lesson 3 logging basics - transportationlogging basics lesson 3 faa 49446046 rmls sal 3‐1 review...

Lesson 3 LOGGING BASICS

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Logging Basics Lesson 3

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Review In Lesson 2 you learned about SAL Sync and how to initialize the local SAL database.

Objective This lesson will enable you to:

• Identify ways to launch SAL.

• Access the Log Entry Form.

• Identify the elements of the Log Entry Form.

• Identify the distinction between a log and a log entry.

• Identify the procedure for creating a log entry.

• Create a log entry.

• Edit a log entry.

• Void a log entry.

• Identify ways to customize SAL.

• Identify ways to exit SAL.

These objectives are the subject of the self‐test at the end of the lesson. The answers to the self‐test are in Appendix A.

Motivation This lesson builds on the previous lessons. It describes how to use the basic features of SAL. This foundation will allow you to understand the more complicated features SAL has to offer.

Overview This lesson teaches you the process for launching SAL, the elements of the SAL Log Entry Form, and the basics of log creation. A tutorial guides you through creating, editing, and voiding a log entry. At the end of the lesson, you will learn how to customize SAL and how to exit the application.

Lesson 3 Logging Basics

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Table of Contents Launch SAL ...................................................................................................................................... 5

Tutorial – Access the Log Entry Form ............................................................................................. 6

Explore the Log Entry Form ............................................................................................................ 9

Menu Bar................................................................................................................................... 10

Button Bar ................................................................................................................................. 10

Facility Selection Line ................................................................................................................ 10

the Log Entry Form (Grid Area) ................................................................................................. 11

Log Input Line ............................................................................................................................ 12

Status Bar .................................................................................................................................. 12

Log vs. Log Entry ........................................................................................................................... 13

Creating Log Entries ...................................................................................................................... 14

Erasing Data from the Log Input Line ........................................................................................... 15

Tutorial – Logging Basics ............................................................................................................... 16

Customizing SAL ............................................................................................................................ 34

Pick Subject/Dates .................................................................................................................... 34

Time Zone (UTC/Daylight) ......................................................................................................... 35

Enter to Tab............................................................................................................................... 35

Auto Popup ............................................................................................................................... 36

Typing Replaces Remarks .......................................................................................................... 36

Restore Columns Width ............................................................................................................ 36

Preferences ............................................................................................................................... 37

Notebook Grid Line Height ................................................................................................... 37

Site Subject Selection Picklist Order ..................................................................................... 37

Log Entry Input Options ........................................................................................................ 37

Void Log Entries Text Color ................................................................................................... 37

Reset to Default .................................................................................................................... 37

Exiting SAL ..................................................................................................................................... 38

Quick Process Guide – Logging Basics .......................................................................................... 39

Void a Log .................................................................................................................................. 39

Access SAL Log Entry Form ....................................................................................................... 39



Create a Log Entry ..................................................................................................................... 40

Edit a Log ................................................................................................................................... 40

Self‐Test ........................................................................................................................................ 41



Launch SAL Once you have initialized SAL by running SAL Sync, you may launch the SAL application. SAL can be accessed in one of two ways:

• From the Windows Start Menu, under Programs|RMLS|SAL Training|Simplified Automated Logging

• From the Simplified Automated Logging shortcut in the RMLS SAL Training folder on the desktop

Note: If multiple users share the same computer, each user must have a separate windows account and be logged into their own account to run SAL.



Tutorial – Access the Log Entry Form You must have completed the previous tutorials before continuing. In this tutorial you will accomplish the following tasks:

• Launch SAL

• Log into SAL

• Select Log Subject facility and timeframe

1. Double click the RMLS SAL Training folder on your desktop.

2. Double click the Simplified Automated Logging shortcut.



The following SAL Logon window opens.

The E-mail Address automatically defaults to the user who ran the initial Sync and is not editable.

3. Type your RMLS password in the Password field.

4. Notice the Profile Selection box. There are three radio buttons and User Default is currently selected. Do not change this selection.

The profile you select governs which facilities will be available for logging operations in SAL. User Default contains all the facilities in your logging access. You will learn more about profiles in Lesson 7.

