents can contain multiple files, PDF, word, excel, solid edge etc.. Each set of these documents would comprise a revision of the document.  So, not only will document number refer to the PDF revision of the document, it can also refer to the source document, associated drawing or other files, all of which are stored in LATDocs.

There are also some format changes to some of the information that is stored in LATDocs.

Once documents are listed as either “Pending Signoff”, “Signed Off” or ‘Change Pending”, they can not be modified.

 Once a new revision of a  document with a “Change Pending” status is entered into the system, the “Change Pending” status will be reset to “Released”

Getting Started in LATDocs

Accessing the System

There is both "LAT only" and "Public" access to this system, much like CYBERDOCS.

https://oraweb.slac.stanford.edu:8080/pls/slac/documents.startup

          https://oraweb.slac.stanford.edu:8080/pls/slacquery/DOCUMENTS.STARTUP?PROJECT=GLAST

Logging into the LATDocs using an Oracle account and password, displays the following web page:

Search for, or enter a new document from the selection choices in the left frame. Search results or the document entry will be displayed in the right frame, which initially displays a “Help” page.

Search for documents

There are several ways to find and display documents.

If you highlight the type of documents you are looking for in the first box in the left frame:

and then select quick index, index, search or my documents from the report box:

You will get lists of the documents for the document type selected. If you select “All Documents”, all LAT documents in the system will be displayed.

Search Results information  depends upon the type of search report selected.

Quick Index
The “Quick Index” selection  displays document numbers. Select the number you want and document data (information about the document, author, release status etc.) for that document will be displayed. This is a fast way to get a list of documents. Numbers in the parentheses following document numbers indicate the number of revisions and the number of files for that document.  For example, document LD-02167(1,1)  consists of one revision and 1 file.

Index

The “Index” selection displays basic information about the documents requested. Again, select the document number you want and the meta data will be displayed. Depending upon the number of documents for the document type selected, this request can take some time to process.

 If you select ALL DOCUMENTS for the document type and INDEX  for the report, it can take several minutes to display all the documents.

Search

The “Search” selection displays a form that you can enter specific types of documents to search for, i.e. all “draft” document status or a specific WBS number. ALL documents that match the search criteria are displayed in “index” format. If you specify a document type only documents of that document type will be searched on.

Specific Document Search

If you know the document you want, you can type in the document number in the “Find Doc Number” box:

 and the meta data for that document will be displayed.

Recent Documents Search

To just search for recently revised documents use the “Find documents revised in the last …”

dates are grouped in 15 day increments.

Enter a New Document

Select NEW DOC to enter a new document into the system. Make sure you have also specified the type of document to be entered.

You will need to fill out the form that appears in the right web frame

Once all required information is entered, submit the form.

You will then need to upload the document using the next displayed form:

Enter a file description: abstract, drawing, picture, photograph etc.

And the file format used to create the document: Adobe Acrobat, gif, hypertext, Microsoft Excel etc.

Then find the file to upload. You can also add any comments about the document at this point.  Se add then upload the document.
When the document is successfully uploaded the detailed index of the document will be displayed.

 

Once a document is in the system, you can add additional files to it. For instance if you uploaded a PDF file, you may also want to include it’s source file. And, if the document has drawings attached to it you may also want to include them

Any document’s files can be modified or revised while the document is in “author controlled” (draft) status by the authors of the document. Once the status changes to “Pending Signoff” or “Signed Off” no changes may be made to the documents.  It will, however, be possible to add new revisions of a “Signed Off” document as necessary.

 

Modify or Revise an Existing Document

Only the listed authors of a document or the LAT librarian can make changes to documents in the system

Additional files are added to a document, or modifications are made to an existing file of a document, from the “detailed index” screen. Use any of the search methods described above, to display this screen. Scroll down to the lower portion of the  detailed index screen to:

 

The most recent revision of the document  is displayed first.  Previous revisions are then displayed in descending order. Each revision of a document can have any number of files attached to it.

The example above shows 2 revisions of the document with each revision containing only one file. The most recent revision has an additional “Upload a File for Revision ‘revision number’ ” with a short explanation of its functionality. And a “Make Revision Private” button that allows you to make the revision viewable to only LAT. By default, all documents are entered into the system as public. You must select “Make Revision Private” to restrict viewing.

 

To add an additional document to the most recent revision of the document, click the “Upload a File for Revision #(2 in the above example)”. Enter the type of file (drawing, publication, spreadsheet etc.), the filetype of the file(pdf, gif, hypertext  etc.) and then find the file to upload using the “Browse” button. Double click on the file once it is  located to display it in the ‘File Name’ field.

You can add comments as necessary and the click the “UPLOAD FILE NOW” button. Once the file is uploaded the detailed index screen will be redisplayed.

All  document files for the current (most recent) revision of the document are displayed below the “Upload a File for Revision ‘revision number’ ” section of the screen. 

 

Click on the “File Name” to view the files content. There is a “Make File Private” button and “Check In” button associated with each file of the document. Clicking the  “Make File Private” button makes that file of the document viewable to only members of GLAST who have logged into the system using their oracle account and password. The  “Check In” button is used to replace or add new files or add a revision to the document.

