PHT Summary

VLA and VLBA

The PHT for the VLA and VLBA provide versioning on the full set of proposals/sessions associated with a Semester call. This versioning allows the telescope schedulers to iteratively work on "modified sessions" according to the recommendations of the SRP or TAC. This modification includes manual assignment of (preliminary) scheduling priorities, manual modification of sessions, and manual modification of temporal attributes. From the VLA, there is access to the Prioritizor which will algorithmically determine and assign preliminary scheduling priorities to sessions. The VLBA does not have an algorithm with which to bulk process scheduling priorities. The proposals are processed together such that a final version is provided downstream.

The pressure plot must be configured ahead of the versions and modification of these details (e.g., start and stop dates of a VLA configuration) is not possible on the fly generally. One pressure plot exists for all versions in the sense that it is not possible to version the pressure plot. If a modification is made to the maintenance schedule, the previous configuration of the pressure plot is lost. Thus the ability to compare differences to reserved time definitions (time not associated with the current proposals) is not possible without external tools (e.g., taking a screen shot). It is not possible to dynamically inspect the pressure plot against the list of proposals, select a number of proposals to selectively apply to the pressure plot at a time, or recover a pressure plot without any proposal pressure without restarting the process.

GBT

The GBT PHT allows the modification of sessions and the production of pressure plots. This modification includes manual assignment of (preliminary) scheduling priorities, manual modification of sessions, and manual modification of temporal attributes. The GBT PHT does not employ an algorithm to bulk prioritize its algorithms. The proposals are processed together such that a final version is provided downstream. The GBT PHT does not use versioning.

One pressure plot exists for all proposals and there is not versioning. If a modification is made to the maintenance schedule, the previous configuration of the pressure plot is lost. Thus the ability to compare differences to reserved time definitions (time not associated with the current proposals) is not possible without external tools (e.g., taking a screen shot). It is not possible to  recover a pressure plot without any proposal pressure without restarting the process. It does provide superior inspection capabilities to the PHT of the VLA and VLBA however in that it is possible to identify the specific session affecting a point on the pressure plot.

The GBT PHT also provides a "calendar" view, which produces a day to day breakdown of the pressure. This allows easy inspection and adjustment of fixed date and monitoring projects as well as the maintenance schedule. 

Note the GBT PHT has broader features not in scope for the TTA Tools.

Current TTA Tools Requirements

From System Description, Section 3.6.1 for the PPR Proposal Process

1. Production of a "Telescope Model of Available Time", which contains the information about pre-allocated time (maintenance, test time, carryover, Sponsored time). This pre-allocated time should be able to be imported.
2. Algorithm to generate preliminary priorities
3. Manual intervention after algorithmic determinations
4. Production of Facility Report and Proposal Summary
5. The ability to create and modify the Proposal Disposition and Allocation Disposition(s) before, during, and after the TAC.
6. Ability to enter Comments for the PI and Internal Comments via the UI or file upload.
7. Prevention of modification of the Proposal Disposition Comments for the PI after disposition letters are sent.

For the OSR Proposal Process and for a Proposal Process that supports the Auxiliary Committee, the requirements (5) and (6) apply, except for the phrase "before, during, and after the TAC".

Identified Requirements

Along with the current requirements, we identify the following from the current facility PHTs as critical to the workflow of the schedulers. 

1. Allocation Disposition
   1. Ability to modify an Allocation Disposition and its dependents (Observation Specification Dispositions, Allocation Disposition State).
   2. Interactive inspection of Allocation Dispositions and its dependents.
   3. Versioning of the Allocation Disposition such that a prior saved state can be recovered.
   4. Modification prohibited after a specified point (e.g., Disposition Letters sent).
   5. Output of Approved Allocation Dispositions to Disposition Letters
   6. Output of Allocation Dispositions for Proposal Summaries for the TAC and/or Directors Review (or equivalent appropriate Proposal Process destination)
2. Available Time Model
   1. Construction of an Available Time Model per facility per facet per Solicitation, where a facet could be an Array Configuration.
   2. Flexible configuration of Available Time Models to support on the fly changes such as to execution periods and pre-allocated time.
   3. Construction of Pressure Plots and Calendar Plots.
   4. Interactive inspection of Pressure Plots and Calendar Plots.
   5. Versioning of Available Time Model(s).
   6. Output of Available Time Model data to construct Facility Report for TAC and/or Directors Review (or equivalent appropriate Proposal Process destination)

We assert these aspects are required for the PPR Proposal Process. We believe they are consistent with the needs of an OSR Proposal Process. For a Proposal Process that supports an Auxiliary Committee, a subset should be identified.