LNF Scheduler
The LNF Scheduler is an online web application that allows lab users to reserve time on LNF tools. New users are given a username and password to sign in. One or more accounts are assigned which can be used to make a reservation. This allows for tool charges to be automatically applied to the correct account.
Contents
Reservations
A new reservation is created by first selecting a tool and then clicking an available time slot in the displayed calendar grid. An account is then selected as well as well a reservation Activity. The activities available to a user are determined by their authorization level. Users are assigned to authorization levels by LNF staff. Initially all users are in the Unauthorized User level for every tool. Once the required training has been completed the tool engineer moves the user to the Authorized User level. On-the-fly reservations can also be made on some tools.
There are several properties, configured separately on each tool, that constrain how reservations can be scheduled. Whether these constraints are applied also depend on the user authorization level and activity. These are:
- Reservation fence: A period of time in the future during which reservations can be made. For example if a tool has a one week fence reservations cannot be made after one week in the future.
- Max schedulable hours: A duration (i.e. number of hours) that limits the total time a user can schedule a tool.
- Min reservation time: the minimum duration for which a single reservation can be made.
- Max reservation time: the maximum duration for which a single reservation can be made.
- Granularity: the smallest duration increment that a reservation can be scheduled between the min and max reservation times. The granularity cannot be smaller than the min reservation time. For example if a tool has a min reservation time of 30 minutes, a max reservation time of 1 hour, and a granularity of 10 minutes, valid reservation durations are 30, 40, 50, and 60 minutes. However a 45 minute duration is invalid.
Authorizations
There are several authorization levels to which each user and staff can be assigned on a tool-by-tool basis. The selected activity determines which authorization level can create, start, and be invited to a reservation. Invitees are limited to certain authorization levels depending on the activity. When you invite another user or staff they will receive an email notification with the reservation start/end times and, in some cases, be able to start the reservation. These rules are summarized below. Authorizations can expire after a defined (tool specific) time period. Tool engineers can determine if a rolling expiration is used (automatically renewed whenever a reservation is made) or not, how long the authorization duration is, or disable authorization expiration. Every month an email is sent to any user who's authorization is about to expire or has expired.
Activity/Authorization Rule Summary
There are seven standard reservation activities that are available to lab users and staff:
- Processing
- Practice
- Characterization
- Staff Support
- Scheduled Maintenance
- Demonstration
- Remote Processing
(note: some activities are only available to staff)
Processing
Used by Authorized Users for normal processing reservations. Invitees are optional.
| Unauthorized User | Authorized User | Super User | Authorized Staff | Tool Engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can make a reservation | × | × | × | × | |
| Can be invited to a reservation | × | × | × | ||
| Can start/end a reservation | × | × | × | × | |
| Can exceed reservation fence | × | × | |||
| Can exceed max schedulable hours | × | × |
Note that LNF staff cannot be invited to Processing reservations
Practice
Used by Unauthorized Users for practicing with another user. At least one Invitee is required.
| Unauthorized User | Authorized User | Super User | Authorized Staff | Tool Engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can make a reservation | × | × | |||
| Can be invited to a reservation | × | × | |||
| Can start/end a reservation | × | × | × | × | |
| Can exceed reservation fence | |||||
| Can exceed max schedulable hours |
Note that LNF staff cannot be invited to Practice reservations, Unauthorized Users can create but cannot start and therefore an Authorized User must be invited who can start the reservation.
Characterization
Used by staff to perform characterization on a tool. Invitees are optional.
| Unauthorized User | Authorized User | Super User | Authorized Staff | Tool Engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can make a reservation | × | × | |||
| Can be invited to a reservation | × | × | × | × | |
| Can start/end a reservation | × | × | |||
| Can exceed reservation fence | × | ||||
| Can exceed max schedulable hours | × |
Note that only LNF staff can create Characterization reservations.
Staff Support
Used for reservations that require help from staff. At least one Invitee is required.
| Unauthorized User | Authorized User | Super User | Authorized Staff | Tool Engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can make a reservation | × | × | × | × | × |
| Can be invited to a reservation | × | × | |||
| Can start/end a reservation | × | × | × | × | |
| Can exceed reservation fence | × | ||||
| Can exceed max schedulable hours | × |
Note that only LNF staff can be invited to Staff Support reservations, and this activity is available to everyone.
Scheduled Maintenance
Used by staff to perform scheduled maintenance on a tool. This activity allows recurring reservations to be scheduled. Invitees are optional.
| Unauthorized User | Authorized User | Super User | Authorized Staff | Tool Engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can make a reservation | × | ||||
| Can be invited to a reservation | × | × | × | ||
| Can start/end a reservation | × | ||||
| Can exceed reservation fence | × | ||||
| Can exceed max schedulable hours | × |
Note that only LNF staff can create Scheduled Maintenance reservations.
Demonstration
Used by staff to reserve a tool for the purpose of demonstrations, for example for lab tours. Invitees are optional.
| Unauthorized User | Authorized User | Super User | Authorized Staff | Tool Engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can make a reservation | × | × | |||
| Can be invited to a reservation | × | × | × | × | × |
| Can start/end a reservation | × | × | |||
| Can exceed reservation fence | × | × | |||
| Can exceed max schedulable hours | × | × |
Note that only LNF staff can create Demonstration reservations. Everyone can be invited to Demonstration reservations.
Remote Processing
Used by staff to create a processing reservation for a remote user. This allows external organizations to use the LNF without sending someone to work on-site. This activity is special because only users assigned to the Remote User authorization level can be invited. The Remote User is a contact at an external organization who is not present during the reservation, but is used to link the reservation to the correct account for billing purposes. The accounts that are available when making a reservation belong to the Remote User invitee (for all other activities the accounts belong to the user making the reservation). One invitee is required.
| Unauthorized User | Authorized User | Super User | Authorized Staff | Tool Engineer | Remote User | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can make a reservation | × | × | ||||
| Can be invited to a reservation | × | |||||
| Can start/end a reservation | × | × | ||||
| Can exceed reservation fence | × | × | ||||
| Can exceed max schedulable hours | × | × |
Note that only LNF staff can create Remote Processing reservations. Only Remote Users can be invited to Remote Processing reservations.
Special Reservation Activities
In addition to the standard activities above, there are two special activities that can only be made by LNF staff: Facility Down Time and Repair. These activities are not available on the create reservation page and instead have their own dedicated management pages. Both Facility Down Time and Repair activities are used to create special reservations. Any existing reservations that conflict will automatically be canceled and forgiven.
Facility Down Time reservations are made on a number of tools at the same time when a facility wide event occurs that prevents tool usage (e.g. a power outage, facility maintenance). Repair reservations are scheduled on a tool-by-tool basis when a problem is reported on a tool that prevents normal usage.
In both cases the purpose of these activities is to prevent users from scheduling during planned maintenance events, unexpected tool problems, or emergencies, and to cancel and forgive any reservations that were already scheduled during the same time. An email notification is sent to all affected users.
Software Updates
Updates to the system and server maintenance occur during lab clean, which takes place every Monday and Thursday 8:30 am - 9:30 am each week. It can be assumed that during these times access to the Scheduler may be interrupted, however maintenance does not typically occur during every lab clean. When maintenance must be performed outside of these times a message will displayed under the menu indicating the time and expected duration.
A List of release notes can be found here: LNF Scheduler Release Notes.