5. Click

SAL opens and the SAL Log Subject Selection window appears.



This window allows you to select a subject (a facility) for logging and a timeframe for the log entries to be displayed. The window lists only those facilities included in the profile you selected during login. In this case, all the facilities associated with your logging access should be visible.

6. Highlight the facility you want to select by scrolling down and clicking on the site or by typing the site designator. Choose the start and end months from the drop‐down fields and use the spin buttons to select the start and end years for the log data to be displayed for that facility.

Notice that there are two checkboxes for filtering logs. Both are checked by default. Display Event Manager logs enables Event Manager log entries to display in the SAL Log Entry Form. You may filter out Event Manager log entries by un‐checking this box. When Exclude LIR’s with Interrupt Code of “IN” (Information) is checked, these LIRs will not display on the Log Entry Form. You may uncheck the box to include them.

7. Click

SAL displays the Log Entry Form with log entries for the facility and timeframe you selected.

8. Keep the Log Entry Form open for the next tutorial.



Explore the Log Entry Form The main SAL window is where log entries are displayed and entered, and where all SAL operations are initiated from. This window includes the Menu Bar, Button Bar, Facility Selection Line, Log Entry Form, Log Input Line, and Status Bar. Because the Log Entry Form (grid area) dominates most of the window, the main SAL window is referred to as the Log Entry Form.

The following is an example of the Log Entry Form.

The log entry data displayed in the grid area will vary between facilities and timeframe. Also, remember that no matter which timeframe you choose in the SAL Log Subject Selection window, closed log entries will not display unless that same timeframe has been downloaded by SAL Sync.

Each component of the Log Entry Form is detailed below.


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MENU BAR

The Menu Bar displays the menus available in SAL. Clicking a menu name displays a list of available items. Keyboard shortcuts (ALT‐key combinations) can be used to navigate through the SAL Menu Bar.

BUTTON BAR

Below the Menu Bar, the SAL Button Bar displays five groups of buttons as follows from left to right:

• The eight Tool buttons are used to perform data manipulation operations.

• The six Log Entry Aid buttons facilitate the creation of Site Arrival and Departure, Periodic Maintenance, Corrective Maintenance, Certification, Modifications, and General/Administrative log entries.

• The two Print buttons allow you to print the screen content or produce hard copy reports.

• The three Review buttons are used to access the SAL Query, SAL Log Review, and Unresolved Upload Errors functions.

• The last two buttons are the SAL Sync button, which accesses the SAL Sync application, and the Exit button, which closes the SAL application.

If you hold your cursor over any of the buttons, a text identifier will appear.

FACILITY SELECTION LINE

Below the Button Bar is the Facility Selection Line. It displays information about the facility you selected within the SAL Log Subject Selection window.

The Station field identifies the location of the facility, the Log Subject field displays the facility identifier and facility type, and the Timeframe field reflects the selected date range. All of this information dictates which log entries appear in the Log Entry Form.

To the left of the Timeframe is the button, which allows you to choose a different facility and timeframe by reopening the SAL Log Subject Selection window (it also allows you to include/exclude Event Manager logs and/or LIRs).


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THE LOG ENTRY FORM (GRID AREA)

The area of the window that actually represents the Log Entry Form is the grid area. The grid sorts log entries by their Update Timestamp which means the time at which they were added to the Log Entry Form.

The Log Entry Form contains seven columns of log entry information.

• The Date and Time columns represent the date and time (Zulu) of the maintenance action.

• The CC column represents the associated Code Category (CC).

• The Remarks column is for associated remarks.

• The Inits column displays the user initials that created the log entry.

• All log entry types are represented by an icon in the Type column. The picture in the icon signifies the type of log entry. The color of the icon (described below) signifies the state of the overall log (open, closed, or void).

If an icon has a dark blue background with white text, this means the log is open. The exceptions are the Interrupt Report (LIR) and Remote Monitoring (LRM) icons. If the LIR or LRM is open, the icon has a light grey background with red text.

If an icon has a light grey background with blue text, the log is closed.

If the icon has a line through it, the log is void.

