## CSTARS User Group

**May 6, 2004**

**Meeting Minutes**

**ATTENDEES:** Crystal Davis, OAM

> Tom Cochran, OAM
>
> Kevin Crowley, OAM
>
> Yancy Stern, OAM
>
> Mike Williams, OAM
>
> Chuck Hughes, NOAA
>
> Jan Dodi, NOAA
>
> Jacob M. Nyguist, NOAA
>
> Marjie Dones, NOAA
>
> Randall Brown, NOAA
>
> Abram Vinikoor, NOAA\
> Lynne Phipps, NOAA
>
> Dennis Morris, NOAA
>
> Dick Bennet, NOAA
>
> Don Kraus, NOAA
>
> Willette Hamilton, OSDBU
>
> Tiffany Hixon, OS+
>
> Lorenzo Aryio-Luiz, OS+
>
> Pam Harper, OCS
>
> Jacqueline Wilson, Census
>
> Sharon Diggins, Census
>
> Suja Madhavan, Census
>
> Clark Terrell, Census
>
> Judy Carrier, Census
>
> Jerry Rorstrom Lee, CAMS
>
> Gary Hill, CACI
>
> Tara Kerns, CACI

## Administrative

-   The next CSTARS Users Group Meeting will be held June 3, 2004 at
    Census.

-   All Users are now under Version 5.8.a

## Financial Interface

-   Jerry Rorstrom-Lee with CAMS discussed the Phases of the interface
    process. Pilot began at NIST and now the effort is underway to
    expand on the findings for the interface.

-   Currently there is a high level design to determine enterprise
    solution. The requirements that are being used are from Feb.2003.

-   The group would like more information on the planned implementation
    rollout of the interface, training plans, software plans.

-   Census would like information because they need to plan and take the
    Census into consideration.

-   **ACTION ITEM: Jerry Rhorstrum-Lee is find out the final date for
    the high level design and the and the overall final completion
    date.**

-   **QUESTION: Sharon from Census asked if there had been any
    consideration for the ITBP Process.**

-   **ACTION ITEM: Sharon from Census to give information to Jerry
    regarding the ITBP Process.**

-   **ACTION ITEM: Tom C will get more information from Debra regarding
    the process for the interface.**

-   **ACTION ITEM: Any questions regarding the financial interface can
    be directed to Ken Pooton.**

## CSTARS Requisition Module

-   Requisition's will start in CSTARS and then be passed through the
    interface.

-   Debra Young will state that in the Quarterly Review and distribute
    to the HCO's. Additional information will be forwarded as needed.

## CSTARS 5.8b Review

-   Gary explained the 5.8.B release and what changes were fixed.

-   Some of the fixes for this release are:

    1.  *BPN Load Errors when load file was in unexpected file format*:
        The load program was modified so that the load program would
        ignore any unexpected file formats and continue with the load
        process.

    2.  *BPN/CCR physical address populating Comprizon Vendor Mailing
        Address*: The Comprizon vendor mailing address will be populated
        with the corresponding information from the BPN/CCR Vendor
        Mailing address.

    3.  *BPN/CCR vendor DUNS lookup search Tax ID:* You are now able to
        search by Tax ID using the DUNS lookup.

    4.  *New values for business types from BPN/CCR:* The BPN
        vendor/type tabs has been updated to improve readability and
        only those business types that were selected by the vendor
        during CCR registration will display.

-   The release notes are available if needed.

-   All sites want to move to this version ASAP.

-   **ACTION ITEM: Pam Harper of OCS to check the Schedule for a rollout
    plan.**

**CONSOLIDATING CSTARS TRAINING DATABASES**

-   Kevin Crowley is moving forward with discussions on consolidating
    the training databases. Kevin proposed that OAM act as the
    background sys admin to maintain the global parameters of the
    system. OAM would be responsible for things effecting the system and
    the local SA would still manage users etc for daily mgmt activities.

-   A lot of question behind combining Databases: How would upgrades and
    testing be done? Currently only need to coordinate within bureau,
    combining they will need to coordinate will all bureaus.

-   Jan from NOAA has a suggestion to copy her training Database.

-   Focus on the single database is coming from Debra Young and Mike
    Sade.

-   If the combining is being done so that they will eventually go to
    one database, then user would like to know what the process of
    upgrading is.

