ECMPS Support Web Site

St. Louis Stakedholder Meeting Presentations have been Posted

2009-07-15T07:30:00.002-04:00

The presentations from the St. Louis Stakeholder Meeting have been posted. All of the material which was presented at the May 12, 2009 ECMPS Stakeholder Meeting have been posted on the ECMPS Support Web site.

The presentations are audiovisual presentations broken into the natural sections of the meeting. This allows you to listen to any of the sections of the meeting you would like to listen to rather than trying to find a particular section of the meeting from a longer presentation. The selections include a recap of the first mandatory reporting period under ECMPS.

For the first time, the presentations have both the PowerPoint slides as well as the video of the presenter. In addition, the Client Tool demonstration section is also included.

Please provide us with any feedback on these presentations using the Tutorials and Stakeholder Meeting Feedback form.

Reminder of Planned Outage on Sunday, July 12th from 8 PM to Midnight EDT

2009-07-11T07:30:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder that there will be a brief, scheduled outage of the EPA Host System on Sunday, July 12th. The EPA Host System will become unavailable for a short time between 8:00 p.m. and midnight EDT. The actual downtime should be less than a half an hour. However, the specific time is not known because there are a number of servers which are involved in this planned outage, and the EPA Host System is only one of these servers. (Note this will also affect access to the CAMD Business System.)

The planned outage is to implement technology to increase the bandwidth of an internal connections within EPA's server infrastructure.

ECMPS users who attempt to connect during the actual time that the EPA Host System is unavailable will receive an error. ECMPS Support is recommending that users NOT attempt to connect to the EPA Host System during the hours of 8:00 p.m. until midnight EDT on Sunday, July 12th in order to avoid any problems.

Show Me the Data: Data and Maps is now refreshed Daily

2009-07-09T07:30:00.014-04:00

Data and Maps is the Clean Air Market Division's (CAMD) publicly-accessible Web site for presenting emissions trading data. One of the types of data on the Web site is the emissions data which are submitted during each reporting period.

In the past, when data were submitted as EDRs, the emissions data for a quarter were moved over to Data and Maps approximately twenty days after the reporting period ended. Now, as part of the re-engineering work, the emissions data which are submitted as XML are being refreshed on a daily basis. That means that emission data which are submitted today are available to be viewed in Data and Maps tomorrow. (The data are actually loaded into Data and Maps around 4:00 a.m. ET. At that time, all emissions data are loaded into Data and Maps for all emissions data which have been submitted through ECMPS to the EPA Host System and have not already been moved to Data and Maps.) Note, the data are loaded as preliminary data. The data will remain preliminary until the data are finalized after compliance.

1. On the Data and Maps Web site, the data can be viewed by clicking on the Emissions image.

2. On the Emissions page, select the "Preliminary Unit Level Emissions" folder.

3. Select the "Quarterly" time frame.

4. Complete the Time Frame selection by selecting "2009" as the year and "Quarter 2" as the quarter and clicking the "Add Time Frame" button.

5. Select a program from the list and click the "Add Program" button. In this example, the "Acid Rain Program" is selected.

6. Note that your criteria are displayed below the tabs. Click on the "View Results" tab to query the database and return the results.

7. The results of the query are displayed in a table format on the Web page.

Questions about Data and Maps should be directed to Data and Maps Technical Support.

Removing Unnecessary Legacy Applications

2009-07-08T07:30:00.001-04:00

With the 2009Q2 reporting period, all sources are required to submit Part 75 data using the EMCPS Client Tool.

With the advent of the new ECMPS Client Tool software, the old software which were used to check and report data can be removed. This includes MDC, ETS-FTP, and SecuRemote. Of the three of these application, the last one, SecuRemote, needs to be a turned off or uninstalled in order to prevent problems connecting to the EPA Host System. SecuRemote cannot be running when you attempt to connect to the EPA Host System through the ECMPS Client Tool.

