Procedure to handle Waiver Requests

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Procedure to handle Waiver Requests
for service mode runs

by Marina Rejkuba

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To ensure the observing efficiency and flexibility of Service Mode observing, ESO has implemented a number of rules, procedures and limitations on programmes scheduled for Service mode. Typically, these have to do with OB construction, observing strategy, or instrument modes available. In some special cases it is possible to admit some justified exceptions to these rules with a reduced operational impact. The Phase 2 Waiver Request procedure is the channel to handle such requests.

Current procedure valid as of June 2013:

Many waiver requests are repetitive, and have well defined conditions when they can be approved. Therefore to provide faster feedback to users and at the same time decrease the number of e-mail interractions necessary to approve such standard waivers, the following procedure was put in place starting with P92 Phase 2, starting in July 2013.
The main differences with respect to the procedure used up to P92 are:

For the list of standard waivers the responsibility to APPROVE/REJECT and provide the final answer is on USD.

For the waiver requests that are not on the list of standard waivers the responsibility for APPROVAL/REJECTION stays with Paranal SciOps Waiver Handling team.

Waiver requests are handled from PROP, enabling easy(er) back-up in case of absence of the support astronomer to whom the run is assigned.

The following describes the procedure that needs to be followed when handling waiver requests that are received from users:

The waiver request sent by a PI to p2pp-waiver@eso.org (no change for users) is recorded in a PROP ticket that is assigned to the USD astronomer to whom the service mode run is assigned. The ticket assignee (USD astronomer) receives an e-mail copy of the PROP ticket.

The following file lists the standard waivers providing guidelines whether the specific waiver request is handled directly by USD support astronomer or it requires input from Paranal:
- P97 Waiver List Input (version December 2015)

If the waiver issued by the user is one of the "standard waivers" to be handled by USD, the USD support astronomer sets the appropriate flag in the waiver file on usg2, sets the PROP ticket to FIXED, and provides in the resolution field the final reply to the external user on the APPROVAL/REJECTION of the requested waiver. The resolution is sent in copy to paowaive@eso.org. In this case SciOps takes no action.

For the waivers that require input from Paranal, the responsibility for the final waiver APPROVAL/REJECTION is on Paranal SciOps Waiver Handling Team. In this case the USD support astronomer requests support from Paranal Waiver handling responsible. This is done by issuing a request for "Additional expertise". Due to a limitation in PROP, which allows to ask for external expertise only from ONE e-mail address, request for External Expertise is sent to:
paowaive@eso.org

If a request for additional expertise is issued, the Paranal Waiver responsible provides input by replying to the e-mail from PROP. The reply will incorporate the feedback into the ticket and will notify the asignee (USD astronomer).

Historical information:

Waiver Lists from Past Periods

Paranal Waiver List input for P92 (version May 13, 2013)

Paranal Waiver List input for P93 (version December 2013)

Paranal Waiver List input for P94 (version July 2014)

Paranal Waiver List input for P95 (version December 2014)

Paranal Waiver List input for P96 (version June 2015)

Old Procedure: valid until P91 (inclusive)

The following describes the procedure that was followed until June 2013 when handling waiver requests that are received from users via p2pp-waiver@eso.org:

The waiver request e-mail sent by the user to p2pp-waiver@eso.org, triggers a script on usg2, which generates an e-mail coming from the support astronomer assigned to follow the observing run. The e-mail has the following recipients:
To: J. Smoker, F. Selman, V. D. Ivanov, G. Carraro, paowaive@eso.org
Cc: usd-info@eso.org, C. Ledoux, A. Smette, A. Kaufer, C. Dumas, USD support astronomer

Currently the waiver approval is only done on Paranal, and the Paranal Waiver Handling people are those listed in the "To:" list of the above mentioned e-mail. They are responsible to send via e-mail to the USD support astronomer the final reply APPROVED/REJECTED on the requested waiver.

USD support astronomer updates the waiver approval file on usg2. The waiver approval file is copied to the P2PP server and is used to superseed "waiverable EVM errors" and so allow submission of OBs that violate the specific (approved) service mode rule(s).

USD support astronomer sends the final decision on the waiver to the user who requested it. This is done via private e-mail, and therefore has a drawback that the information sent to the PI is typically not accessible by other members of USD or SciOps.