FIS BULLETIN Number 17

Announcements | Calendar | Status | T&T-Q&A | Training | Inside Peek | Odds & Ends

February 11, 1998

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

GENERAL: SCHEDULED FIS BANNER DOWNTIMES

Banner FIS Form (screen) GJAPCTL Job Submission will be unavailable from 7-8am on Tuesday, Feb 17 and from 7-8am on Tuesday, Feb 24 for maintenance. FIS users will be unable to submit reports (including printing Purchase Orders) during these 2 1-hour blocks. Reminders will be posted to fis_user.

ACQUISITIONS: None.

BANNER REPORTS: None.

OTHER FIS / BANNER ITEMS:

BannerSlug answers all your Banner Upgrade questions! (well, a bunch of 'em anyway). See Insider's Peek.

CALENDAR OF FIS / BANNER EVENTS

MONTHLY INTERFACE SCHEDULE (Financial data from other admin systems)
All interfaces begin running at 5pm; dates subject to change

FIS STATUS

DISTRIBUTED FIS BUDGET RESERVATION FUNCTIONALITY ("MEMO LIENS"): An overabundance of work brought on by some previously unscheduled projects of which FIS is a partner has brought development of the memo lien project to a temporary halt. Which might be just as well since we have not been able to figure out all the technical and functional aspects of the project. Much of functionality as specified by users will require large amounts of custom programming of forms and processes. We also received comments from users indicating that priority should be given to implementing projects that will likely have the largest positive impacts on the campus, namely Distributed Office of Record, Procard, reporting (specifically inception-to-date reporting) and the Account Code improvement project. As such we have directed our efforts to working with our partners to complete these projects. We will revisit memo lien functionality later in the year, perhaps with the intention of implementing with the version 3.x upgrade.

CONTRACT & GRANT INCEPTION-TO-DATE (ITD) REPORT ENHANCEMENTS : The new version of the report is currently undergoing final testing by several Contract & Grants users.

DISTRIBUTED OFFICE OF RECORD (DOOR): Work on this project is currently in high gear. Modifications to FIS forms (screens) and all new reports have been coded and tested in the FIS test database. Initial testing of training materials will be happening soon, with all training materials and documentation to be available via the Web. Much more information will be forthcoming; but please put a reminder on your calendar now for the training on the weeks of April 6th and 13th. Remember that all Service
Center staff who either enter OR approve Direct Pays (via either FAADPAY or FYADPAY) MUST attend training.

ACCOUNT CODE PROJECT: At the Service Center Managers meeting on January 23, the proposed changes to the account codes were reviewed. The account code changes will be effective July 1, 1998. The changes include:

• Significant alteration to the hierarchies which will facilitate reporting
• Termination of unused or duplicate codes
• Addition of new codes to break-down current broad categories

If you were not able to attend the meeting please contact Rita Sanford, Planning and Budget Receptionist (plnbgt@cats, x92446) for the materials. If an explanation of the material is needed please contact Jane Wong (jwong@cats, x94313) or Linda Rhoads (rhoads@cats, x95363). Comments are being collected via a survey included with the materials. Please return the surveys to Jane Wong by 2/23/98. Limit responses to one per service center.

PROCARD PROCUREMENT CARD PROJECT: The Procard Advisory Group has begun meeting to work through the many functional and technical aspects of this project. The main components that need to be addressed are: 1) Technical issues, including the setup and use of the Procard system, and how data will interface to FIS; 2) Evaluating how current UCSC purchasing policies will apply to the Procard and 3) Determining how Service Centers will be able to review and verify Procard transactions. Current plans call for an initial test phase by four Service Centers (Student Affairs, Library, Physical Plant and University Extension) beginning in June 1998 for approximately 3 months.

TIPS & TRICKS/QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

TIPS & TRICKS
None submitted this month.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

An FIS power user writes: A buyer in another Service Center created a Purchase Order. It was left incomplete, but carried her buyer code. I jumped into her PO and completed it with all the info for an order of mine to the same vendor (error, error, all right). How was I able to complete the PO and Banner to approve it when the buyer code and funding (org code) are in conflict? Can any buyer complete and print a PO with another buyers name on it?

