At a minimum, they expect some simple data integrity and monitoring tools. My vision is that there will be some process monitoring the data taking and doing something appropriate for each backend in use as the data arrives so that the user gets some instant feedback as to how their observing is going. I suspect that this also means that it will be useful to have a dedicated monitor in the GBT control room for displaying this information. I've asked Joe to begin cataloging the list of devices and observing modes and, from there, to start describing the types of data monitoring operations and displays which need to be implemented. This includes pulsar processing.
Someone simply needs to describe what they are.
It must therefore be easy to combine single dish and synthesis data. Of course, we are already somewhat of the way there because the single dish data will be filled into the same MS structure as synthesis data. But the imaging tools need to do the right thing and someone needs to start thinking about what that right thing is. Tim and I plan on getting a working version of this done this fall. This is done at the 12m now.