NOAA MARS Implementation

Deployment Support
Thursday October 4, 2007
2:30 pm EDT
 Agenda
• Background on the MARS application
• Desktop and application requirements
• Role of local IT support
• MARS Support
• Pre-Deployment activities
• Contact information
 Background
• The Management Analysis and Reporting
system (MARS) is an enterprise budget
execution and financial reporting application for
line, staff offices, and FMCs
• Functionality allows users to track commitments,
forecast labor, plan execution-year budgets, and
conduct financial reporting and analysis
• Primary MARS data source is the Commerce
Business System (CBS), NOAA’s financial
accounting system
MARS DEPLOYS OCTOBER 15
 Background
• MARS integrates 2 existing applications: the
Financial Reporting System (FRS) used in NMFS
and Business Objects used in NWS.
– FRS is a custom, Oracle-based application
– Business Objects is a COTS business intelligence tool
• FRS is the data entry module of MARS
• Business Objects is the reporting and analysis
module
• MARS requires 2 separate log-ins until single
sign-on is implemented in FY08 or FY09
 Background
• With the implementation of MARS these
Line Office applications will be retired:
– FRS in NMFS
– COAST in NOS
– TAPS in NMAO
– Business Objects / OLAP in NWS, and
– FDMS in OAR (users will have read-only access to
historical date beginning 11-30-07)
 Background
• The NOAA Chief Financial Officer,
Maureen Wylie, is the MARS system
owner
• The NOAA Information Technology Center
(ITC) in Largo, MD is hosting the
application
• Development team comprised of
personnel in the NMFS OCIO office, the
NWS OCFO office, and OAR PMEL office
MARS Solution End-State
PLANNING / PROGRAMMING / BUDGETING EXECUTION

You Are Here

Planning, Programming, Budgeting
User
https://mars.rdc.noaa.gov
OCFO Portal Home page
Commitment Tracking, Spend Plans,
Labor Forecasting

MARS

End-to-End Resource
Management System
FRS Business Objects
(E2E)

Sunflower

Existing applications

NFC
Component of MARS Implementation Commitments for Contracts,
NOAA DW Small Purchases
personnel
data

Future Functionality

Grants
Online
Obligations

CBS CSTARS
Desktop Requirements
 Application Requirements
• Java
– Sun 1.4.2_xx
– Sun 1.5.0_xx
– Apple 1.4.2_xx
• J-initiator - version 1.3.1.26
• Adobe Reader - version 5.0 or higher

The user may download the applications by going

to https://mars.rdc.noaa.gov and clicking on the
Downloads drop-down menu at the top of the page
 MARS User Accounts and
Passwords
• MARS Support will provide user IDs and
passwords to users prior to deployment
• Recommend users change their
passwords at initial log-in
• MARS Support will handle all MARS
account administration
 Role of Local IT Support Staff
• Assisting MARS users in downloading and
installing the correct version of Java, J-initiator,
and validating other desktop requirements
• Establishing VPN accounts for MARS users who
telework or work outside a NOAA network
• Helping MARS development team and ITC
troubleshoot connectivity issues
• Contacting MARS Support for users who are
unable to resolve connectivity issues
 Pre-Deployment Activities for
Local IT Support
• Assist MARS users in your office by:
– Verifying connection to https://mars.rdc.noaa.gov
– Establishing VPN accounts for users who require
access to MARS while teleworking, or when outside a
NOAA network
– Confirming desktop requirements; installing j-initiator,
Java, and Adobe Reader
– Troubleshooting connectivity issues with local network
team, MARS Support, the NOAA Network Operations
Center (NOC), and / or the NOAA ITC
• NOAA ITC Support line is 301-763-6400
 MARS Support
• MARS Support, operated by the NMFS help desk,
will provide support to MARS users Mon - Fri 7:30
am - 5:30 pm EDT
• Users may contact the help desk via email or
phone:
– mars.support@noaa.gov
– 301-713-2376
• MARS development team members will provide
tier 2 level support to MARS users
• NOAA ITC and NOC will provide tier 3 level
support
 Contact Information
• For MARS technical issues or questions,
contact the MARS support
• All other MARS-related questions may be
directed to Marie Lovern, MARS project
manager, at marie.lovern@noaa.gov or
301-713-0262 x171