1 Commissioning Task Leader Guide

1.1 Commissioning Target Plan

Each high level commissioning target represents required core functionality (linked to the EVLA project book specifications and goals) to be demonstrated to the observatory users. The Task leaders will provide a plan to test and verify the availability of that functionality by providing the following information:

• List of metrics/specifications from the Project Book relevant to the goals; these will be used to quantitatively assess the performance/readiness of this mode for community use. When all specifications are satisfied, the commissioning testing of that mode is complete (though continued Operations testing of these modes is expected). For reference, I attach Chapter 2 of the EVLA Project Book (Science Goals and Technical Requirements (Perley, Rupen) and a distillation of specifications in EVLA Scientific Commissioning and Antenna Performance Test Check List (Chandler, Carilli, Perley):
  • chap2.pdf: Project Book - Chapter 2: Science Goals and Technical Requirements
  • antenna_performance_tests.pdf: EVLA Scientific Commissioning and Antenna Performance Test Check List
• Minimum required array hardware components; note if there are any constraints in the planning based on hardware availability (e.g., minimum 20 C band receivers operational, etc).
• Breakdown of target into component steps/goals as required; most listed targets are at a relatively high level and can be decomposed into a set of tests or observations needed to verify the goal. Note that the overall goal is to demonstrate end-to-end operation of this observing mode and so the plan must include verification of all stages of the observation from OPT to offline reduction (AIPS/CASA).
  • Allocate scientists within the team to work on and lead the different component tests.
  • JIRA: Within JIRA, this is done by adding 'subtasks' to the assigned task which represent the different tests/observations. As an example (using Brisken's All Sky Astrometry target):
    • All Sky Astrometry (JIRA 'parent task')
      • Baseline determination
      • Elevation dependent effects
      • ITRF placement of EVLA antennas
  • Outline the estimated required time(s), band(s), array configuration(s), correlator setup(s) for each observation. This may evolve pending results and so the plan will be reviewed and updated as needed.
  • Note any blocking issues (include analysis/reduction needs).

1.2 Commissioning Target Deliveries (to Operations)

The following are expected to be delivered as part of the process of verification and for the final deployment of the observing mode to the community.

• Scheduling Blocks generated for the test observations; these can be attached or linked to the relevant JIRA tickets; if there are special instructions, these should be noted and incorporated into the on-line list of recommendations to observers (during draft stage at: https://staff.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/EVLACommissioning - this will be incorporated into the official documentation at: http://science.nrao.edu/evla/proposing/obsstatsum.shtml ).
• Reduction scripts; these can be attached or linked to the relevant JIRA tickets; draft procedures should be developed for guiding analysis of observations of this type.
• Observing recommendations/strategies based on the end-to-end loop of the commissioning tests.

1.3 JIRA Use

There are three EVLA Commissioning JIRA projects:

• ECSV - EVLA Commissioning and Science Verification: Used for the known observations that are required to characterize the observatory capabilities (e.g., OSRO modes) and also enables open/idea-based investigations (exploration of system improvements; debugging in areas that aren't meeting specifications, etc).
• RSRO - Resident Shared Risk Observing: Used for organizing and logging the activities for accepted RSRO proposals.
• ECDATA - EVLA Commissioning Data: Used for describing standard/special data sets available for use within the commissioning group.

• • View of the 3 EVLA Commissioning-related projects.:
    

-- JosephMcMullin - 22 Feb 2010