Publication Date: September 13, 2001
Author: PSS | Program Systems Service
Summary: Communication on SFA to the Internet Migration
Posted September 13, 2001
TO: All Participating SFA Institutions
FROM: SFA CIO
SUBJECT: Communication on SFA to the Internet Migration
SFA is pleased to share the eleventh communication on SFA to the Internet migration!
SFA to the Internet migration news: The Application Systems will be performing an integration test this week. The Early Adopter phase is scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 20. We expect migration to be opened up to the rest of the user community by the end of September.
The following questions are answered in this communication:
- Will users have an issue with their connections "timing out" with the SAIG solution?
- What happens if the Internet Service Provider (ISP) line drops?
Will users have an issue with their connections "timing out" with the SAIG solution?
The connection depends on the reliability of the user's Internet connection. The user's "dial up" and/or "direct connection" configuration, line quality, hardware (PC and MF) and browser settings will all contribute to the success, failure and speed of each data transmission. With that in mind, our internal testing has garnered very reliable results when using a direct connection. This is due to the fact that the SAIG solution is transaction based. Each file that is downloaded/uploaded is treated as a single transaction.
What happens if the Internet Service Provider (ISP) line drops?
If you are using EDconnect 5.0.0, your ISP may show an error message. EDconnect will definitely show an error that your transmission did not complete. Restarting the transmission with EDconnect will transmit your unsent files remaining in the transmission queue.
If you are a mainframe/non-PC destination point using EasyAccess, the transmission will fail at the point the line dropped. Files transmitted prior to the line drop will be transmitted and successfully mailboxed. After the line drop, data will not be mailboxed because it will not have the 0*95 or O*99 trailers leaving those files in the ready status. You can use the restart feature to continue the session where it left off.
How do I find out more about this project?
Communications will be sent weekly during the migration process. Each communication will be entitled "SFA to the Internet Status Update". If you happen to miss any of the updates, all information can be found at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/sfatech/sfafaq.html. We encourage you to bookmark this location.
You can also access this Web site from the School Portal (http://sfa4schools.sfa.ed.gov), SFATECH, or IFAP Web sites.
How will I be supported throughout the migration process?
CPS/WAN Technical Support will be available to assist you during your migration process. If you have questions, please contact them at (800) 330-5947, or via email at cpswan@ncs.com. There is no charge for technical assistance from CPS/WAN Technical Support.