There are operations improvements which are not getting done. They’re not urgent enough to be classified as emergencies, but they’re not critical enough to get project level attention. Let’s collect examples of current situation and argue for resources dedicated to operations, so that these issues can be addressed over time.
The goal is to streamline operations and free up support personnel for other unexpected tasks (such as the sudden need to support pajama mode).
Template
Idea/Title
Why important? What is benefit?
WAG on effort required
What sort of effort is required.
Example Projects Which Require Outside Effort
Bring all instrument keyword layers up to a common level of quality.
This comes up for every project that touches instruments, but is always left off of the task list because it is large and each project declares it to be out of scope. As a result, we’re left with unreliable software which can not be modernized. Instrument scripts are brittle and break easily. SA and observer time is wasted doing minor troubleshooting and retries during the night. This costs both personnel effort and accumulates lost observing time without actually triggering a night log ticket because it is just the way the instrument works.
WAG: 100 hours per instrument. This varies enormously between instruments, so some will a factor of several more and some will be a factor of several less.
Needs software effort at keyword service level.
Remove LRIS dependance on DEIMOS
Many of our instruments have their suite of scripts built from a wholesale copy of the DEIMOS scripts which are then modified. LRIS is particularly bad in this regard as a number of scripts directly call resources on DEIMOS computers, so we can not work on DEIMOS without affecting LRIS.
WAG: 50 hours
Effort from SAs with some small software support.
Automate/streamline pajama mode observing setup.
Redesign the remote observing request form so that it handles pajama mode observing appropriately. We need to automatically ingest SSH keys from observers and distribute secure information (passwords, firewall info). This will significantly reduce the observing support burden the SAs are currently carrying and will free them up to help with other projects.
WAG: 300 hours (this touches a lot of subsystems)
Effort from software.
Manage nightly Zoom meetings to avoid 24 hour limitation which causes Zoom dropouts, especially in the Fall.
Eliminate Zoom dropouts due to hitting the 24 hour meeting limit. These have been rare lately, but will begin happening more frequently as the nights get longer. They interrupt afternoon setup or early observing time depending on when they are triggered.
WAG: 100 hours
Effort from software and SAs.
Replace the SAT with a well designed, modern tool which automates much of the mask alignment process.
This would be a modernization of the SAT interface to emphasize speed and adaptability to conditions and make it more sensitive to faint stars. It lays important groundwork for DSI.
WAG: 300 hours
Effort from software and SAs.
Replace the cron based instrument alarms system with one which provides accurate information which is easily accessible.
Create a VPN access to Keck firewall to be able to work from home as if we were in the office.
Improve H2RG detector readout software to fix current poor efficiency when using co-added frames with post-upgrade NIRSPEC observations (both SPEC and SCAM)
Allow MAGIQ guider software to command multiple co-adds (in the case of SCAM guiding) to enable on-slit guiding of fainter targets and ANY target observed at thermal wavelengths.
Take ownership and redo QACITS to improve efficiency of operations with the vortex. This would include supporting alad keywords on vm-nirc2.
KCWI binning switches are poorly implemented.
Replace dsimulator with the web version.
Finish the DEIMOS upgrade to Linux, including the control GUI and operation scripts.
Install the Solar System twilight observing scripts on the upgraded Linux-based OSIRIS hosts.
Projects Which We Can Do Inside the Group
Complete instrument’s documentation to allow easier observation designs for observers. Keep the instruments' documentation up to date to allow easier SA training.