FAME Core Development

▲ FAME Remote Data Basing Writer

▲ FAME Access Control System

▲ FAME/Populator 3.0

▲ FAME/X-12 ARIMA

▲ FAME Core Development

▲ FAME Quality Assurance

FAME Remote Databasing Writer

FAME FRDB Writer

▲ Allows updating remote FAME databasesthrough any of the FRDB servers

▲ Provides architecture-independent binary datatransfer capability via 4GL and C HLI

▲ Efficiently supports arbitrarily large updates

▲ Enables multiple writers to perform “Units ofWork” across multiple databases

FAME FRDB Writer

▲ Implements dynamic space recovery

▲ Coordinates notification of other servers andclients accessing changing databases

▲ Limitations:▲ No locking for writers or readers

▲ Changes not visible, even to writers, until committed

▲ No database creation or data encryption

▲ 4GL Implementation▲ Introduces a new set of commands for

performing write operations on remote databases: ROPEN, RSET, RUPDATE, RCOPY,RDELETE, RCOMMIT, RABORT, RCLOSE

▲ Updates to remote databases are performed on write-only channels

FAME FRDB Writer

▲ C HLI Implementation▲ Utilizes existing functions for modifying

remote databases

▲ Provides new functions to commit andabort “Units of Work”

▲ Updates to remote databases are performed on write-only channels

FAME FRDB Writer

FAME ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

FAME Access Control System: FACS

▲ What is FACS?

▲ Extension to the FAME FRDB (Master/dbback, MCDBSand MCADBS) servers

▲ Usable by FAME 4GL and HLI clients as well as Webapplications

▲ Transparent to the client application (version 1.0 ofFACS)

▲ Provide Authentication, Authorization, & Accounting

FACS: Details I▲ Authentication:

▲ Authenticate based on user-name and optional password

▲ Uses Native OS user database or FAME user database

▲ Authorization:

▲ User identification include user-name and host-name

▲ FAME database files are resources

▲ MCADBS analytical functions can create pseudo-resources

▲ New FAME function CHECKACCESS gives access to Authorizationservice from MCADBS

▲ Easy to use syntax that includes wild cardsALLOW db1 READ wally

DENY db1 WRITE *

ALLOW main.db READ *@server1, admin@*

FACS: Details - II

▲ Accounting:

▲ Monitor connect time for a resource

▲ Measure of usage of the resource

▲ Simple reporting tools included

▲ Tools available to import data to FAME database orspreadsheet

▲ New FAME function LOGIT gives access toaccounting services from MCADBS

Master/Dbback

MCDBS

MCADBS(Analytics)

FACSdaemon

User/Password DB

ACL

Usage Log

Client

Client

Client

FACS: Overview

FACS facilities are implemented in a FACSDprocess that can be accessed from mixed architectureFRDB servers running on the LAN.

FAME/Populator 3.0

FAME/Populator Version 3.0

▲ The FAME/Populator is designed for end-usersof Microsoft Excel. An Add-In createdspecifically for easy access to FAME databases,the FAME/Populator contains the code forretrieving FAME data and manipulating it inExcel spreadsheets

▲ All FAME Functions are fully supported

Enhancements to Version 3.0

▲ Performance enhancements

▲ Refresh over a selected range, by worksheet,workbook or by all open workbooks

▲ “Bulk Retrieval” capability to bundle commonqueries into one famedata call greatly increasingprocessing efficiency

X-12-ARIMA

X-12-ARIMA

▲ Integrates X-12-ARIMA Analysis with FAMEData & FAME Analysis

▲ Enhanced version of X-11

▲ Current beta copy distributed by U.S.CensusBureau

▲ When released, it will be in the public domain

Running X-12-ARIMA

▲ path/x12a path/specification_file Specification file:SERIES

{ PERIOD = 12 }TRANSFORM

{ FUNCTION = LOG }X11

{ SAVE = (SEASONAL SEASADJ TREND IRREGULAR }

ARIMA { MODEL = ( 0 1 1 ) }

Building the Specification File

▲ Run X12 Procedure* X12

X12* SERIES PERIOD 12X12* TRANSFORM FUNCTION LOGX12* X11 SAVE seasonal seasadj trend irregularX12* ARIMA MODEL (0 1 1)X12* RUNX12 series_nameX12* END X12

*

FAME Core Development

FAME Release Platforms

Solaris 2.4/2.5 FAME 7.7 96Q3

SunOS4 4.1.3 FAME 7.7 96Q4

Windows 95 FAME 7.6 96Q4

AIX 4.2 FAME 7.7 97Q1

HP-UX 10.2 32-bit FAME 7.7 97Q2

HP-UX 10.2 64-bit FAME 7.7 97Q2

Windows NT 4.0/3.51 FAME 7.7 97Q2

DEC UNIX 4.0 FAME 7.7 97Q3

ClearCase Source Control

▲ Nightly builds allow code changes to be verifiedacross all supported platforms through ourregression testing system

▲ Through branching and merging, multipledevelopers can safely make changes to the samecode

▲ Release labeling of source files simplifiesidentification of release components

FAME Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance at FAME

▲ Product management, development, support, andquality assurance work in teams to engineer highquality products

▲ Source code is controlled by ClearCase

▲ New products and revisions undergo internalalpha testing and customer beta testing beforerelease

Quality Assurance at FAME

▲ FAME employs an extensive automatedregression testing system▲ Over 1,000 individual tests

▲ GUI products, such as the FAME/Populator, useWinRunner and XRunner testing tools fromMercury Interactive

▲ Each fixed bug gets a new test case

Bug Reporting Process & Testing

▲ Customers report bug through FAME hotlinesupport staff

▲ Support staff verifies the bug can be reproducedand files a report in the FAME-wide customersupport system

Bug Reporting Process & Testing

▲ All bugs are reviewed on a quarterly basis▲ Ranked by weighting of customer priority and

FAME severity

▲ Older bugs given additional priority as time passes

▲ Product managers assign bugs to programmersfor fixing

Bug Reporting Process & Testing

▲ QA staff verifies bug is fixed and writes a newtest case for automated testing system

▲ Bugs are bundled together into major and minorreleases, which themselves have to pass theentire regression test suite

Quality Assurance Initiatives

▲ Quality assurance lab▲ Dedicated machines for each platform

▲ Dedicated network for benchmark/load testing

▲ Additional machines for installation simulation andad-hoc testing

Quality Assurance Initiatives

▲ XRunner and WinRunner FAME 4GL GUI testconversion in progress

▲ Current GUI tests will be standardized onXRunner and WinRunner for easier cross-platform testing and maintenance

Quality Assurance Initiatives

▲ Investigating products for Load & StressTesting▲ Will allow simulation of heavy client loads

▲ FRDB/Writer, FACS, and TimeIQ will benefit