# Presentation: 431506

## 5 Frequently Asked Questions

***5 Frequently Asked Questions***

**1  Introduction**
**2  Generic CVIEW HW & SW Spec**
**3  Communication Options**
**4  System Installation**
**5  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)**
**6  CVIEW Schedule**

**5.1  Category #1: CVIEW Functionality**
**5.2  Category #2: Server Communications**
**5.3  Category #3: Roadside Communications**
**5.4  Category #4: CVIEW Data Issues**
**5.5  Category #5: CVIEW Cost Issues**
**5.6  Category #6: CVIEW Schedule**
**5.7  Category #7: CVIEW General Issues**

## Category #1: CVIEW Functionality

**What is the exact functionality of CVIEW’s relationship to SAFETYNET and SAFER? (include implementation plan with WBS)**** ****(Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue #12)**
**What will CVIEW capabilities be? (Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue #13)**
**Need (CVIEW) information - what functionality will be provided? Will a core module be provided that is non-state specific? We will need some specific documentation. We will need all of this by 3/1/97. (Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue #14)**

## Category #1: CVIEW Functionality

**CVIEW/SAFER Relationship**
**CVIEW will send the SAFER system snapshot segments containing safety and credential information for those carriers, vehicles, and drivers based in the state but which participate in interstate operations; CVIEW will receive snapshots, formatted as views, from SAFER for interstate carriers, vehicles, and drivers specified via a state-defined subscription list**
**CVIEW/SAFETYNET Relationship**
**The CVIEW Data Mailbox will receive all inter- and intrastate vehicle and driver inspection reports from its state’s roadside sites and make them available to SAFETYNET for download via AVALANCHE**
**CVIEW will store all interstate inspection reports in a SAFER mailbox within the CVIEW Data Mailbox system for subsequent upload to the SAFER system**
**Implementation Plan development with WBS is in progress**

## Category #1: CVIEW Functionality

**In addition to the capabilities specified in Issue #12, CVIEW will:**
**store intrastate carrier, vehicle, and driver snapshots containing safety and credential information obtained from its state’s legacy systems**
**allow users to perform online queries to retrieve inter- and intratstate carrier, vehicle, and driver snapshot records**
**allow users to download inter- and intrastate carrier, vehicle, and driver snapshot records via user-defined subscription lists**

## Category #1: CVIEW Functionality

**Functionality is described in Issues 12 & 13**
**Yes, CVIEW will consist of a core set of functions that are not state specific. These include:**
**safety and credential data exchange with SAFER **
**safety and credential data exchange with users via ASPEN and the SAFER/CVIEW Graphical User Interface**
**safety and credential data exchange with state legacy systems using an EDI interface**
**The documentation schedule is included in the CVIEW project schedule**

## Category #2: Server Communications

**Provide sufficient information about the three known choices (plus any newer ones that may have emerged) for connecting CVIEW to SAFER that the MD tech staff can analyze the tradeoffs and make a choice, between:**
**Internet**
**1-800 telephone number**
**VAN**
**Is the CVIEW to SAFER connection a continuous connection?**
**What about security and firewalls?**

## Category #2: Server Communications

**CVIEW to SAFER Communications**
**Remote Access Service (RAS) to connect CVIEW to SAFER should only be used during initial demonstration periods where other network services are unavailable**
**Production communications between CVIEW and SAFER should be supported via a wide area network (WAN) service provider; could be either an Internet or a Value Added Network (VAN) service provider. Required WAN capabilities are:**
**TCP/IP support**
**Minimum 56 KB bandwidth**
**Local and 800# number dial service support**
**Internet access is less expensive but also less reliable and a higher security risk than a VAN**
**Candidate VAN providers:**
**AAMVAnet, MCI, others being investigated**
**AAMVAnet can only be used by organizations performing business operations with one or more States**

## Category #2: Server Communications

**Yes, it is expected that server to server communications, i.e., CVIEW to SAFER, are supported by leased-line communication links**
**Several types of leased-line links are available including direct point-to-point, Frame-Relay, etc.; type availability may be dependent on the WAN provider**
**Leased-lines are also available with different band-width capacities; a 56KB capacity is the minimum recommended bandwidth**