Answer: In Banner, incomplete documents are completely wide open....anyone with access to the particular function (Req, PO, DPay) can mess around with anyone else's INCOMPLETE documents of the same types. Once the document is COMPLETE, however, only those folks in the appropriate approval queue(s) (as determined by the Orgs used in the FOAPALs on the document) will be able to approve the document, which is how it ultimately posts. This is what allows the Data Entry staff to do their job...they input and complete documents for any SC that contracts with them; but the SC does the actual approval. Since when you completed the other buyer's PO you changed the FOAPAL to include your Service Center's org code, it routed thru your approval queues. Had you left the other org, it would have routed to the other Service Center for approval.

Requisitions rout to a buyer's PO Assignment Queue based on the org code that is entered on Page 1 of the Req. That is pretty much the end of the Buyer code function, except to control what name and phone # is printed on the PO. Banner does no checking between the buyer code on a document and who actually completes it. One reason for this is because many institutions don't have buyer codes that correspond to individuals; instead, they correspond to departments. So all buyers within a department may share the same buyer code, and it could print something like "Math Division Purchasing Dept" on the PO. At UCSC, we have chosen to assign buyer codes to individuals.

Since we rely on the Approvals process to maintain controls, it really doesn't matter who completes a document, since it won't post until someone with authority over the Org approves it.

Clear as mud? :-) If anyone need additional clarification on these always gnarly concepts, please don't hesitate to ask... mleduc@cats.

FIS TRAINING SCHEDULE

Below is the FIS Banner Training Schedule. To register for a course, please send e-mail to njmiller@ucsc.edu and include:
-----the class name and date
-----the attendee's name, phone number, e-mail address and unit.
Class confirmation will be sent to each attendee.

FIS Banner Training Course Schedule --- Location: 247B Kerr Hall

A separate class listing for the Distributed Office of Record Training will be published soon. The eight hour certification training will be offered in two four-hour sections from April 6th through 30th.

________________________
Questions or problems regarding the Banner system can be directed to:
Acquisitions, Accounts Payable - Karsen Jones (kjones@cats)
Ledger Reports, Fiscal Closing - Vicki Gutzwiller (vickig@cats)
Banner Security, Access, Other - Monique Leduc (mleduc@cats)
FIS Training Content, Schedule - Nancy Miller (njmiller@cats)

INSIDER'S PEEK AT FIS

BANNERSLUG'S TOUGH ASSIGNMENT:

ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLANNED FIS-BANNER UPGRADE

Already admitting to being a functional slug and not a technical one (see Bulletin #6), Bannerslug very reluctantly accepted the assignment to answer questions stemming from last month's Bulletin article about the Banner upgrade. (The alternative assignment of working on the upgrade was apparently even less appealing.) [Editor's note: Sensitive readers are advised that Bannerslug was not in the best of moods in composing responses. Parental discretion is advised.]

Question: Is there any way a "heavy user" can still use a Mac?
B: I didn't know using a Mac was going to be limited to svelte users only. Boy, they really do think different there. If you mean, can inputters and folks who give FIS a workout use Macs, you'll be happy to know that the technical plan submitted for the upgrade (courtesy of the work of our friends at CATS) includes using a Ntrigue-Winframe processing environment that will provide support for Macintoshes both old and new (except for the really old ones, i.e. requires Motorola 68030 or better). In addition, most weakling PC's (i.e. Intel 80386 or better) should also be able to run FIS using Winframe.

Question: Are there any catches?
B: The Ntrigue-Winframe software will cost quite a bit of money (estimated to be approximately $135/workstation + server software). Citrix-Winframe client software will need to be installed on all workstations planning to access FIS. In addition, Ntrigue software will need to be installed on Macintosh workstations. (Translated: there will be some work for computer coordinators.) In addition, about half a dozen application servers running the Winframe software will have to be purchased and installed on the campus (Translated: there will be much work for CATS).

Question: So give us some more details about the upgrade?
B: Such as?

Question: Like the technical stuff?
B: Don't you know I don't like talking about technical stuff?