For more information on how to uninstall SecuRemote and the other older applications, you should review the FAQ which answers the question, "How do I uninstall legacy applications?"

In rare cases, it might be necessary to maintain these applications. If you have any questions about whether or not you should uninstall any of these applications, contact Technical Support.

Brief, Scheduled EPA Host System Outage on Sunday, July 12th

2009-07-07T11:00:00.005-04:00

There will be a brief, scheduled outage of the EPA Host System on Sunday, July 12th. The EPA Host System will become unavailable for a short time between 8:00 p.m. and midnight EDT. The actual downtime should be less than a half hour. However, the specific time is not known because there are a number of servers which are involved in this planned outage, and the EPA Host System is only one of these servers. (Note this will also affect access to the CAMD Business System.)

The planned outage is to implement technology to increase the bandwidth of an internal connections within EPA's server infrastructure.

ECMPS users who attempt to connect during the actual time that the EPA Host System is unavailable will receive an error. ECMPS Support is recommending that users NOT attempt to connect to the EPA Host System during the hours of 8:00 p.m. until midnight EDT on Sunday, July 12th in order to avoid any problems.

ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk closed on July 3rd

2009-07-02T10:00:00.001-04:00

In observance of Independence Day, the ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will be closed on Friday, July 3rd. Technical support will be available again on Monday, July 6th.

The ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will also be closed on the following upcoming holidays:

Labor Day - Monday, September 7, 2009
Columbus Day - Monday, October 12, 2009
Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 26, 2009
Friday after Thanksgiving - Friday, November 27, 2009
Christmas - Friday December 25, 2009

You can view the full technical support holiday schedule here

Syncing Feeling: Newly Loaded Used IDs Will Require Sync for Some Facilities

2009-06-24T01:00:00.009-04:00

As a result of some necessary loading on the EPA Host System of used identifier data, about 187 facilities will be forced to synchronize their data. Please check this Excel spreadsheet to determine if any of your facilities are affected. More information is provided in the rest of this post.

As part of the ongoing transition from the legacy system to ECMPS, the remaining emissions legacy data loading continues to take place. The data which remain to be loaded from the legacy system are emissions data from sources which transitioned to ECMPS in 2009.

During the preparation for the 2009 Q2 Release, additional legacy emissions data were loaded. Part of the data loading of legacy emissions should include the loading of what is known as used identifier data. Used identifier data insures that links between emissions and QA data and monitoring plan data are not lost.

For example, the Formula Identifier reported in the Derived Hourly Value record should correspond with a Formula Identifier (e.g., 101) found in the monitoring plan. If changes to the monitoring plan require a new Formula Identifier (e.g., 102), the new Formula Identifier will be reported in subsequent Derived Hourly Value records. The used identifier record for Formula Identifier 101 prevents it from being deleted from the monitoring plan although it is no longer an active in the monitoring plan and has, in fact, been replaced by Formula Identifier 102.

The reason that Formula Identifier 101 cannot be deleted is because there are data in previously emissions data which reference Formula Identifier 101. (For the technical people out there, this prevents a referential integrity problem in the EPA Host System database.)

Used identifiers are established for component IDs, system IDs, formula IDs, stack IDs, and pipe IDs.

Unfortunately, the data loading which took place in June did not include the loading of the used identifier data for the newly loaded legacy emissions data. This needs to be corrected immediately in order to prevent identifier data from being deleted in the Client Tool.

From a practical point of view, what this means is that once the used identifier data are loaded on the EPA Host System, the affected facilities will by default by out of sync. When prompted to sync these facilities, sources should go ahead and sync the data. In the case in which the source has made changes to the monitoring plan which needs be synced, the source should export a copy of their monitoring plan data and save a copy of the monitoring plan printout report.

The affected sources are listed in this Excel spreadsheet. The used identifier data will be loaded on the EPA Host System on Wednesday morning, June 24th. If your facility is listed, the next time you log in to the EPA Host System after the used identifier data are loaded, you will be prompted to sync your data.

