Coordinating the TeraGrid’s User Interface Areas

1. Coordinating the TeraGrid’s User Interface Areas Dave Hart, Amit Majumdar, Tony Rimovsky, Sergiu Sanielevici

2. Need for Coordination Among User Interface Areas • Ensure seamless continuum of services for users • Integrated gathering and management of user feedback • Integrated distribution of feedback information within TeraGrid and the user community

3. Need to coordinate the interaction Four complementary user-focused areas

4. AUS: Advanced User Support • Coordinates the outreach, development, execution and reporting of Advanced User Support (AUS) projects. • AUS project reports will be written by AUS staff and users and provided to the TeraGrid. • The Extreme Scalability Working group (XS-WG) includes participants from AUS and USC groups as well as any other TG group interested in participating. • The communications framework from the UFP team should accommodate AUS info and reporting needs.

5. USC: User Support Coordination • Coordinates resolution of tickets to RP and “UST” resolution centers. • UST corresponds to cross-cutting or hard to classify problems: These are analyzed by the User Services working group and assigned to the best qualified TeraGrid staff or group. • Coordinates assignment of personal contacts to every grant above the startup level. Personal contacts gather information regarding the needs and usage modes of the groups they work with. • The Coordinators make this information available to support staff as a tool in ticket resolution. Personal contacts provide proactive help to users in renewing their allocations and requesting advanced support; and support CUE and QA work. • Coordinates local support functions performed by Campus Champions. • Based on their interactions with users and projects, User Support staff provide content, input and recommendations to UFP to guide content development. • The USC function is performed via the User Services Working Group.

6. NOS: TeraGrid Operations Center; Common User Environment; Quality Assurance • TOC provides phone and email initial point-of-contacts for users; processes trouble tickets, solves them when possible, else assigns them to "resolution centers" for investigation and resolution; tracks and reports on resolution status of all trouble tickets. • CUE gathers and processes user information regarding productivity requirements across TeraGrid resources. • QA coordinates the process of testing CTSS components as updates are being rolled out for production.

7. UFP: User-Facing Projects • Develops, implements and maintains the persistent technological means by which users interact with the TeraGrid, including • requesting and managing allocation awards, • accessing documentation, and • providing feedback to TeraGrid staff and processes. • The TOC has established the several resolution centers for channeling and handling UFP-related tickets initiated by users, US staff, and AUS staff. • The TGUP is also one way users can initiate tickets to the TOC. • In addition, the ticket system includes a feature that allows any ticket to be flagged as potential KB material. • The KB group evaluates these tickets in their ongoing article writing process.

8. User Impact Council (UIC) • What it is • A high-level group of people positioned to gather and react to user input from across the project • Made up of the AUS, NOS, UFP and USC ADs and we propose to involve the Director of Science • Discussions as needed; telecon at least monthly • What it is not • … not a standard working group • … not a RAT

9. What does UIC do? • User Feedback • Coordinates means by which users communicate back to TG • Collects and documents user input • Ensures user issues that span multiple areas are identified and followed up on • User Requirements • Translates feedback into recommendations and actions • Communicates to the GIG and TG Forum, which will ensure that input is evaluated by working groups and that recommendations are developed • User Outreach • Coordinates communication channels to users

10. User Feedback Channels • help@teragrid.org: Handled or Directed to Resolution Center. • Tickets can also be flagged as KB-worthy. • Resolution communicated directly to initiating user. • Documentation, portal and KB feedback forms. • Need to be consolidated. • Allocations@teragrid.org, pops-alloc@teragrid.org. • Being merged with help@teragrid.org to minimize number of channels. • User Support POCs • Changes to documentation, other information are channeled to UFP • AUS project selections and interactions • User Surveys • Annual survey • Startup initiation/expiration surveys • Implicit feedback via metrics • UFP user and usage metrics • NOS operational metrics

11. User Requirements Tracking • Input from feedback channels to be evaluated as input to evolving user requirements. • New requirements added. • Existing requirements updated or deleted • Integrated with PM process. • Communicated to GIG, TG Forum as input to operational and strategic decision processes.

12. User Outreach Channels • KB, Documentation, User News • Web and TGUP • User Services personal contacts to projects • User Services updates to documentation • AUS communication of Best Practices and Solutions • Coordination with EOT on New User Training, Campus Champions, etc.