Question: Hey, I'm the one asking the questions.
B: That wasn't a question... so there. If I had a tongue, I'd stick it out
at you, too.

Question: Why you little...
B: Okay, okay, now put down the FIS Training Manual. Those things can inflict serious damage. This is how it's supposed to work according to what I've been told by the FIS techno-types (i.e. Bannerland Front Office and Back Office folks). DINKY still contains all the FIS data (a.k.a. the database server). The six or seven application servers will contain the Banner input and query forms (GUI) in the Windows format as well as the Citrix Winframe server software. Winframe client software will be installed on user workstations, with Macintosh workstations also having Ntrigue software installed. Ntrigue software enables users with Macintosh workstations to run Windows-based applications on their desktops. The Citrix Winframe software enables client workstations to run "sessions" on the Winframe server. In other words, the processing and forms rendering is all being done on the application server. Think of your client workstation acting like a dumb terminal, receiving screen images, and transmitting keystroke and mouse movements between it and the application server. The application servers interacts with DINKY to send and retrieve Banner data. Each application server can probably run about 30 sessions max (hence the need for several servers).

Question: So how does this compare to true client-server processing?
True client-server processing involves the server providing data and forms to the client workstation, with the client workstation doing all the screen rendering and data processing. Now you know why robust workstations (PowerPC's and Pentiums) are needed under this scenario. And since nearly all large-scale business system vendors are only providing Windows-formatted forms these days, Pentium-based PC's running Windows are a requirement.

Question: Would we be pioneers in implementing this solution?
B: No, UC Davis decided to use the Ntrigue-Citrix-Winframe solution last year in implementing their new financial system and in implementing their upgraded Student Information System. Their software vendor didn't provide Mac support, either. Also, after much angsting (and many protests by Mac devotees), UC Berkeley (and probably UC Riverside) will be using the Ntrigue-Citrix-Winframe solution for their new financial systems. Berkeley's and Riverside's financial system vendor, Peoplesoft, decided not to support Macintoshes despite their earlier promises.

Question: Who's going to pay for this?
B: Well you can make your check payable to ... Really though, the FIS budget proposal for 1998-99 includes a request for funding for the hardware and software for the upgrade, including Ntrigue and Citrix Winframe software.

Question: So what are the chances of funding coming through?
B: My Magic Eight Ball reads "the future is cloudy."

Question: So why do all this?
B: Staying current with the Banner application is a good reason. Our current version is so old, it's no longer supported. Neither is the version of Oracle it's running on. This kind of situation can be dangerous and potentially very costly (e.g. we don't receive maintenance updates for changes in 1099 tax reporting requirements anymore). Also, for better or worse, all major software vendors are employing client-server technology. It enables things like graphical interfaces and mouse support to be used. This extends beyond financial software. The Alumni system being implemented is using client-server (for better or worse, too). Future payroll-personnel, student, and financial aid systems will use client-server.

Question: So are you certain that this scenario is the one we're going to take?
B: No. I like to keep my options open.

Question: What do you mean?
B: My mother told me not only to be slippery, but act like it, too, She said it might save my corporate life. What I really mean is that technology has been changing quickly and we're prepared to take advantage of it. In fact, we heard that Citrix (the maker of Winframe) just bought Insignia software (the maker of Ntrigue). Also, Microsoft is set to release its own version of Ntrigue-Winframe-type software. We've also heard that SCT plans to roll out version 4.0 with web-enabled forms. We've got our plan, but we're going to be slippery in case something better (read: easier and/or cheaper) comes up before we need to make the hard technical decisions on the upgrade.

Questions: You'll keep us informed?
B: Show a little kindness and maybe I'll throw you some morsels of information along the way (Just got my membership to Dogbert's New Ruling Class).

Contributors: Nancy Miller, Karsen Jones, Linda Rhoads, Kirk Lew, Monique Leduc.
Your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Please direct them to the Editors, Monique Leduc (mleduc@cats) or Kirk Lew (kllew@cats)

Financial Affairs | Accounting Offices | Campus Controller | FIS

Comments to: controller@ucsc.edu - Maintained by FIS, Updated