## Category #2: Server Communications

**General recommendations**
**CVISN server should be isolated from the state facility’s intranet via a hardware or software firewall**
**CVISN server should be physically protected from deliberate or inadvertent tampering, e.g., cipher-lock access to the server area**
**CVISN network access should be physically protected from deliberate or inadvertent tampering, e.g., secure wire-closets, protected firewall/router access, etc.**
**CVISN servers should be configured as a separate NT operating system domain which trusts but is not trusted by the state facility, i.e., access from the state facility to the CVISN servers is permitted but the converse path is not allowed**
**A detailed set of security guidelines will be provided as part of the CVIEW documentation set**

## Category #3: Roadside Communications

**How does the data get to the roadside?**
**Will the WIN 95 version of ASPEN for a laptop connect to CVIEW/SAFER?  (This may be strictly an ASPEN question - please advise)**
**(Will) ASPEN code/script (be) customized to trigger credential verifications through CVIEW to legacy systems and return roadside? (Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue # 1)**

## Category #3: Roadside Communications

**Carrier, vehicle, and driver safety and credential data will be provided to the roadside via ASPEN as well as other state-developed Roadside Operation Computer (ROC) applications**
**These applications will communicate with SAFER/CVIEW via either dial-up or leased line network connections**

## Category #3: Roadside Communications

**Yes, it will. APL has developed communication application programming interfaces (API’s) that will allow both Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 versions of ASPEN to communicate with SAFER and CVIEW.**

## Category #3: Roadside Communications

**Although this capability could be included in ASPEN, it is more likely to be incorporated into the roadside electronic screening software which will execute on some form of desktop computer system, e.g., a Roadside Operations Computer (ROC)**

## Category #4: CVIEW Data Issues

**How much data will CVIEW store?**
**How does CVIEW data get to the other users?**
**Do we need server mirroring to support CVIEW database?**
**How long must data be maintained?**
**What is the purge policy?**

## Category #4: CVIEW Data Issues

**CVIEW will store snapshots for its state’s intrastate carriers and for a subset of interstate carriers frequently inspected at roadside sites within that state; this number will vary from state to state.**
**CVIEW will store snapshots for all vehicles and drivers that have been inspected in that state; a state may also elect to provide CVIEW with snapshot segments for all vehicles and drivers registered and licensed, respectively, in that state.**
**Snapshot size will depend on the snapshot view selected during the subscription definition process, e.g. the ISS view to support ASPEN is approximately 450 bytes in length.**

## Category #4: CVIEW Data Issues

**Users will be required to enroll as CVIEW users, i.e., the enrollment process identifies the user, his/her organization, assigns a userid/password, creates a mailbox for the user in the CVIEW Data Mailbox system, etc.**
**As part of the enrollment process, users may define a subscription list which specifies for CVIEW the kinds of data they are interested in receiving, the rate at which they’ll receive it, etc.**
**CVIEW will satisfy each user’s subscription list, i.e., place the requested data in the user’s mailbox, once per week (initially) based on any changes that occurred to the requested during that week**
**Any valid user can request and receive data from CVIEW via the subscription method**
**CVIEW will also support online queries for carrier, vehicle, and driver information**
**Access to certain types of data, i.e. sensitive driver information, will be restricted to only authorized users**** **

## Category #4: CVIEW Data Issues

**If the CVISN servers are not configured with a common Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) system, i.e., if each server supports an independent RAID, database mirroring is recommended to provide data redundancy**

## Category #4: CVIEW Data Issues

**Retention length is data class specific. For example, driver and vehicle inspection records will be stored for up to thirty days and then purged from the system; other types of data such as carrier, vehicle, and driver snapshots could be retained indefinitely.**

## Category #4: CVIEW Data Issues

**Although no formal data purge policy has yet been defined, a specific  purge policy example is provided on the previous slide**

## Category #5: CVIEW Cost Issues

**Who maintains CVIEW and what will that cost?**
**Cost estimate of what will be required for CVIEW software maintenance after the prototype period.**
**Please also address any costs and recommendations for server O/S maintenance that may be required to keep CVIEW running well as it evolves.**
**What is CVIEW cost and availability (Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue #10)**
**Information flow to pilot states on development; Guidance from APL on costs (Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue #15)**
**Transaction costs:**
**SAFER/CVIEW costs to state**
**Credentialing and other transaction costs to carriers (Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue #16)**

