Inside eRA, August 17, 2001

Interim Solution for Oracle Bug in IMPAC II Production System

The eRA Project has made great efforts over the past year to increase the stability of the database. User feedback in this regard has been positive. Unfortunately, a known "memory leak" bug in Version 8.1.6.3.1 of the Oracle database engine has been causing production system memory and performance problems. We are working on containing the impact of the bug until a permanent fix is in place.

It is still unclear whether our temporary solution will stabilize database performance or will require that the database be periodically shut down and restarted, possibly during the workday. If required, the database restart may result in multiple periods of downtime ranging from 15-30 minutes. We are pursuing the following solutions to mitigate the impact of the bug in the hope that you will not experience disruption during this busy time of year.

1. Initial containment measures - Under heavy load, the Oracle database engine sporadically fails to clear previously used SQL statements from the "shared pool" memory area. The DBA team has written a script that flushes the shared pool at five-minute intervals if there is insufficient free space.    
2. Planned purchases - To provide more freedom of operation, the eRA Project Team has expedited a purchase order for additional memory and storage capacity that had been scheduled for next year.    
3. Applying a patch - The database administration (DBA) team is investigating the possibility of applying an Oracle patch to our current version of the database engine. After the memory leak bug crashed their own database, Oracle developed the fix and implemented it in Version 8.1.7.1.    
4. Last resort - Should interim measures fail and an upgrade be required sooner than anticipated, the DBA team is using a parallel approach. Testing has begun for the migration to Version 8.1.7.1, and the DBAs are exploring system-tuning options with Oracle and Compaq that may alleviate performance problems.

Oracle's recommended solution is an upgrade to Version 8.1.7.1. If at all possible, we will not upgrade during end-of-year grant processing. Assuming that bug containment measures are effective, we are planning the upgrade for late October or early November to avoid disrupting peak processing during the end of the fiscal year.

As we publish this issue of Inside eRA, a patch has been implemented which we hope will resolve the problem; however, we will continue exploring the other options detailed above.

Technical details of this problem are available online. Watch future issues of Inside eRA for new developments and for the finalized upgrade schedule.

Soza on Board to Provide Independent Review of eRA Cost and Schedule

Soza and Company, Ltd. joined the project in June 2001 to provide ongoing project oversight and management support for eRA. Soza will provide independent assessment, validation, and monitoring of costs and schedules for the project. Using COCOMO II, an industry-standard cost model, Soza will forecast eRA project schedules and costs and will audit vouchers and expenditures against projected costs and milestones.

The Soza contract also will be used to assist eRA Project Managers and Group Advocates with establishing and monitoring business plans. The contractors will conduct quarterly reviews of project budgets and tasks relative to these plans. Soza's expertise in meeting facilitation will help the eRA Project Management Team to refine mission and vision, roles and responsibilities, goals and objectives, and project time lines.

Soza will be working in close coordination with Denali Associates, a company that is performing a point-in-time risk assessment of the project, [see Denali Meets with IC Staff during Evaluation of eRA Project Health in this issue of Inside eRA] to provide continual monitoring and reassessment of project risks. They will also build upon Denali's evaluation of the effectiveness of eRA communications activities by analyzing the eRA web site and newsletters and making suggestions for improvements to these information dissemination vehicles.

At least three full-time senior analysts from Soza will be working on-site to support this long-term effort. For more information about this initiative, please contact Megan Columbus at megan.columbus@nih.gov or 301-435-0937.

Denali Meets with IC Staff during Evaluation of eRA Project Health

In July, Denali Associates began performing a comprehensive point-in-time risk assessment of the eRA project to evaluate "overall project health." During the three-month assessment, Denali will work with the eRA Project Management Team, the ICs, eRA staff, and contractors to help define project success, identify potential barriers and obstacles, and offer strategies for achieving success.

Denali review teams are focusing on three aspects of the eRA project: the development process in which user requirements are translated into system design; budget and cost data; and user input for improving system usability. By looking at the technical, management, and user sides of the project, this snapshot review will identify methods of bridging the gap between user expectations and systems development.

