Dear all,
A topic near and dear: scheduling software. I saw a particularly nice archival
summary from September 1998.
I would very much like to hear the latest from those who have found a PC-
compatable solution. (What we currently use is an Excel based spreadsheet which
can be accessed via network neighborhood and arranged so that each row is a 15
minute time slot and each column is according to day/date).
Spectrometers: Bruker Avance running Windows NT (PC)(2) and Bruker AC/AMs (3)
Defining our perceived scheduling problem: Desire for immediate NMR feedback
from syntheses in progress (about 80 users among 12 groups - of course with
variable needs, but for the most part as stated).
Our perceived spectrometer RESERVATION software scheduling needs to solve the
above problem:
(1) should be accessible from lab PCs
(2) should be able to (track and) limit usage in the following manner:
(a) each user is limited to 30 minutes or 2 x 15 minutes per day on a first
sign up per spectrometer
(b) only after using the initial time is permission given to sign up for an
additional 15 minutes during the same day on the same spectrometer
(c)longer time usages are allowed between 8-11 am "with permission"
(d)Facility managers can sign up for longer times / override the limits
(e)overnight measurements can be reserved a week in advance
(f)times can be canceled/rescheduled up to 30 minutes before usage
(g)usage can be tracked for statistical analysis
(3)Each instrument list to be handled individually (i.e. 30 minutes per day per
instrument)
and to make things more complicated, and certainly not by unanimous vote, but
for the record:
(4) interaction with spectrometer computers to automatically log-out users over
their time limit
Feedback on scheduling software tools will be most appreciated as well as
summarized and posted. Additionally, more general feedback regarding rules for
NMR usage time is also most welcome.
Thank you for having read this far.
Cheers,
Yael
--
Yael S. Balazs
NMR Facility Manager
Faculty of Chemistry
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
Haifa, Israel 32000
office phone/messages: +972-4-829-3748
lab phone: +972-4-829-4919
departmental fax: +972-4-823-3735
email: balazs_at_tx.technion.ac.il
Received on Fri Feb 14 2003 - 10:14:57 MST