NRAO Home  >  Green Bank  |  Wiki Topic:    GB > Observing > GbtSchedularProcs

Changes | Index | Contents | Search | Go

Schedular Procedures for Dynamic Observing

• Daily Dynamic Scheduling steps
  • Paired Days
  • Sample Email Notification
• Not scheduled and/or General Tests
• Target of Opportunity Requests

Daily Dynamic Scheduling steps

The following is a brief outline of the steps taken each day to handle dynamic scheduling decisions and relevant notification.

All high frequency observers (indicated by the + on the graphics schedule - includes Astronomy as well as test time) must make a decision for which of the paired observing days he wishes to use (see Paired Days below). Or in the case of unpaired days if he wishes to observe on the appropriate day. The decision is required by () 11am ET of the same day for which observing is scheduled between 17:00 EDT on that day and 24 hours hours later (17:00 the next day).

• Determine from the schedule which observers (normally the designated proposal contact person) need to make the dynamic schedule decision for 11am ET the following day and make sure they are reminded (many times this is just verbal for on-site observers) of the need for this decision. I will usually email the remote high frequency observers as a reminder. On some occasions this reminder falls into the morning of the decision day (I usually try to remind them the day before).

*On the morning of the decision day I will seek out the observer (when on site) or send an email reminder before 11am ET if I have not heard from them by ~ 11:30 am. In some cases when the observer has not been on site but is on his way NRAO would proceed to make the decision (with the help of the on-duty support scientist). I then formally send an email notification listing the final schedule for the next 24 hours (starting at 17:00) to (i) gbtlocal, (b) all observers for this period and (iii) any backup observers who do not observe during this period. A sample email is listed below under Sample Email Notification. This email is sent only for the dynamic schedules (otherwise when there is only fixed schedules I do not normally send emails).

• If there is any unscheduled time or General Test time available a quick pole of relevant staff (Support and Computing especially) for needed test time is completed.

• Once all the relevant decisions are known the observing schedule is updated and

• an email is sent to all relevant observers, schedgbt and gbtlocal listing the schedule for the affected period.

• Every attempt is made to keep the GBT operator informed of observers who will be observing remotely (I must confess to being inconsistent in this area).

Paired Days

• Most high frequency projects are scheduled dynamically in paired days and for twice their allotted observing time. Low frequency projects are scheduled as pairs (whenever possible) against the high frequency paired days. The specifically paired high frequency days can normally be determined from the backup schedule.

• When paired days are involved the high frequency observer must decide by the rule outlined above in (a). If he decides to take his observing time on the first day of a paired set he will not observe on the second day - the time will used by the secondary low frequency observer.

• If the high frequency observer decides not to observe on the first of the paired day, the first day goes to the backup observer and the high frequency observer must decide separately for the second of the paired day. If the observers decides not use his second day in a pair then the observer will get rescheduled at some future date. The scheduler will then need to find backup observations to run.

Sample Email Notification

All,

The decision for dynamic observing has been made for
Mon May 23 at 16:30 to Tue May 24 to 21:45.

NRAO Support schedule is available at 
http://wiki.gb.nrao.edu/bin/view/Observing/GbtFriends200505
Times are EDT or EST whichever is appropriate and bands 
are specified in square brackets.

Monday  May 23, 2005
16:30 - 17:30 : [L] Setup for GBT05A-013
17:30 - 20:30 : [L] 5A13 Robishaw and Heiles  - Robishaw 
20:30 - 21:30 : [L] Setup for GBT05A-009
21:30 - 24:00 : [L] 5A9 Reach et al  - Reach 

Tuesday  May 24, 2005
00:00 - 08:00 : [L] 5A9 Reach et al  - Reach
08:00 - 16:30 : Maintenance
16:30 - 17:30 : [X] Setup for GBT05A-030
17:30 - 21:45 : [X] 5A30 Bania et al  - Bania

The schedules on the web have been updated to reflect 
these changes.

If you have any further quesions please let me know.

Thanks,
Carl

Not scheduled and/or General Tests

If there remain any General Test time or un assigned periods I usually pole the Support Staff, Computing Staff and/or Electronics group leaders for test time needs. I will also use some of these time periods for make up time that projects need. For significant changes in the schedule or if the General Tests were schedule dynamically I will send out the email noticication mentioned above in sub section (b) under Dynamic Scheduling.

Target of Opportunity Requests

The procedures for handling these requests are undergoing revision as we move to the new NRAO PST. All requests should come through the PST. For the moment we will get Phil involved and I will contune to monitor my email daily.

-- CarlBignell - 15 Jun 2005