Feature

** IMPORTANT NEW S RELATED TO IPPS-A **

As IPPS-A continues to roll out to different states, we've been working on solutions to get the data into the TwinEngines System so that our products will continue to function. We are working with NGB to get an interface between RCMS and the TwinEngines system. This is still working its way through the approval and tasking process though, so we are also looking at interim solutions. One option is to go back to loading the SIDPERS extract files that are currently used to populate RCAS. We have the file structures for those files and are currently analyzing the impact for this option. The other option is to pull the data directly out of the RCAS database. We plan on working with states that are currently on IPPS-A to figure out the best interim solution, then work with NGB on the RCMS interface for a longer-term solution.

Dean Baskin
dbaskin@twinengines.com
859-536-2540

News From TwinEngines

Orders Portal

We are currently working on a new "Orders Portal" product. This application will import your AFCOS Orders into the TwinEngines website, convert them to a PDF and allow you to view the orders online. It includes organizational based security so that you can assign users to view only those orders within their organization. The system will monitor for new AFCOS Orders placed in a network share and automatically import them into the system on a regular basis.

If you are interested in taking a look at this product, contact me for a demo.

IDT/ADT Reporting Portal

We recently worked with the LA-ARNG to put together an IDT/ADT portal for them using Microsoft Power BI. Power BI Server is included with Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise Edition and is a great tool for visualizing data. This portal allows you to view IDT/ADT statuses from your state level with the capability to drill down into the organizations and even down to the individuals. You can quickly see how many Soldiers are in the different statuses (e.g. Present, Split, AWOL, etc.) for each organization, plus drill down to see the individual records.

You can view a demo of this portal on our website at:

/products/product-demonstration-videos.aspx

Contact me if you are interested in a more complete demo and would like to see something like this implemented within your own state.

Linked Server Issues & Fixes

One of the issues we've struggled with has to do with the Oracle login that our applications use expiring on either the SIDPERS or RCAS side. When this occurs, whenever the applications attempt to query the Oracle database, it freezes a connection within SQL Server. This causes the application to hang and eventually timeout for certain pages, plus causes locks on the SQL Server side that can remain indefinitely. These locks can cause the synch processes to fail later on with a timeout error, even after the Oracle account is fixed. In this scenario, the only way to fix these hung connections is to restart the SQL Server service. Since these accounts can expire every 60 days, this creates a real headache to have to deal with.

To fix this issue, you will need to reconfigure your RCASDBOR and SIDPERS linked servers and include a new "PwdChgDlg=0" switch in the provider string. Here are directions on how to do this:

1. Go to your RCASDBOR linked servers, right click, then select Script -> Linked Server As -> Drop and Create To -> New Query Editor Window.

2. Where it has @provstr=N'DistribTx=0; ', change that to @provstr=N'DistribTx=0;PwdChgDlg=0;'

3. Change the @rmtpassword='#######' to your Oracle password.

4. Execute the SQL.

5. Repeat for the SIDPERS linked server.

Restart your SQL Server Service to ensure that any hung processes are cleared out. Once this change is made, when the Oracle accounts expire, the system will get an immediate Oracle error and processes will no longer get hung up in SQL Server.

PERMS Integrator

Recently we had a state that applied some STIGS and started being unable to connect to the SQL Server system within PERMS Integrator. There were getting an error message of "SSL Security Error". To fix this problem, we've had to upgrade PERMS Integrator to use the latest Microsoft OLEDB Provider for SQL Server. Unfortunately, this driver is not included in standard windows updates, so you will have to download and install it manually. Our downloads website includes a link to the new driver.

Also included in this release are some changes made to the PERMS Doc Types. If you are having Orders from MILPO Orders or AFCOS getting placed into the Verify queue with blank doc types, then you need to install the latest version with to get the doc types updated in PERMS Integrator.

Latest Releases

For your convenience, here is a list of each of the products and their current version. Check the Release Notes in each system to make sure you have the latest version.

*Includes Awards Tracking, Case Management, Discharges and ETransMgr. The CMSWebServices suite of applications has now been discontinued.

You can download these versions from: http://nationalguard.twinegines.com/support/downloads.aspx

Dean Baskin
dbaskin@twinengines.com
859-536-2540