-   User suggest that a prototype approach would be more acceptable

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-   **ACTION ITEM: Kevin Crowley will contact group to discuss how to
    accomplish this and look at the impacts on users.**

-   **ACTION ITEM: NOAA will provide lessons learned to facilitate this
    process.**

**DISASTER RECOVERY**

-   Pam reviewed the data that Sharon and Jackie from Census submitted
    but can not recreate the data.

-   The next test, they will ask for additional hours so that they can
    walk through each error.

-   Tentative dates for next disaster recover are December 6, 7 and
    8^th^.

-   **ACTION ITEM: Jim McNamee needs to make a formal statement if the
    recovery was a success or not.**

**PRINTING ISSUES**

-   No resolution on this issue yet.

-   CENSUS printing issues still occurring. Sharon\'s printer is not
    fixed. Pam is waiting for feedback from Sharon regarding the
    problems.

-   **ACTION ITEM: Pam Harper is still working with Sharon on this
    issue.**

**STANDARDIZING CSTARS DATA ELEMENTS**

-   Adhoc has been created to run against the databases. This is a read
    only adhoc that will look for fields that are marked as mandatory.

-   After the list is created, Crystal will send to each site. They will
    confirm the fields and add any additional fields that they use as
    mandatory.

-   Once results are sent back to Crystal, she will compile and sent out
    to each site for review.

-   **ACTION ITEM: Gary Hill will take NIST the ADHOC to run against
    their database.**

-   **ACTION ITEM: Gary Hill and Pam Harper will work together to run
    the ADHOC against the databases.**

-   **ACTION ITEM: Crystal will validate the information provided by the
    Team Leads and distribute back to them for concurrence.**

**E-GOV INITIATIVES**

**FPDS-NG**

-   Server has been hanging and having to be reset several times a day.
    Users get to the login but when select create, it locks and needs to
    be reset.

-   **ACTION ITEM: Gary Hill of CACI Pam Harper of OCS to get the
    logfile to determine where the problem is.**

**NOAA Training Update**

-   Successful training and moving forward.

> **FPDS-NG Bureau Status**

-   FPDS-NG is being done by Contract Specialist in all sites.

-   **QUESTION: How do the bureau's handle 281 information for
    migration?** How do they get the action in so they can mod them?

-   **ACTION ITEMS: Yancy to determine action for 281 migration.**

-   **ACTION ITEMS: GCE Monthly Conference call Thursday at 10:00.**

**BPN/CCR-Data Update-To-Date**

-   **ACTION ITEM: Census having problem. Due to shortness of time
    Crystal and Gary will work with Sharon on her issue**

> **BPN/CCR**
>
> **Daily Updates**

-   Daily updates occurring.

> **Physical Address overwriting mailing addresses**

-   Fixed in 5.8.B

> **Download daily extracts manually**

-   Fixed in 5.8.B

> **PPIRS**

-   Ability to enter Past Performance in CSTARS.

-   Mgmt will not go into production until HCO's discuss in a meeting on
    the 19^th^ or 20^th^.

-   Available now for testing.

-   **ACTION ITEM: Gary working on a guide to assist with PIPPRS**

**FedBizOps**

-   Gary will facilitate any questions that need to be answered, and
    assist any bureau that needs help.

-   NOAA would like to use FedBizOps.

-   **ACTION ITEM. Gary will contact Jan Dodi for FedBizOps.**

-   **ACTION ITEM: Gary to provide a users guide for FedBizOps**.

**COMPRIZON™SUITE**

-   5 names for each bureau are created. Login ID's and passwords will
    be distributed to a designated person.

-   **ACTION ITEM: Tara to determine if sample training materials can be
    distributed for the Comprizon™Suite.**

**PM SURVEY**

-   **ACTION ITEM: Crystal to provide Team Leads with survey after the
    user's group meeting.**

-   Crystal asks that they not judge Gary Hill's or CACI's performance
    based on the product. The survey is for Support of the Customer.

**ADDITIONAL ISSUES**

-   Chuck Huges of NOAA is getting an error with the PALT report. He is
    getting a "?" in the date fields. Two reasons for a "?" in a report
    would be, 1. field not big enough and, 2. if the value is unknown or
    null.

-   **ACTION ITEM: Gary Hill will look at the PALT report and determine
    why they are getting the error**.