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Beams-doc-925
Version: 1
Document type: Note



Notes on Transferring MI-Notes to the Beams Division Document Database


Bruce C. Brown
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory*
P.O. Box 500
Batavia, Illinois 60510

12/01/2003


*Operated by the Universities Research Association under contract with the U.S.
Department of Energy.

Abstract

Using the Beams Division Document Database (DocDB) for storage, the MAIN INJECTOR NOTES Web Page has been re-implemented. Many inadequately stored documents have been located in various formats and stored in DocDB. In addition to web page you are now viewing, this Beams-doc-925 will store various files which describe/document this effort to assist anyone who seeks to further improve the quality of MI-Notes online.

Introduction

The Beams Division has had a variety of notes systems which document various aspects of the complex and its operations. These systems have evolved in various ways since their introduction in the era when all documents were circulated as paper copies. In the fall of 2002, it was recognized that the work of the Main Injector Group was being impeded by the fact that their web system for documents was difficult to maintain and available new documents had not been added for a couple of years. A document database system which had evolved by use in several experimental groups was implemented to replace the MI-Notes web page system. This system was then made available to various groups and now is open for use across the Beams Division.

The Main Injector Group has maintained a formal note system since 1989. In the summer of 1998 and again one summer since then, summer help has scanned old documents and converted them to a machine readable form. The access to them has been provided via a web page (MI Notes). The system has not been successfully maintained for documents created since 1999. In parallel with implementation of the Beams Division Document Database, MI-Notes documents were transferred to the new system. This document will describe the efforts needed to achieve the present new implementation and store documents and spreadsheets which were created to record activities and document status of the effort.

Document Transfer

Winter 2002 through Spring 2003

Document numbers were reserved for MI-Notes by Bruce Brown and Ruth Becker (Main Injector Department Administrative Person), starting in November 2002. A spreadsheet was implemented to provide topics for Ruth to use and it has been maintained for various uses since. MI_Notes_Transfer_Audit_Nov2003.xls is the current form of that spreadsheet and it is part of Beams-doc-925. Beams doc numbers were reserved for all notes on the existing MI-Notes pages plus some additional notes in Ruth Becker's lists by Jan 14, 2003. The process of transferring the documents then started. Many problems were discovered and processes begun to address them.

Two lists were used for MI-Notes in addition to the web page. On a printed version of a computer file, Note numbers were assigned upon request by initially writing them onto the paper copy, then updating the file. The list of MI-Notes was also maintained through the years in a Microsoft Word file. Together, these were more complete than the web page. Ruth Becker updated this file and, with further revisions, it is also available as part of Beams-doc-925. In addition, a list of document troubles was created in ASCII (MI_Notes_Troubles.txt). This was updated through April 2003. Most issues and resolutions were transferred to the ProblemFixFall2003 worksheet of MI_Notes_Transfer_Audit_Nov2003.xls.

Summer 2003

Monica Neuffer was employed for the summer to assist in completing this project. She filled a number of roles:

Fall 2003

Following the departure of Monica Neuffer, Ruth Dejerld was asked to assist in this task. The following tasks were carried out with her assistance:

These activities were the major effort documented in Bruce Brown's web pages of activities for Summer 2003 ( MagneData 2003 and Projects and Progress for Monica Neuffer). Additional comments on the document database and its use are available as Beams-doc-553 and Beams-doc-919. A web page Notes on Document Database Effort for Main Injector Group was created early in the DocDB effort and it is also now available as a resource concerning these activities.