Laserfiche WebLink
The consultant is developing extensive documentation for all CRDSS componen ts, and this <br />documentation will be available to CRDSS users in the form of on-line documentation (using <br />Mosaic) and hard-copy documentation (available upon request or by using standard printing features <br />of Mosaic and UNIX). This documentation will be accessible to the PC user if an Internet <br />connection is available and the PC version of Mosaic is configured on the PC. See Task <br />Memorandum 1.05-12 for a discussion of on-line documentation. <br />Will the State Allow Users to Run Models? <br />This issue needs to be discussed by the State. Under the broad question are other questions. For <br />example, if the State allows users to run models, can users run models on workstations, or will PC <br />versions of models be available? If PC versions are available, then procedures need to be in place to <br />retrieve data from the CRDSS database. This also implies that models be ported to PCs, but to what <br />extent? Is a certain PC configuration required? <br />An important political issue is that of ?intellectual property.? Are some of the rules, data, and <br />decisions that are part of CRDSS the property of a certain class of water user? Do the results of <br />CRDSS model runs fall into this category. If PC users are free to run models on PCs, then the State <br />should decide how to react to users who come up with an analysis that is more favorable to their <br />interests but may be in conflict with the State's use of the CRDSS. <br />Will a Fee be Charged to CRDSS users? <br />This issue needs to be discussed by the State. Is a fee currently charged for using the existing <br />database? Charging private consultants a reasonable fee for the use of the CRDSS may pay for some <br />of the maintenance costs for the system, especially if the State develops a support staff to answer <br />questions posed by CRDSS users. <br />3.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS <br />The following conclusions and recommendations are made based on the consultant's current <br />knowledge of the State's communications infrastructure and long-term networking plans. <br />Technical Issues: <br />The consultant assumes that the State will at some point have in place the communications <br />? <br />infrastructure necessary to provide computer network services between all State CRDSS <br />users; however, it is unlikely that this infrastructure can be counted on for development of <br />the CRDSS, especially during the first year or two. The consultant also assumes that <br />CRDSS users may consist mainly of persons who require data and/or reports and do not <br />necessarily want to run CRDSS models. Consequently, the most cost-effective method for <br />allowing PC access to the CRDSS is to allow PC users to download data and reports using a <br />SLIP connection or a simple PC modem procedure. Use of SLIP connection by the PC user <br />to an Internet provider will require no additional hardware to be installed as part of the <br />CRDSS since the CRDSS machines are already connected to the Internet. Measures would <br />have to be put in place to allow users to access the CRDSS data in a straightforward <br />manner. This may involve writing scripts to generate desired data as well as creating a <br />holding area for model output reports that may be downloaded by PC user. The use of a <br />PC-based database access package such as Power Builder or 4GL++ is attractive because it <br />7 <br />A275 06.29.94 1.05-29 Malers <br />