CHAPTER 7 AUTOMATED SUPPLY ^SUPPORT

Today's Navy uses computers to perform various operations to complete its mission. The basic information concerning computers in the Navy is described in the Navy Electricity and Electronics Training Series (NEETS), Module 22, NAVEDTRA B72-22-00-88. The AK must know all the pertinent information in the NEETS Module 22 that applies to supply and maintenance operations. For example, the most common means of submitting requisitions to the supply activity is through a computer. To be able to send the requisition, the AK must know the various hardware and software associated with the computer and how to use it. The AK must know how to use the keyboard, decipher the information on the screen, and input the information. The AK should also know the expected products that result from the transaction input through the computer.

PERSONAL COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

Personal computers are commonly used throughout the Navy. These computers are used in entering or extracting data to perform various tasks. The computer system is grouped by components or tools known as hardware and software.

HARDWARE

The hardware is the various components that make up the computer. It is composed of all the mechanical, electrical, electronic, and magnetic devices of the computer system. Some examples of the hardware are the central processing unit (CPU), printers, magnetic tape units, and disk drive units.

The CPU, also known as mainframe, is the brain of the computer. The CPU processes the information entered from any of the input devices and then transfers the interim or final results to the output devices.

The purpose of the magnetic tape units (drive or

device) is to write data on or read data from a magnetic

tape. The data in the tape is stored in a sequential

manner. When information is requested, the computer begins researching from the beginning and checks each

record until the desired data is found. This process is

the same as playing a recorded cassette tape. In a

cassette player, to play the third recorded song, the first and second song are played or the tape is fast forwarded to the third song.

The magnetic disk drive units are storage devices that read and write data on the magnetized surface of a rotating disk. As the disk spins, data can be stored or retrieved on the disk in a direct manner. This direct accessing of data is faster than the sequential method. It provides direct access to any specific data without having to scan all the records from the beginning.

Floppy disk drive units are smaller than magnetic disk drive units. The floppy disk drive units are commonly used with personal (desktop) computers. The common size of diskettes used with these units are the 5 WI-inch or 3 1/2-inch disks.

The printers are used to print coded characters on a document (paper copy). The high-speed printers are used on mainframes to prepare supply requisitions, inventory, or financial reports. The daisy-wheel, dot-matrix, ink-jet, or laser printers are used with personal computers.

The keyboards are designed to input coded information to the computer. It is composed of keyswitches or keys that enter the data when depressed by the operator. The keys are imprinted with a legend to identify their functions. The most common data used to input information are the alphabetic, numeric, or character codes. However, some keys are used for special functions. You should familiarize yourself with the proper operation of the keyboards.

The display devices are known as the screen, monitor, or cathode-ray tube (CRT). This device is part of the computer terminal, computer console, and personal computer that displays the information to the operator. The information displayed is only temporary (known as soft copy).

SOFTWARE

Software can be defined as all the stored programs and routines (operating aids) needed to fully use the capabilities of the computer.

NAVAL AVIATION LOGISTICS COMMAND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

The Naval Aviation Logistics Command Management Information System (NALCOMIS) has been implemented in most of the naval aviation maintenance activities. The system has automated the policies and procedures of the Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (NAMP). The hardware used in NALCOMIS terminals consists basically of a keyboard and a display screen. Other terminals may also include printers to produce hardcopy notices, reports, or documents. These hardware provide an easy method for entering, retrieving, and displaying information needed to support aviation maintenance. The AKs must become familiar and learn to use the computer terminals to perform their tasks. This chapter discusses information that will help you expand your knowledge about NALCOMIS.

The user can access the NALCOMIS by using the menu screen or bypass the menu by entering the conversation code in the proper field. The computer screen contains various information regarding the task being performed. Some of the information on the screen are the conversation code, the screen identification number, the screen title, and the calendar/Julian date. The error messages are also displayed if a field is entered incorrectly or a mandatory entry is left blank. When the user enters H or HELP in the action code field, NALCOMIS displays information about the screen being used. The hardware status messages display messages such as PRINTER BUSY FAULT, which can be cleared from the screen by depressing the clear reset key. Refer to the NALCOMIS users manual for more information about the systems operation.

Various acronyms are used in all NALCOMIS operations. Knowing these acronyms will help you become efficient in performing your tasks. The list of acronyms is contained in appendix A of NALCOMIS Data Requirements Documents, RD-001B. Some of the acronyms are as follows:

Only authorized personnel can have access to the NALCOMIS. These personnel are assigned a password that will allow them to access specific functions. A valid password is required as input to sign on to NALCOMIS. Passwords are processed in such a way that NALCOMIS recognizes the user signing on and the user's organization, work center, and special maintenance qualification (SMQ). Passwords are maintained by one person (usually the database administrator [DBA]) at each site. The SMQs assigned to each person will determine the ability to access a specific NALCOMIS conversation. When a user successful] y accesses a NALCOMIS conversation, the user's SMQ and detailed qualifications will determine whether the user is allowed to perform the input. A user will be allowed as many SMQs as determined necessary by the site's DBA.