• The Log ID column displays the log number associated with each log entry. Log IDs that begin with SAL have not yet been uploaded to the RMLS database. After a log entry is uploaded, it displays a new Log ID number that was assigned by the RMLS server.


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LOG INPUT LINE

Log entries are added to the Log Entry Form by using the Log Input Line located below the grid. Here you can start, edit, and complete a log entry.

The fields on the Log Input Line echo the first four columns of the Log Entry Form. They are the Date and Time (Zulu) of the maintenance action, the associated CC, and Remarks.

Clicking the down arrow displays an editing box for you to add several lines of remarks.

The button creates a log entry by sending the information from the Log Input Line to the Log Entry Form. It also adds the log entry to your local SAL database.

The button becomes active when you select an already existing log entry. It allows you to view detailed data about the log entry.

Once you add a log entry, it displays at the bottom of the Log Entry Form.

STATUS BAR

At the bottom of the window is the Status Bar. It provides general SAL system status including:

• Current application status

• Current number of log entries on the Log Entry Form

• Current date

• Current time

• Logged on user’s district code and initials


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Log vs. Log Entry The term “log” refers to a specific maintenance activity, made up of one or more log entries with the same unique Log ID number.

Each row or line in the Log Entry Form represents a log entry. Each time you add a new log entry, a new log is created and tracked by the number displayed in the Log ID column. Editing or voiding an existing log adds an additional log entry to the Form. This log entry becomes a sequence of the existing log. Log entry sequences have the same Log ID number, signifying that they are different stages of the same log.

The last log entry in the sequence represents the final stage of the log. Therefore, if you wish to edit a log, you must edit the last log entry in the sequence.


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Creating Log Entries Log entries are created by providing essential information about the associated maintenance activity. This includes date and time, maintenance Code Category (CC), user remarks, and user initials. When you open the SAL Log Entry Form, the insertion point is automatically set at the Date field in the Log Input Line. All fields in the Log Input Line need to be filled before a log entry can be added to the Log Entry Form.

You can create a log entry on the Log Input Line by moving from one field to the next and

entering the required data, until you reach the button. You can tab from field to field or position your cursor in each field and click. All fields must be populated, in order from left to right, before adding the log entry.

If you do not enter any values in the Date and Time fields, SAL automatically populates them with the current date and time.

You can find tools for modifying log entries on the first group of the Button Bar or the Operator menu. The buttons are illustrated below.

New

Edit

Clear Log Input Line

Void


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Erasing Data from the Log Input Line After entering data on the Log Input Line, you can erase it without adding it to the Log Entry Form.

Two commands provide this capability:

New button, also in the Operator menu

Clear Log Input Line button or Clear in the Operator menu

If you click on either button, SAL displays the following message.

In addition, this message displays if you click anywhere on the Log Entry Form grid or on any of the SAL buttons.

Clicking erases all data in the Log Input Line and puts the cursor in the Date field.

Clicking keeps the insertion point at its current field.


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Tutorial – Logging Basics You must have completed the previous tutorials before continuing. In this tutorial you will accomplish the following tasks:

• Create a new log/log entry

• Add multi‐line remarks

• Collapse and expand remarks

• Use the Edit command to edit the log

• Use the Type icon to edit the log

• Void the log

1. The SAL Log Entry Form should be open. Verify that the word [Training] appears in the title bar, as illustrated below.

2. From, click inside the Date field of the Log Input Line.

SAL automatically supplies the current date. You can override the date by deleting it and typing in a new date.

3. Press the Tab key.

The insertion point automatically moves to the Time field. The current time displays, but you can delete it and type in a new time.

4. Press the Tab key.

The insertion point moves to the CC field. Here you can type the appropriate CC or select it from a list.


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5. Double click inside the CC field.

A CC list pops up containing all valid CC options.

If a CC is associated with a Log Entry Aid (see table below), the Log Entry Aid for that CC will appear when selected. Log Entry Aids (discussed in Lesson 4) allow you to enter data specific to that type of log entry.