Find the document you wish to upload, select the correct upload to be executed.

Note: The “Clear Checkout Status Only” button removes the “check in” status of a document without requiring a replacement or new revision of the document.

Previous revisions of the document are displayed after the most recent document revision information. As long as revisions have a status of “In Work”  additional files can be added to the revision. If the document revision status is “Signoff Pending, Signed Off or Change Pending” the document is locked. No changes or additions can be make to it. These revisions can however be downloaded, modified and uploaded as the newest revision of the document when necessary. Individual files or the entire revision of the document can be made private even if the document is no longer modifiable.

 “Check out” allows a document to be modified, revised by one member at a time to prevent overwriting. Click the Check In button to check a file back into the system as either a modified file or a revision.

 

SHORT CUTS:

Search for document:

1) Select document type or use default ‘all documents”

2) Select search format

     “quick index” to display document numbers

     “index”           to display basic information

     “search”           for specific search critiera

     “ My doc“         to display all documents you are listed as an author

3)  Click Go

4) Click on the document title for the revision you want to display the file content on the web

View a document:

 1)  Select specific document from search results

 2)  Click on the document title to view the document

Enter a new document:

1)  Select document type

2)  Select new document

3)  Fill out all required (red) information and submit

4)  Fill out document type, file type

5)  Find file with browser then double click file name

6)  Click upload document

Modify a document:

1) Select document from search results list

2) Find the version of the document to be modified.

3) Click "check out" to lock document from other uploads

4) Click "check in" 

5) Fill out form information, document type, file type

6) Browse for file to be uploaded then double click file name

7) Click the appropriate upload button to upload the document.

 Reset "Check In" Status to "Check Out" without uploading a file:

) Select document from search results list

2) Find the version of the document to be modified.

 3) Click "Check In" 

4) Click "Clear Check Out Status Only" 

FAQ’s

YOUR PASSWORD DOES NOT WORK

Make sure you are using your ORACLE userid and password,

If you have different passwords for you NT and Oracle accounts and you mistakenly type in your NT password instead of your Oracle password, you will get an nasty error and  you will not be able to log in again until you close all web browsers. This has been reported to the SLAC DBA and we are awaiting a fix.

If you have an Oracle password but when you use it, the LATDocs system opens the “public” view of the system instead of the private (LAT) view. This usually means that you are not listed as a member of the GLAST activity in “SID”, SLAC Institutional Database. The SLUO administrator can to add you to the activity. You can directly ask the administrator to add you or you can ask the GLAST administrator or the LAT librarian to have you added to the GLAST activity.  See if you are listed in the GLAST Activity

MAKING A FILE PUBLIC

You want to make a file public but are unable to. Make sure the top level “all document’ public/private setting is set to public.    Note: By default all documents are entered into the system as “Public”. If you want to make a revision of a document private, select the “Make Revision Private button. To make a particular file in a revision private, select the “Make File Private” button. To make all files of a document private select “Make All Files Private”.

To make individual files public, the all document files button needs to be set to public.

EXTERNAL LINKS TO DOCUMENTS ARE NOT WORKING

If you have external links to documents in CYBERDOCS that use the “CYBERDOCS.asp” application to view documents, you will not need to change your links. If your documents links use the “quickstart.asp” application, your links will need to be modified to use the “CYBERDOCS.asp” application.

If you have broken external links to LAT documents. Change the hyperlinks stem to: ……still being developed

YOU CAN NOT FIND A DOCUMENT IN LATDocs

If you can not find a document number in the system it is possible that the document was never entered into the CYBERDOCS system. Place holders for such documents have been entered into LATDocs using the data type of UNK to distinguish these document place holders from actual documents. If your search fails using a valid data type (i.e. TD-00003) try searching again using the UNK data type (i.e. UNK-00003)

Definitions of terms used in LATDocs

Document Status:

Pending Sign Off  This means that the document is being sent out for signature.  A DCN with the information about the document will need to be attached to the document and it needs to be signed off by the appropriate people.

Signed off This means that the DCN and the document have been reviewed and everyone has signed off either electronically or in person. The DCN is attached to the document as page 1 of the document  and the document is put under configuration control and locked. Once this happens no changes can be made to a document without another DCN and a new revision of the document.

Change Pending This is to notify people that  a revision to a signed off document will be entered into the system.  Once the revision is entered, the status field will be reset to Signed Off. No revisions can be made to documents with a “change pending”status.

In Work  Document has not been signed off and can be modified by its authors

Release Change Authority:

            Author which is author control. This is basically everything that is going in that is not being signed off. (Presentations, CCB Minutes, Memos, etc.)

            Level 1 These are DOE/NASA Headquarters documents. So far, I believe we do not have any of these documents nor is this commonly used.

            Level 2 These are DOE/GSFC GLAST Project Office documents and these are documents that basically require Kevin Grady’s and Ev Valle’ signature.

            Level 3 These are LAT Project Office documents. These are the most common. These are documents that need to be viewed by various subsystems. (i.e. Interface Control documents (ICD’s)

            Level 4 These are LAT Subsystem documents. These are documents that are signed within a subsystem. They do not affect any other subsystem besides there own.