A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/719223
EAD600 will also be key site tested at ZLC and ZSE and is planned for a mid - December rele ase. Task teams from the National User Team (NUT) have been working on several Corrective Action Requests (CARs) generated by ATSAP reports. They include magnetic declination processing in ERAM, destination display in Terminal data blocks, and processing f oreign registered aircraft. These CARs usually result in a change to ERAM, a change to adaptation, or training enhancements. Some of the issues the NUT has been working include the Visual Comm Indicator, route processing and handoffs, Automated Point - outs, MERT routing , and Data C omm uplinks. Matt Tucker, NATCA Weather Rep, briefed the NUT on the upcoming improvements to the ERAM weather display and how to help get their facilities ready for the upgrade. They were also briefed by James Keith, AJV - 7 Rep, on the upcoming Sector Enhancements. This was an in - depth briefing on proposed improvements to ERAM so the reps could prioritize the changes. This was done so we could have controller input on the importance of these proposed enhancements. Tabletop Briefing E xercises were held at ZOA and ZLA the week of Aug 15th. These exercises are being held at all ARTCCs this year to help the local teams, including NATCA, Tech Ops , and management be better prepared for an ERAM outage. INTEGRATED DISPLAY SYSTEM REPLACEMENT (IDS - R): Richie Smith (N90) leads NATCA's efforts on the IDS - R project as the Article 48 Representative. Below is Mr. Smith's report. The IDS replacement program is moving in two different directions at this time. During August a few facilities have gone I OC (S56) and some have gone ORD (MLI, PIT, RSW). What is unfortunat e is that the negative news out weighs the positive. A handful of facilities have experienced workstation lock ups in NIDS software versions 3.5 and 3.5.1, which contained a fix for FDIO dat a being dropped. TUS actually fell back to an older software version (3.3.3) in preparation for the move into their new tower. The new software upgrade, version 3.6, was supposed to address the fixes mentioned above, along with the long awaited IP Storm f ix, which is needed at SCT and I90. Unfortunately the software failed initial testing. NATCA was there to witness , and unfortunately , further testing was canceled after eight successive failures of the first test case. Being that testing never progressed b eyond the first test , we never saw the fixes to the imbedded document issues that are still freezing workstations. A lot was learned during testing that will lead to a better product , but unfortunately , the build failed. This build is important for a few r easons. Not only does the SCT network need it to set up their network and pass System Acceptance Testing, I90 needs it to fix issues that they have encountered. A few weeks ago , I90 ' s NIDS network was crippled by this IP storm issue and the network needed to be shut down. Preventive measures were taken at I90, which prompted the program office to tell NATCA that the possibility of a reoccurrence was very small. Fresh on the heels of the failure of the software test failure , I90 ' s network was once again cri ppled by an IP storm. Local technicians, having learned from the last event, initiated a partial shut down of the system and order was restored in a few hours. Log data is being combed through by both the program office and AWI and at this point AWI claims that the new (fixed) software version of 3.6 would have stabilized the network before it became an issue. To further complicate things, non - NIDS hardware cannot be ruled out as a causal factor. The NIDS system relies heavily on FTI equipment (routers) an d the fact that this could be a failure point outside of the program office ' s control is not comforting. This