Code Category (CC) Log Entry Aid

00‐09, 41, 53‐54, 59 Administrative/General – LAD

10 Site Arrival/Departure – LST

50, 55 Periodic Maintenance – LPM

51 Certification – LCE

56 Modification – LEM

58 Corrective Maintenance – LCM

Note that there is one exception. 52 - Decertification (LCE) is available in the CC list; however, it is not included in the chart above. Selecting CC 52 does not trigger its Log Entry Aid to display.

Also note that SAL only accepts CCs numbered in the CC list. If you try to enter an invalid CC you will receive an error message.


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6. Double click 00 - Administrative (LAD) to select it.

SAL copies the code to the CC field and opens the Administrative/General Log Entry Aid.

Note that the Date and Time from the Log Input Line are copied into the Start Time field. Log Entry Aids will be discussed in greater detail in Lesson 4.

7. Click .

The Log Entry Aid closes and the insertion point moves to the Remarks field of the Log Input Line.

Auto‐generated remarks are sometimes populated by the Log Entry Aid. These auto‐generated remarks can be modified or overridden. If remarks are not provided, you must enter your own remarks to be associated with the maintenance activity.

Or you can use the Notebook tool to enter remarks without having to type in any text. You can select previously typed and stored comments from your Notebook. Details on the Notebook tool are covered in Lesson 5.


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8. Type Training example. into the Remarks field.

9. Click the down arrow to the right of the Remarks field.

Often, the comments you need to enter about a logging event require more space than is available in the Remarks field. Clicking the Remarks down arrow opens the following Edit Comments window. This window is a multi‐line editor that allows you to expand your comments in the Remarks field.


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10. Type two more lines of remarks following the example below.

Note: Clicking reverses your most recent action. Also, if you want to find

specific text, put your cursor in the top left corner of the text panel and click . SAL opens a Find Text window which you can use to locate the text.

11. Click to copy your new comments to the Remarks field of the Log Input Line.


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12. Click to add the log entry to the Log Entry Form and create a new log.

The log entry will appear at the bottom of the Log Entry Form with a unique Log ID number.

This action also stores the log entry as a permanent log record in your local SAL database. The log entry cannot be deleted. But the overall log can be edited or voided.

Notice that all three lines of remarks in the log entry are displayed.


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13. Click the Collapse/Expand Remarks button [ ].

By default, SAL displays all lines of an entry. When you click the Collapse/Expand Remarks button, SAL collapses all log entries to display one line of remarks.

14. Double click inside the Remarks column of the training example.

This allows multiple lines to be seen via the scroll arrows on the right side of the field.

15. Click the Collapse/Expand Remarks button again to expand remarks.


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16. Click your training example log entry to highlight it and click the Edit button [ ].

You may also select Edit from the Operator menu or right click on the log entry and select Edit.

SAL automatically populates the Log Input Line with the current date and time and the CC from the selected log entry. The insertion point moves to the Remarks field and is empty for you to enter your comments.

Note that the button on the Log Input Line is now activated.


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17. Click to open the Log Entry Aid of the log being edited.

Here you can make any needed corrections to the log.

18. Change the Start Time to a day earlier by clicking in the days portion of the field and clicking the down arrow.


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19. Change the Stop Time to an hour earlier by clicking in the hours portion of the field and clicking the down arrow.

20. Click to close the Log Entry Aid.

Notice that the Time field has updated to match the adjusted Stop Time.


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21. Click the Remarks down arrow to open the Edit Comments window.

When the editor opens, the top panel shows a read‐only view of all the previously added log entry comments for this log.

22. Type Correction made to Start Time and Stop Time. into the bottom panel.


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23. Click .

The Log Input Line should now appear as follows.

24. Click to record your edits and add the log entry to the Log Entry Form.

Notice that the Log ID for both the original and the edit log entry are the same. The two log entries are now sequences of the same log.

Another way to edit a log is to link directly to the Log Entry Aid by clicking a log entry’s Type icon.

25. Click the Type icon for your original log entry.


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The following message warns you that the selected log entry is not the last in the sequence (and therefore cannot be used to edit the log).

26. Select to open the original Log Entry Aid in review mode.

Notice that the button is disabled. Since this is not the last log entry in the sequence, it does not represent the current state of the log and therefore cannot be edited.

