1. Unidata Support Tools and Plans Unidata Policy and Users Committee May 2005

2. A User’s View of Unidata Support Email exchange with UPC staff Search archived email: Google, glimpse,... Web presence: FAQs, tutorials, user guides, workshop materials, newsletters Topical email lists Drop-in consultation Telephone consultation Workshops: package-specific, regional, special- purpose Proactive support Conference presentations, seminars, webcasts Site visits, community outreach, buddy system,...

3. Another Kind of Support Making new data available to the community identification of new data source of value to community negotiation for access to new data work with provider to adopt standards (e.g., netCDF conventions) incorporation of data into existing analysis/visualization packages announcement monitoring data changes

4. The Current Unidata Support Process Home-grown system developed and evolved at UPC Initiated by site or UPC contact through email, web form, phone routed to appropriate staff expert for response interactive questions/answers cycle via email resolution solution saved and indexed for future use Topic email list exchanges moderated by staff experts

5. Limitations of Current Support Process First-level routing of email is time consuming Not scalable to anticipated growth more users in current community new communities lack of expertise in unfamiliar disciplines Current web interface is primitive Providing support competes with development resources this is not new support also benefits packages contact with users is necessary and rewarding

6. Plans for Improving Support Better facilities and tools for developers Improving users ability to help themselves Evaluation of commercial solutions for features, ease of use eSupport www.kayako.comwww.kayako.com Request Tracker www.bestpractical.com/rtwww.bestpractical.com/rt Each has different advantages, and we could transition to either easily Two sets of users: UPC support staff and community members Either system should improve efficiency of our support process

7. Plans for Improving Support(continued) Roll out eSupport with facilities for submitting and tracking queries in version 2 of Unidata portal let users know it is experimental Incrementally add knowledge bases from support archives FAQs troubleshooting networks Evaluate maintainability and extendibility