The Summit Instrument Activity Schedule (SIAS) is the schedule that is used by summit crews to determine which instrument tasks needs doing, primarily for setting up the instruments for that night.
The other use for SIAS is to communicate the release of the instrument and the telescope. Prior to release, no one should remotely command the instrument as day crews may still be working in and around the instrument and moving mechanisms may be a safety issue. Observers should not even start the instrument software until after instrument release. SAs should also be cautious when interacting with the instrument prior to release. In some cases starting the software involves homing mechanisms, so don't assume that nothing is being moved unless you are very familiar with the instrument's startup script.
SAs can edit SIAS tasks and SIAS is also where you set up your communication preferences for receiving notifications (i.e. texts) when the instrument and telescope are released.
Another important function of SIAS and its associated database is to inform the Observing Support team of which configurable elements should be loaded in DEIMOS and LRIS for an observing run. The following figure shows how a SIAS page entry for an LRIS configuration looks like:
The columns on the figure above represent, from left to right:
Column 1 (Who): The team in charge of the task. Support means the Observing Support team.
Column 2 (System): The system affected by the task, e.g. LRIS, DEIMOS, Vehicles, Facility Cryo and others.
Column 3 (Description): A description of the task with optional link to detailed documentation on how to execute the task.
Column 4 (Last changed): This column contains the Update button when any updates need to be introduced regarding the task progress. Tasks can be modified or cancelled as needed using the Update button.
Columns 5 and 6 (Job Done): The initials of the person who worked on the task and the time when the update was introduced.
Column 7 (Comments): Any pertinent comments regarding the task execution.
The components highlighted in yellow needed to be loaded. The instrument engineer or technician that loads the elements records the even upon completion by hitting the Update button and adding any pertinent comments on the Comments column.