Closing the Feedback Loop

2009-06-23T07:30:00.000-04:00

On a regular basis, CAMD receives suggested enhancements for ECMPS. All of these are reviewed and considered for implementation. However, in the past, it might not always have been clear what happened to a requested enhancement.

Now, Technical Support has been charged to help close the requested enhancement feedback loop. With the release of a new version of the Client Tool, we have introduced a Requested Enhancement page on the support Web site.

The purpose of the page is to display the requested enhancements that have been received and provide a status update on these requests. In some cases, the enhancement has been implemented or is planned to be implemented in a future release. In other cases, the enhancement is under consideration. And, in other cases, for various reasons, the enhancement will not be implemented.

With each new release of the Client Tool, this page will be updated with the latest information on requested enhancements. (If you make a suggestion between now and the next release, you will not see an update on its status until the next release.)

Please review this page before submitting a requested enhancement, and remember that you can always submit a requested enhancement by sending an email to technical support.

The Last Shall Be First

2009-06-22T07:30:00.003-04:00

Subscribing to the Blog is one of the more popular ways to keep up-to-date with the latest information from ECMPS Support.

Subscribers to the Blog can expect to receive frequent emails, especially in the weeks immediately before, during, and immediately after each reporting month. However, the emails are not sent out any more frequently that once-a-day.

The system that sends the Blog email some time between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time. In that email, all Blog posts which have not been sent in a previous email are sent out.

The email is organized identically to the Blog--the Blog posts are in reverse chronological order with the most recent post listed first and earlier posts listed after that in the email.

What that means for reading the email is that posts at the top of the email will always "trump" any earlier posts listed in the email. For example, an earlier post might indicate that there is a problem with the EPA Host System and a later post will indicate that the EPA Host System has been corrected. The later post will be listed at the top of the email and the earlier post is listed later in the email.

However, most of the time, this is not relevant because the emails only contain one post or when there is more than one post in the email, the posts are unrelated. In the unusual case where there is more than one post and the posts are related, be sure to remember that the most recent posts will be at the top of the email.

Mixed EPA Host Systems and Updating the Shared Database Version

2009-06-21T14:00:00.003-04:00

It was noted in a previous post that with the 2009 Q2 Release, the URL to which the ECMPS Client Tool connects was changing.

For stand-alone users who are updating from the 2009 Q1 version, the change to the new URL should go without a hitch.

However, for shared database users, additional steps have been added to the instructions for updating from a previous version. The additional steps insure that the new EPA Host URL is used.

If these steps are not followed, shared database users may get a message, "You are configured to use the [134.67.222.27/] EPA Host System. Your local system was initialized against the Production EPA Host System. You cannot mix EPA Host Systems. Please contact EPA Technical Support for more help."

This will occur if the shared database has been updated to the 2009 Q2 version, and the Client Tool is in the process of being updated. The Client Tool does not allow EPA Host Systems to be mixed. The Client Tool determines that the new URL in the database, ecmps.epa.gov, is not the same as what the URL which the Client Tool has which is the old URL--134.67.222.27. The logic concludes that this is an attempt to mix EPA Host Systems.

The correction is to update the URL in the Client Tool prior to performing the Client Tool update.

An FAQ has been posted about this, and the instructions for updating the shared database Client Tool have also been modified to explain how to change the URL before attempting to complete the Client Tool update.

Just to repeat. This only affects users who have a shared database installation. Stand-alone users should not be affected.

The Client Tool 2009 Quarter 2 Release is now Available

2009-06-18T14:40:00.002-04:00

The 2009 Quarter 2 Release of the Client Tool is now available.

For details about what was included in this release, consult the Release Notes.

In order to use the Client Tool, you must be a Designated Representative, Alternate Designated Representative, or an ECMPS agent for a Representative. In addition, you must have a CAMD Business System (CBS) user name, current CBS password, and have completed a CROMERR Subscriber Agreement Form.

