Hardware Integration and Deployment (2004/06 Census Tests)

1. Hardware Integration and Deployment(2004/06 Census Tests) FDCA Symposium Breakout Session 2 February 28, 2005 Jane Polzer Technologies Management Office

2. Discussion Points: • Decennial Program Requirements that defined the requirements/assumptions during 2004 and 2006 Census Tests • Detail on 2004 and 2006 Requirements for: • HHC Hardware • HHC Integration • HHC Deployment • HHC Disposition • Lessons Learned from the 2004 Census Test

3. Decennial Program Requirements that Lead to 2004 and 2006 Census Test HHC Requirements • Decennial Census operations have set start and end dates and are of short duration. • Decennial Census Offices open “just in time” to get office staff and fieldworkers hired and trained. Typically this is only few months before the first operation begins. • The Decennial Census workload is very large and requires many people located across the US and Puerto Rico to do the work. • Workers have to be trained quickly and have to be able to begin working immediately. • The HHC had to have enough battery power to get workers through an eight hour workday. • Data on the HHCs had to be secured and had to be removed from the devices following the operations.

4. 2004 and 2006 Census Test HHC Hardware Requirements • All HHC HW had to be the identical (internal parts and peripherals). • More than enough supply of extra “kits” and spare parts to supply enumerators if they experienced HW problems/breakage. • HW had to meet the requirements for use. • HW in the 2006 test is expected to be reused between Census operations (Units used in Address Canvass operation will be cleaned-up, repaired and or replaced and sent back out for NRFU).

5. 2004 and 2006 Census Test HHC Integration Requirements • All HW (units, peripherals, spare parts) had to be fully functionally tested. • HW had to be “kitted” in individual boxes so that the enumerators received all the HW they needed to do their job in one easy to carry container. • Had separate SW images for each site. • Other than maps, the images were identical (cut from the same master image).

6. 2004 and 2006 Census Test HHC Integration Requirements - Continued • SW images were given to the integrator on an SD card. • The integrator was expected to create a Master image that was approved by BOC prior to start of integration. • Batteries had to be charged right before shipping to the LCOs so that the units would have power during the training sessions. • The Integrator was expected to complete a 100% QA process to ensure the device imaged properly. • The BOC completed a QC before the equipment could be shipped to the offices.

7. 2004 and 2006 Census Test HHC Deployment Requirements • Kits had to arrive at each LCO on the identical schedule (depending on operation). • Shipments of units were spread out over a few week period (arrived on a flow). • Kits had to arrive no earlier than 1 1/2 months before the operation start. • Units had to have the final SW on them so that the Enumerator could start working the day they completed training.

8. 2004 and 2006 Census Test HHC Deployment Requirements – Continued • All kits were identified using the HHCs Serial Number and Barcode. • All kits had to be entered into an inventory system that would allow the BOC (at all levels) to track the unit from point of integration to the point of disposition.

9. 2004 and 2006 Census Test HHC Disposition Requirements • All equipment (HHCs and SD Cards) had to have Title 13 data physically cleaned off using a DOD approved cleaning tool before being disposed of. • Had to have proof that each unit was cleaned and by whom. This documentation had to be sent to the BOC security office.

10. Hardware Lessons Learned from 2004 Census Test • Once an order for equipment is placed, it takes much longer than expected for all HW to arrive. • Things break that you don’t expect . • The OS can corrupt files!. • Do not trust that HW is the same, even if the model and make are identical. • Data quality and comparability is VERY important to the Census Bureau. HW can impact data quality.

11. Integration Lessons Learned from 2004 Census Test • There are very few integrators in the market that have ever integrated PDAs. • Peripherals tend to arrive packaged in there “for retail” packaging. • Functional testing of each piece and part of the equipment takes a lot of time and space, particulary battery testing. • Actual integration cannot start until the final SW image(s) are available. Often this is shortly before the units have to be shipped to the offices for the operation. • With mutliple images, a process must be included to verify that each unit/SD card/kit box matches the Office the kit is being shipped to. • The fewer pieces and parts in the kit the better.

12. Deployment Lessons Learned from 2004 Census Test • Shipping companies are not all the same. • Offices have set hours for deliveries. • Many Building Managers now required proof of security clearance and bonding for delivery companies. • Communication is very important between the integration facility, the shipper and the office and the logistics management area. • Easy to understand procedures and processes must be agreed on, built, tested and in place prior to deployment.

13. Deployment Lessons Learned from 2004 Census Test – Continued • Equipment does get stolen and broken during shipping. • Batteries drain. • Software changes happen. However Census operations require that software updates to the HHCs will not reach the HHC until after the enumerator has been trained and, we learned, the transmitted updates must be small. • The fewer pieces and parts in the HHC configuration the better. • The smaller the kit box, and the easier to carry, the better (as long as the product ships safely).

14. Disposition Lessons Learned from 2004 Census Test • Enumerators (and offices) do not always return equipment after the first request (or second…) • The inventorytracking system must be kept up to date in order for disposition to go smoothly. • The fewer pieces and parts the better. • Easy to understand procedures and processes for disposition must be agreed to, documented, and tested before being implemented (people don’t like clean-up, therefore the process needs to be simple).

15. QUESTIONS?