eForms
Form 714 - Annual Electric Balancing Authority Area and Planning Area Report
Electronic Submission Software - Overview
This page contains the Installation Manual and Software Download links for the Form 714 Submission Software, along with the Internet Communications Test Application for all electronic submission of forms.
Note: The Form 714 software has been tested and will function correctly with Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 98.
Overview of Software Download and Installation (Specific download, installation and use of the submission software is available as a PDF document within the “Downloads and Links” box located on this page):
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, Opera, FireFox, or other browsers, 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 714 application software on that particular workstation. The software must be installed on the local hard drive of each workstation using the Form 714 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 occur while checking for updates;
- You are unable to submit the Form 714 Filing; or
- You are unable to receive FERC software updates.
The Form 714 Submission System uses HTTP (to get the list of respondents for initial creation of your database - you only use this when downloading initial data from FERC), FTP Receive (to check for and deliver Form 714 software and database updates) and FTP Send to submit your filings. These common Internet Communication Protocols may be blocked by your Internet Firewall for security reasons. If this is the case, your computer or network support personnel will need to allow communication to the FERC site with these protocols. 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 DNS: eforms1.ferc.gov, IP address: 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, preventing unsolicited incoming data will not affect Form 714 system operation.
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 2, Form 714 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.
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Downloads & Links
Form 714
Electronic Submission Software
Form Communications Test Application
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Contact
Information
Richard Sobonya
Telephone: 202-502-6534
form714@ferc.gov
David Burnham
Telephone: 202-502-8732
Software Support
FERC Online Support
Telephone: 202-502-6652
Toll-free: 1-866-208-3676
Email: ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov |
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