## Category #5: CVIEW Cost Issues

**There are several options for CVIEW maintenance**
**Option 1**
**The state enters into a contractual relationship with a maintenance vendor, e.g., SAIC, who is responsible for performing system maintenance**
**System maintenance options include:**
**Providing initial installation, configuration, and system check-out services**
**Providing all hardware maintenance for a contractually agreed upon period of time **
**Providing all software maintenance for a contractually agreed upon period of time**
**Providing a help-desk service for a contractually agreed upon period of time**
**Providing a Legacy System Interface (LSI) development course to facilitate the creation and installation of LSI modules into the state’s CVIEW system in order to interface with state legacy systems**
**Estimated cost range, depending on options, is $50K-100K/year**
**Option 2**
**The state elects to perform all or some of the above functions without the assistance of a maintenance vendor**

## Category #5: CVIEW Cost Issues

**See previous slide for system maintenance details**

## Category #5: CVIEW Cost Issues

**Hardware and software costs for a generic CVIEW configuration are provided in the Generic Hardware and Software Specification portion of this document**
**Communication costs will be the responsibility of the CVIEW state of ownership; how these costs are distributed among its users will be determined by the state. For example, a state may elect to establish an MCI frame-relay network connection between its CVIEW system and SAFER. The state would enter into a contractual relationship with MCI to provide that connection; the state could also extend that contract to allow any of its CVIEW users to communicate with CVIEW via an MCI dial-up connection.**
**CVIEW availability estimates are provided in the CVIEW Schedule section of this document**

## Category #5: CVIEW Cost Issues

**See first slide in the CVIEW Cost Issues series for an estimate of CVIEW maintenance costs**

## Category #5: CVIEW Cost Issues

**The primary form of information flow to the pilot states with be through the CVISN Web application which can be accessed via URL:**
**APL will be providing additional costs details, e.g., communication costs/rates, as additional vendor information becomes available**

## Category #5: CVIEW Cost Issues

**In general, states that provide SAFER with snapshot segments will not be subject to SAFER/CVIEW data exchange transaction costs; however, states will be responsible for communication costs**
**Other users, i.e., non-state agencies, non-enforcement community, will be charged for data exchange services. A charge for a carrier profile report, which will be significantly less expensive via electronic exchange than today’s paper-report prices, is an example of such a cost.**
**For the next several years, at least through 1999, FHWA/OMC will be responsible for SAFER Operations and Maintenance costs; the details of how those costs will be distributed among its users after that period is under investigation**** **

## Category #6: CVIEW Schedule

**What/when/how? Major decisions and system design changes will be dependent on CVIEW functionality**** ****(Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue #9)**
**Need to follow prototype development plans**** ****(Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue 11)**

## Category #6: CVIEW Schedule

**See other Frequently Asked Questions and other document sections covering CVIEW functionality and schedule**

## Category #6: CVIEW Schedule

**See the document section covering CVIEW Schedule**

## Category #7: General Issues

**MD assumes that APL will be supporting CVIEW software during the prototype -- is this correct?**
**Intrastate inspection data must be processed through MCMIS and returned through SAFER/SAFER snapshots for carrier assigned intrastate USDOT numbers (Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue #27)**
**When will Lockeed/HELP Inc (Prepass) interface with SAFER? (Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue #42)**
**Automated access to NLETS? (Planning & Eval Wrksp Issue #44)**

## Category #7: General Issues

**Yes, that is correct.**

## Category #7: General Issues

**The storage and processing of intrastate inspection data by MCMIS and the assignment of USDOT numbers to intrastate carriers are being evaluated; several states, e.g., Connecticut, are participating in a prototype to evaluate these capabilities**

## Category #7: General Issues

**The Lockeed/HELP interface to SAFER has already been established; HELP is currently downloading interstate carrier safety data to support their business operations via a HELP-defined subscription list**

## Category #7: General Issues

**Work to establish a SAFER/CVIEW NLETS interface will be initiated during the 4th Quarter of ‘97**