To obtain crucial feedback from the user community, Denali is visiting ICs and Group Advocates to determine how IMPAC II can best help users perform their jobs. Interview topics may include IC expectations regarding project direction, requirements, priorities, and deliverables; communication and interaction between users and the project team; IC readiness for completing the transition to IMPAC II; and preparedness of ICs for application and database enhancements.

Denali also will determine if the eRA project is adequately fulfilling the requirements of the ICs on schedule and within budget and will analyze the project's return on investment.

The assessment will pinpoint opportunities to improve project performance. Denali will be coordinating efforts with Soza, the project oversight and management support contractor [see Soza on Board to Provide Independent Review of eRA Cost and Schedule in this issue of Inside eRA].

New Module for Program Staff Being Planned

In response to feedback from the May 10 eRA Workshop, a two-phase development of a new Program module for IMPAC II is underway to meet the specific needs of IC Program staff.

Phase One is a short-term solution that will use portals as an interface to essential functionality currently available in IMPAC II applications. A portal is a collection of web capabilities that presents an integrated, role-based view of each user's business world. With a single logon, Program staff will access a customized view of their portfolio. For example, a portal may provide links to a Program Officer's list of pending review items, MEDLINE, QuickView, and CRISP.

During Phase Two of the development process, the eRA Program Users Group (ePUG) will perform an in-depth review of ICO and of NCI's NOW, NHLBI's TABS, NIAID's CAAP, and other extension systems. A new IMPAC II module will be developed that incorporates the most desirable features from the Program portal (Phase One), ICO, and the IC extension systems. The result will be a more intuitive system that allows Program staff to effectively track and monitor their portfolio and perform their business tasks. The new Program module will also accommodate the functional requirements of eRA's ultimate goal, end-to-end electronic research administration.

Updates on the progress of this effort will be published in upcoming issues of Inside eRA. If you would like to provide feedback or participate in the process, please contact Mr. Burdette W. Erickson, Program Group Advocate, at 301-435-4913 or by email at berickso@mail.nih.gov.

Pilot Extramural Training (X-Train) Application Slated for Fall Deployment

In early September 2001, a pilot version of the Extramural Training (X-Train) application, a module of the NIH Commons, will be deployed. The web-based X-Train Version 1.5 enables grantee institutions to capture information about trainees who receive National Research Service Awards (NRSA). X-Train complements the IMPAC II Training Activities (TA) application and establishes an end-to-end communication between the NIH and grantees regarding trainee appointments and terminations.

X-Train provides electronic replacement for the NRSA Termination Notice (PHS 416-7) and for the Trainee Statement of Appointment (PHS 2271) and its automated version, Electronic Form 2271 (e2271). By enhancing functionality and reliability, X-Train will build upon the time and cost savings that e2271 affords NIH staff compared to traditional paper processing. X-Train also improves upon the e2271 by providing grantee institutions with continuous access to data after submission to the NIH.

With X-Train, grantees will continue to enjoy the ease and convenience of submitting appointments and termination notices to the NIH through the Internet. Status information provided by the X-Train application will electronically inform extramural program directors when to process reappointments and termination notices.

In addition to demographic information such as Social Security Number, citizenship, birth date, and education, X-Train will track the duration of the training appointment; the amounts allocated to stipend, tuition, and travel; and the applicable training category. By replacing the Discipline Specialty Field (DSF) with the enhanced Field of Training (FOT) coding system, X-Train provides a more exact method of categorizing training on training reports.

The X-Train 1.5 pilot will enable the project development team to obtain user feedback and refine user requirements for X-Train Version 2.0, which will be developed using J2EE architecture. Version 2.0 is scheduled for deployment in Spring 2002.

Implementation plans are available in the Project Management area.

Input on training activities related to eRA should be directed to Dr. Walter Schaffer, Training Activities Group Advocate, at 301-435-2687 or by email at schaffew@od.nih.gov.

Outcomes of SNAP Re-engineering Discussions

On August 18, the Commons Working Group (CWG) will review recommendations for improving the Streamlined Noncompeting Award Process (SNAP). Approved changes to the business process will be implemented with electronic progress report submission in the NIH Commons. A pilot phase for electronic progress report submission is slated to begin in late 2002, with deployment scheduled for 2003. After an evaluation of the pilot, similar modifications to the SNAP process may be extended to the paper process.