All current users of the Client Tool will be prompted to upgrade to this latest version the next time that each user logs in to the EPA Host System. For more information about the Update Service which updates the Client Tool, watch the Update Service tutorial.

All new users of the Client Tool or users who have only used the ECMPS Client Tool Preview (CTP) must download and install the 2009 Q2 version of the Client Tool. Users are urged to follow all instructions on the Web site and to consult the Installation Guide for step-by-step instructions on how to install the Client Tool.

In order to insure that all technical support questions are tracked and answered, EPA has requested that all technical support questions, including installation questions, should be submitted to ECMPS Technical Support.

Not Yet Available: ECMPS Client Tool 2009 Q2 Release

2009-06-18T07:30:00.004-04:00

We do not know what weather was like in your area of the nation yesterday, but at ECMPS Technical Support we had rain all day long. All the rain we had yesterday and recently is great for a number of things: kayaking, canoeing, and gardening. But, the rain is not so great for hiking or fly fishing and it means you have to mow the grass more often. (You can tell that we like to get outside.)

Not that the rain has anything to do with it, but the 2009 Q2 Release has not yet been released. For those who are eager to get started with the latest version, we appreciate your patience. The ECMPS Client Tool 2009 Q2 Release will be available soon.

As soon as the 2009 Q2 Release is available, the ECMPS Support Web site will be updated and a post on this Blog will be added.

Preparing for 2009 Q2: State and Regional Agency Access

2009-06-17T21:00:00.003-04:00

Beginning with the ECMPS Client Tool 2009 Quarter 2 Release, State and Regional Agency personnel will be able to use the ECMPS Client Tool.

State and Regional Agency users will be able to log in to the EPA Host System and synchronize and retrieve data from the EPA Host System for facilities with which they have an active emissions reporting or CEMS monitoring relationship.

State or Regional Agency personnel who would like to have access to the ECMPS Client Tool should contact Laurel DeSantis.

Volunteers Wanted

2009-06-11T08:00:00.004-04:00

There are two ways to install the Client Tool. The first, which is the more common, is called the stand-alone version. The stand-alone version installs the Client Tool application and the Client Tool database on the same computer.

The second type of installation is the shared, network database type. With the second type of setup, the Client Tool application is installed on multiple computers in order for the computers to connect to a single Client Tool database. The Client Tool database is installed on a separate server which is accessed through the company's network by the individual C lient Tool applications.

The functionality of the shared, network database installation of the Client Tool continues to be developed. CAMD would like to have more information on the various business processes that are being used in order to better understand how the shared, network setup is being used and possible ways it could be modified to better support the various ways that companies are using the software.

At the Stakeholder Meeting in St. Louis in May, CAMD asked for stakeholders to volunteer to participate in a shared, network database users' forum. The basic idea would be to present the current model for the shared, network database setup and describe how it can support various business models. Then participants could provide feedback in reaction to the current setup and how it might be modified to support their business processes. The actual format might be one or two conference calls with follow-up via emails.

If you have not already volunteered and are interested in participating in the shared, network users' forum, send an email to technical support.

Preparing for 2009 Q2: Database Changes Are Included

2009-06-10T12:30:00.000-04:00

As a heads up to stakeholders who use shared databases, the ECMPS Client Tool 2009 Quarter 2 Release will include database changes.

Users should be in contact with the necessary IT support staff in order to be able to run the script that will update the database to the 2009 Quarter 2 Release version.

The general order of the update to 2009 Quarter 2 Release should be:

Run the script to update the shared database.

Update the individual Client Tool installations.

The individual Client Tool installations can be done at each computer using the Update Service. (Here is a tutorial on the Update Service.)

For more detailed instructions, see the Update Existing Shared Database and Client Tool Software Web page. The instructions on this Web page will give IT people a sense of what will need to be done to complete the update. When the 2009 Quarter 2 Release is published on the Web site, these instructions will be updated with the new scripts and any changes to the instructions which are necessary.

