eForms
Form 1 - Electric Utility Annual Report
Note: This also applies to Fom 3-Q - Comprehensive Quarterly Financial and Operating Report
Electronic Submission Software - Overview
This page contains the Installation Manual and Software Download links for the
Form 1 Submission Software (FOSS), along with the Internet Test Application
for all electronic submission of forms. This also applies to Form 3-Q
Note: The Form 1 software has been tested and will function correctly with
Windows 2000, Windows 95 and Windows 98. The application has been updated to
be compatible with text cut from Office 2000 documents and pasted into Footnotes
and Notes to the Financials.
Installation Software Download
If you are using MS Internet Explorer, you will be given the option to:
- Install the software from its current location; or,
- Download the installation file.
If you are using Netscape, the only option is to download the installation file.
In either event, once the Installation File is downloaded, you must double-click
on the installation file from Windows Explorer to begin the application installation.
The Installation File can be discarded after the installation of the software.
Its only purpose is to install the software on your workstation. After installation,
it is no longer needed. If you need to install the software on other workstations;
you can copy the Installation File to those workstations and use it to install
the Form 1 software on that particular workstation. The software must be installed
on the hard drive of each workstation using the Form 1 Submission System. It
will not operate if installed on your network.
Internet Communications Problems
You will know when your workstation has Internet communication issues when:
- Long waits while checking for updates;
- Unable to submit the Form 1 Filing; or
- Unable to receive FERC software updates.
The Form 1 Submission System (FOSS) uses HTTP (to get the list of respondents
for initial creation of your database - you only use this once), FTP Receive
(to
check for and deliver FOSS software updates) and FTP Send to submit your filings.
These common Internet Communication Protocols may be blocked by your Internet
Firewall for security reasons. This will require intervention by your computer
or network support personnel. To assist in diagnosing this problem, we make
available
an Internet Communications Test Application - which you can download and run
on your workstation just as you did the Form Submission Software. Read more on Form Communications Test Application.
The easiest and most effective solution is to ask your Firewall Administrator
to install a rule in the Firewall permitting HTTP Send/Receive and FTP Send/Receive
from IP 208.207.43.25. This presents a minimal or non-existent security risk
since all communication requests are issued by the Client (your workstation).
The FERC Forms Server does not "push" unsolicited information to your workstation.
Therefore, in creating this rule in your Firewall, do not permit unsolicited
incoming data.
Form Communications Test Application
The FERC Forms Applications use the Internet to download the Form Submission
Software (FSS), provide updates to the software on the user's workstation, and
allow submission of forms data to the FERC via the Internet. Forms Submission
Software (FSS) includes Form 1, Form 6, Form 423 and others that are currently
in development.
To accomplish the above the user's PC communicates with an Internet server at
the FERC which is dedicated to supporting the FSS. The FSS uses Internet communication
protocols called HTTP and FTP.
Most respondent workstations are connected to a company network that uses Firewall
technology to protect and isolate the network from the Internet. Occasionally,
the company's Firewall is configured to prevent applications from communicating
with foreign servers over the Internet. In these cases, the FERC Form Submission
Software cannot communicate with the FERC Forms Server to obtain software updates,
for transmission/submission of completed Forms, and, in the case of Forms Data
Viewer software, the download of requested database information.
The Internet Test Application, which can be download from the FERC Forms site
via your Internet Browser, is used to test Internet Communications from your
workstation to the FERC Form Server to determine compatibility with FSS. It is
not a requirement to use this application, you will get the same results with
the Form Submission Software. However, a number of respondents find it easier
to let their network support personnel use this software to test the communications
functionality without having to download the entire Form Submission software.
When you run this software, it just displays a screen with a check box beside
each type of communication mode used by the Forms software, and indicates whether
each one passed or failed. The software also produces a log file of its activity
for review and diagnostic purposes.
Database Utility Download
Note: If you have installed the FOSS during the 1999 Filing - the database
utility should be on your system already under Start/Programs/FERC Applications
in the Start menu.
This application will scan your Form 1 database, and, as a minimum, result in
compression of many of the files that make up the database. During updating and
addition and deletion of data during the data entry process, a number of files
grow in size. This utility will copy these files and remove the unused space
during disk storage requirements of the database.
When you install this utility, it will be available for use in the Start/Programs
Menu under FERC Applications. The utility will not run if any workstation are
using the database. The Utility requries exclusive access to the database. This
means, only one workstation may be accessing the database while running the utility.
Additionally, if there are any errors encountered, they will be written into
the F1maint.log file which is located in the folder C:\F1SS (where the software
was installed - unless you choose a different folder at installation time).
If there are errors, please email
ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov the F1maint.log as an attachment, describing any other issues about the problem
you are having.
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Downloads & Links
Electronic Submission Software
Viewer
Form Communications Test Application
Database Utility
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