The initial recommendations resulted from extensive discussions at the May meeting of the Commons Working Group among CWG members, the NIH Commons Group Advocate, and NIH grants policy representatives. The CWG recommendations were then vetted through the eRA Program Users Group (ePUG), the Grants Management Advisory Committee (GMAC), and the Project Officers/Program Officials Forum (POPOF). After recommendations from the NIH committees were incorporated, the Consensus Proposed Changes to SNAP Business Process matrix received final approval at the July 18 meeting of the Extramural Program Management Committee (EPMC).

For additional information on SNAP re-engineering, please contact Dr. George Stone, Commons Group Advocate, at 301-435-1986 or by email at gs60a@nih.gov or Ms. Marcia Hahn, Grants Management Group Advocate, at 301-435-0932 or by email at hahnm@od.nih.gov.

Report from the Helpdesk

On July 20, all IMPAC II modules were updated in a virtually seamless deployment, as evidenced by positive feedback from the user community. The eRA Project Management Team thanks the IMPAC II coordinators, IC technical representatives, and all others involved in the deployment for their efforts.

IMPAC II End of Fiscal Year Schedule

The IMPAC II end of fiscal year schedule for 2001 is now available. This schedule differs from the "last day for release" in the NIH Office of Financial Management (OFM) schedule by one day. Although the release is automatic in IMPAC II, a day is required for the release to be transferred from IMPAC II to ATRS/OFM.

The last day to issue a new award for FY 2001 in IMPAC II Grants Management is Monday, October 1, 2001. IMPAC II will remain open after October 1 to release corrections to awards that have been approved by OFM and to allow CAN changes. You can use the ICO module for CAN changes on single and co-funded records. For additional information on using ICO to change a CAN for a co-funded record on which your IC is not the primary, refer to the July 2001 ICO release notes.

New awards that require supplements to be processed during this fiscal year must be released no later than Thursday, September 27, 2001.

IMPAC II Software Release Schedule as of August 24, 2001

The following new versions will be deployed on August 24 for the following business areas.

Module	Version	Platform	Release Notes
CM	3.9.8.0	(C/S)	Check the IMPAC II web site for current release notes after August 24.
CP	3.4.5.0	(C/S & Web)	Check the IMPAC II web site for current release notes after August 24.
IQR	1.1.2.0	(Web)	Check the IMPAC II web site for current release notes after August 24.
REV	2.1.0.0	(C/S & Web)	Check the IMPAC II web site for current release notes after August 24.
RR	1.2.7.0	(C/S)	Check the IMPAC II web site for current release notes after August 24.

Implementations originally planned for August 17 have been postponed until August 24. The complete IMPAC II Software Release Schedule for the next six months is now available on the IMPAC II web site. Please email questions about the schedule to the IMPAC II Helpdesk at helpdesk@od.nih.gov.

IMPAC II Training Opportunities

The Human Resource Development Division (HRDD) has scheduled the following IMPAC II courses for the 4th quarter of FY 2001.

Course Title	Number	Date	Time	Location	Tuition
Peer Review	5825	9/19/01	9 am - 4 pm	Executive Plaza South	$180
Quick View	5830	9/24/01	1 pm - 4 pm	Executive Plaza South	$110
Committee Management for GTAs and Review Staff	5833	8/27/01	9 am - 4 pm	Executive Plaza South	$180
Committee Management for CMOs and CMAs	5834	8/20/01	9 am - 4 pm	Executive Plaza South	$180
Committee Management for SREA Staff	5835	8/30/01	9 am - 12 pm	Executive Plaza South	$140

The following courses are also offered; however, there are no scheduled sessions at this time or scheduled classes are full. For more information or to request a class, visit the HRDD website or contact Mr. Ajoy Gadhok at gadhoka@od.nih.gov or 301-402-3384.

Course Title	Number	Duration	Tuition
Grants Management	5827	1 day	$180
Institute Center Operations	5828	½ day	$138
Training Appointments		½ day
CRISP Plus	5829	1 day	$110
Special Initiatives Tracking		1 day