CHAPTER 2

COMPUTER CENTER OPERATIONS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completing this chapter, you should be able to do the following:

l Explain the use of trouble reports.

l Describe how to output and inspect data from a computer system.

l Explain the importance of maintaining optimal environmental conditions.

l Explain how to use the computer console to query and monitor the system.

l Describe virus protection software.

l Explain the use of AIS requests.

l State the procedures used in the media library to store and maintain media and transfer data.

l Identify procedures used for storage media destruction.

l Discuss administrative duties in a media library.

l Explain how to create, modify, delete, backup, and restore system directories and data files.

l Describe the system processes for performing system backups, executing application utility programs, and running batch jobs.

You, as the computer operator, are an extremely important individual within your automated information system (AIS) organization. It is your efficiency (performing in the best possible and least wasteful manner) and your knowledge (knowing and understanding the theory, principles, and facts, coupled with experience) that help ensure the overall effectiveness of the AIS installation. You must be familiar with the various methods of controlling data and procedures. You must also know the operating steps and procedures of your assigned computer system.

Technical administration and support are important aspects of AIS facility management. You will be making hardware and software projection reports, software performance reports, hardware utilization reports, and trouble reports. You will be responsible for

implementing performance-tuning initiatives to improve computer system performance. You will be evaluating and maintaining user manuals. All these are technical functions needed to ensure the smooth operation of an AIS facility.

TROUBLE REPORTS

You will be responsible for submitting trouble reports, as discussed in chapter 1 of Module 1. Trouble reports are used in reporting any system problem involving hardware or software that you cannot correct. Remember, the report must be as complete as possible.

COMPUTER OUTPUT

Output from computer processing, the work that has been completed, may take the form of a printed document, magnetic tape, or magnetic disk or diskette. In all cases, you are responsible for and must ensure that all completed jobs run successfully. In addition, you are responsible for identifying and coordinating the various outputs for each job, and for initiating their correct distribution.

OUTPUT PRODUCTS

To determine whether a job (or system) ran successfully (to a normal EOJ) and that all processing steps were properly performed, you may have to review the computer console printout. This printout indicates such things as the number of input records read, the various input files updated, all error conditions (error messages) that the operator encountered during the run, and the resulting actions taken, the various output files created, and so on.

Most of the time, the computer console printout will provide you with the answers you are looking for when it comes to reconciling processing discrepancies. For example, it will inform you of the reasons certain output products, tapes, diskettes, or report listings, were not produced. Possibly the operator selected an incorrect program option, or the input parameters were incorrect or incomplete before starting the job. In short, you are responsible and also accountable for every job you work on, from the time it is submitted by the user until its delivery back to the user.

When checking the user's output, you should once again refer to the run sheet and/or task folder to verify that all items requested were, in fact, produced. If the output is in the form of magnetic tape, disk, or diskette, be sure it is labeled properly, given the proper classification, and it is on the appropriate media (magnetic media that has been designated for mail-out or distribution only).

When checking reports, make sure that they were run on the proper forms (size and type), that no pages are missing and the correct number of copies were printed, and that all print is legible and lined up properly.

Once it is completed, you then package each copy of the report, along with any other output products and the original input, place it in the proper pickup area, and log the job out in the job control log. You may need to notify the user when the job is ready. If, during the course of checking over the user's output, you happen to come across something unusual or you find an error, by all means pull (reject) the job immediately, bring it to the attention of your superior, and notify the user of the delay. Even at this late stage, it is better to reject a job to correct any problems or discrepancies rather than release it, only to have it returned for rerun later.