Currently, the release is scheduled to be available on June 17, 2009.

Opening Email Seems to Hang or Take a Long Time to Open

2009-06-09T15:00:00.003-04:00

Recently, a number of people have found that it can take a long time to open the emails which are sent from the Support Blog.

The problem, as it turns out, is related to Google's Blogger software which I am currently using to write this Blog post. It adds a malformed image hyperlink in the email which causes a delay in opening the email, as the email client (Outlook, Lotus Notes, Thunderbird, etc.) tries to locate the image based on the malformed hyperlink.

A number of users (outside of ECMPS Stakeholders) have been affected and have raised the issue with Google. Google has not added this as a known issue or provided a status update as to when this would be fixed. In the meantime, the work-around is simply to wait until the email opens, or if the email hangs the program, please visit the Blog for updates. If anyone experiences any other problems, please contact technical support.

If you would like to add your feedback to Google to help to expedite the fix, send an email to aff-blog-feedback@google.com.

Preparing for 2009 Q2: Retirement Plans (for Monitoring Plans)

2009-06-09T07:30:00.003-04:00

As part of the data which are submitted to the EPA, the Client Tool enables sources to report configuration changes to the EPA. A configuration change occurs when a unit-stack record is either added or an end date is added to an existing unit-stack record. The change to the unit-stack record can be made by importing the monitoring plan or through the add/edit screens in the Monitoring Plan Module of the Client Tool.

When a configuration change occurs, a new monitoring plan is generated in the Client Tool. The original monitoring plan is retired and the new monitoring plan is made the active monitoring plan for the unit(s) associated with that monitoring plan.

In order to report this configuration change to the EPA, in the Submit Module, the Client Tool will indicate that both the retired monitoring plan and the new active monitoring plan need to be submitted to the EPA. Once the retired monitoring plan has been submitted, it will no longer necessary to submit it again. It is just that initial reporting of the retired monitoring plan that needs to be completed.

During the 2009Q1 reporting period, a number of sources reported changes to their configurations or in some cases, they corrected configuration changes which had been incorrectly reported in the 2008Q4 reporting period. Unfortunately, there was a bug in the 2009Q1 version of the Client Tool related to retired configurations. The bug resulted in the Client Tool not indicating that the retired monitoring plan needed to be submitted.

This bug has been corrected in the 2009 Quarter 2 Release. For any sources which did not submit the retired monitoring plan due to the bug, the new version of the Client Tool will indicate that the retired monitoring plan needs to be submitted.

Also, in some cases, sources which submitted a retired monitoring plan will need to resubmit it again. This is also a result of the bug. The Client Tool will indicate that the retired monitoring plan needs to be submitted.

In either case, before 2009Q2 emissions data can be submitted, the source will first need to submit any retired monitoring plans which were affected by the bug.

The easiest way to check if a monitoring plan needs to be submitted will be to view the list of monitoring plans in the Submission Module. Any retired monitoring plans which need to be submitted will be indicated as such in the list.

For the reporting of configuration changes going forward, the Client Tool should work correctly to indicate when a retired monitoring plan needs to be submitted.

The Configuration Utility Tutorial is now Available

2009-06-08T07:30:00.004-04:00

The Communications Team of Technical Support has just released the latest online tutorial. This most recent tutorial focuses on the Configuration Utility.

The Configuration Utility tutorial explains the various tools which are installed with the ECMPS Client Tool, but are not available in the application itself. These tools allow users to perform various user management and data maintenance tasks, including

configuring Client Tool settings;
managing Client Tool users;
designating local user rights;
backing up and restoring databases;
purging data;
managing synchronization;
and running database scripts that may be provided during the technical support process.

This tutorial, like all of the others, is an interactive, audiovisual presentation which can be viewed in an Internet browser. Also, like the other tutorials, it is designed to provide practical instruction in a format which can be viewed in 9 minutes or less.

To see the complete list of ECMPS tutorials, click here.

With this tutorial, the original list of planned tutorials has been completed. If there are other topics which you would like to see covered in a tutorial, please add a comment to this Blog post or send an email to technical support. Any suggestions will be considered for future tutorials.

Preparing for 2009 Q2: Getting the Name Right

2009-06-04T15:30:00.000-04:00

Previously, it was posted that the June 2009 release of the ECMPS Client Tool was being referred to as "Service Pack 2". However, for clarity, the June 2009 release is now being called, "ECMPS Client Tool 2009 Quarter 2 Release".

All subsequent references on this Web site and in documentation related to the release will use the name, "ECMPS Client Tool 2009 Quarter 2 Release".

As an update, the release is still on target to go out on June 17th.

Finally, there is one reminder. In order to complete the release, the EPA Host System will be unavailable June 8 - 17.

Preparing for 2009 Q2: CROMERR

2009-06-03T14:00:00.006-04:00

The following applies to any ECMPS Stakeholders who have not worked with the Client Tool since its 2009 release on March 17th. If you have logged on to the EPA Host System from the ECMPS Client Tool since March 17, 2009, you do not need to anything else in order to comply with CROMERR.

The Cross-Media Electronic Reporting Regulation (CROMERR) is the regulation which stipulates how electronic reporting must be performed for entities which report data to the EPA. Affected entities include regulated entities which must submit data to the EPA for regulatory purposes. This means that CROMERR (pronounced "chrome air"; really) affects ECMPS stakeholders.

Beginning in March, ECMPS stakeholders were affected by CROMERR in their use of both the CAMD Business System (CBS) and the ECMPS Client Tool. ECMPS stakeholders are affected in their use of CBS because several parts of CBS will be redesigned to comply with CROMERR. That redesigned sections are scheduled to be released by the end of June.

Regarding the Client Tool, CROMERR will affect the use of the Client Tool in two ways:

Beginning with the next release of the Client Tool (scheduled for March 17th), users must have completed a Subscriber Agreement in order to be able to log in to the EPA Host System.

In order to be able to submit data through the Client Tool, users must have selected five challenge questions and provided the answers to those challenge questions.

During the submission of data, users will be asked to answer a challenge question in order to verify their identity. The challenge question is similar to questions asked on banking Web sites or other secure Web sites. (E.g., What is your mother's maiden name? or In what city were you born?)

ECMPS Stakeholders need to take the following steps:

Complete a subscriber agreement and send it via mail to the EPA. The Subscriber Agreement Form can be downloaded from here. Simply print it out, read and sign the form, and send it to the address on the form.

Log on to CBS and select challenge questions as well as provide answers for those questions.

Stakeholders should bear in mind they will not be able to use CBS or submit data through the Client Tool until they have submitted a subscriber agreement and selected challenge questions.

For more information about CROMERR, click here.

Any questions about CROMERR and completing the Subscriber Agreement Form should be directed to Karen VanSickle at EPA (vansickle.karen@epa.gov).

Scheduled Outage for Service Pack 2 Release: June 8 - 17

2009-06-01T23:45:00.003-04:00

Prior to the next submission period, CAMD will release a Service Pack 2 for the current version of the ECMPS Client Tool. The Service Pack will fix a number of bugs and include some minor enhancements. The full list of what bugs have been fixed and what enhancements have been added will be released when the Service Pack 2 is made available.

In order to complete the release of Service Pack 2, the EPA Host System will be unavailable from June 8 through June 17. The release is scheduled to take place on June 17th.

During the time of the outage, users will NOT be able to:

Perform the initial synchronization which is the last step in installing the Client Tool.

Synchronize data from the EPA Host System.

Retrieve data from the EPA Host System.

Submit data to the EPA Host System.

Preparing for 2009 Q2: Timing is Everything

2009-05-31T14:00:00.001-04:00

One of the keys to synchronization in the Client Tool is an accurate comparison of data between the Client Tool and EPA Host System. The synchronization process compares dates and times recorded on the EPA Host System with dates and times recorded in the Client Tool database to determine if data need to be synchronized to the Client Tool.

Until the 2009Q1 reporting period, we had not run into a problem related to time zones. The basic synchronization process took into account time zones by, for data comparison purposes, adjusting the time to account for the possible time zone difference between the EPA Host System which is in the Eastern time zone and the Client Tool which could be in any time zone. However, a few shared database users found synchronization problems when multiple users in different time zones were connecting to the shared database. They found that no matter what, the data were always considered to be out of sync.

This problem, which was only found with the shared database and Client Tools in different time zones, will be corrected in the Service Pack 2 release scheduled for June 16th. The solution involves using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) as the standard for all date and time comparisons. If you have any questions about this bug fix, contact Technical Support.

Preparing for 2009 Q2: It is Never Too Late to Start Early

2009-05-25T07:30:00.002-04:00

Although July might seem far away, it will be here sooner than you think. During that second submission period of the year, the Ozone Season only reporters will submit emissions data to the EPA using ECMPS for the first time.

Unlike in previous quarters where sources had to wait until a few weeks before the submission period began to start working with their data, Ozone Season only reporters can begin working with their data today.

The monitoring plan and QA data from the legacy system have already been migrated to ECMPS for all sources, including Ozone Season only reporters. (The data were actually migrated by March 17, 2009.) That means that Ozone Season sources can begin correcting and submitting their monitoring plan data using the Client Tool.

If you have any questions about how to get started, look at the FAQs and tutorials for more information.

ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk closed on Memorial Day

2009-05-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

In observance of Memorial Day, the ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will be closed on Monday, May 25th. Technical support will be available again on Tuesday, May 26th.

The ECMPS Technical Support Help Desk will also be closed on the following upcoming holidays:

Independence Day - Friday, July 3, 2009
Labor Day - Monday, September 7, 2009
Columbus Day - Monday, October 12, 2009

You can view the full technical support holiday schedule here.

Preparing for 2009 Q2: Connection URL Change

2009-05-21T07:30:00.002-04:00

As was announced at the Stakeholder Meeting in St. Louis last week, around June 16th, a mandatory service pack for the current release of the software will be released. This mid June release will be named Service Pack 2.

Client Tool users who have Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 1a will be able to use the Update Utility to quickly update to Service Pack 2. Any users who have not yet updated to Service Pack 1 from the original release on March 17th, should update before the June release.

As usual, with the release of a new version of service pack, release notes will be included which document the changes from the previous version. Before that, posts will be made on the blog to give a preview of upcoming changes that will be introduced in Service Pack 2.

In this post, we would like to highlight that the connection Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the Client Tool will be updated with Service Pack 2. As many of you know, a URL is the familiar looking Web address for an Internet resource. For example, ecmps.pqa.com is a URL. That particular URL maps to an IP address which happens to be 12.5.48.50. Throughout the Internet there are Domain Name Servers (DNS) which map URLs to IP addresses in order to route Internet traffic to the correct resource.

Currently, the ECMPS Client Tool is configured to access a static IP address. This IP address is shown in the lower right corner of the Client Tool as the picture shows.

This will change in Service Pack 2 when the static IP address will be replaced with a URL--ecmps.epa.gov. This should be transparent, but necessary for users.

The reason it is necessary is because the IP address which is associated with the URL is going to change in August 2009. The change to the URL in Service Pack 2 is being made in preparation for that change.

Users who have upgraded to Service Pack 2 should not notice any difference when the change is made in August. However, any user who has not upgraded to Service Pack 2 before the change in August will no longer be able to connect to the EPA Host System because the old IP address in versions prior to Service Pack 2 will no longer work.

Let us know if you have any questions about this change by sending an email to technical support or writing a comment on this blog post.