Also note that the Start Time and Stop Time fields do not reflect the changes you made. You can never erase data from a previously recorded log entry, you can only append it.


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27. Click to return to the Log Entry Form.

28. This time, click the Type icon for the edit log entry, the last in the sequence.

The Log Entry Aid opens, reflecting your previous corrections. Note that this Log Entry Aid

would have opened had you selected in Step 25.

29. Click .

SAL automatically populates the Log Input Line with the Date, Time, and CC of log being edited. The insertion point moves to the Remarks field and is empty for you to enter your comments.


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30. Type Edits completed. into the Remarks field.

31. Click .

Another log entry in the same sequence is added to the Log Entry Form.

32. Highlight any of the three log entries you created. Right click and select Log History.


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The Log History window opens for the log you selected.

The Log History allows you to view the sequence numbers for each log entry in a particular log. The sequence numbers are displayed in the # column. The Log History tool is covered in more detail in Lesson 5.

33. Click .

34. With the same log entry selected, click the Void button [ ].

You may also select Void from the Operator menu.

All sequences in the log are highlighted and the following message appears.

Note that you can void an entire log by selecting any of its log entries. It does not have to be the last log entry in the sequence. You cannot void an individual log entry, only the entire log.


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35. Click .

The Enter Explanation for Voiding Log window opens. The top panel displays the remarks associated with the log you are voiding.

36. Type Training void. in the bottom panel.


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37. Click to close the window and copy your explanation to the Log Input Line.

Notice that SAL treats this void as any other edit log entry. When you add it, it becomes a part of the log sequence.

38. Click to add the void log entry to the Log Entry Form and void the entire log.

All the sequences of the voided log are shown in grey text with a white background.


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Customizing SAL Now that you know the basics of using the Log Entry Form, you can learn how to customize it. All customization is managed via the Options menu on the Menu Bar. A checkmark indicates if a particular option is enabled (when applicable).

PICK SUBJECT/DATES This option performs the same function as the button on the Facility Selection Line. It reopens the SAL Log Subject Selection window.

The next five options below Pick Subject/Date will be discussed in lessons 4 and 7.


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TIME ZONE (UTC/DAYLIGHT) The RMLS time is in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), also referred to as Greenwich or Zulu time. To ensure accurately recorded log entries, it is important that the SAL application time and RMLS time match. For SAL to correctly display and record log entries with the correct UTC, SAL needs to have the correct UTC differential with respect to your local machine’s time zone. Check the windows Time Zone to determine the correct UTC differential for your machine.

This information is initially entered during the SAL installation. When daylight savings time begins or ends, it is necessary to manually change the time differential. This is done via the Time Zone (UTC/Daylight) screen; accessed by clicking this option in the Options menu.

The Current UTC Differential is a read only field shown at the top. You may change the hours

in the Adjusted UTC Differential field. Clicking saves any changes.

An easy way to validate that you have the correct UTC differential is to check the time in the SAL Status Bar against the time in upper right‐hand corner of any Peabody page. These times should be the same.

ENTER TO TAB Selecting the Enter to Tab option affects how data is entered in the Log Input Line. When you press Enter after typing or selecting data in a field, the insertion point will move to the next field. When Enter to Tab is not enabled, you must use the tab key or the mouse to move the insertion point to the next field.

This option can also be enabled under Preferences.


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AUTO POPUP Enabling Auto Popup affects the CC and Remarks fields of the Log Input Line as follows:

• When you move the insertion point into the CC field, a list of Code Categories opens. Choose the CC you want by double clicking it or selecting it and pressing enter. The list closes and the insertion point moves to the Remarks field.

• If you choose CC 52 (Decertification), when the insertion point moves to the Remarks field, the SAL Notebook tool automatically opens. This allows you to select pre‐made comments to enter into the Remarks field. The Notebook tool is described in detail in Lesson 5.


TYPING REPLACES REMARKS Typing Replaces Remarks affects how you edit the Remarks field in the Log Input Line. With this option enabled, when you create a log entry that automatically provides standard remarks, these remarks will be highlighted. When you start typing, the highlighted text will be deleted.


RESTORE COLUMNS WIDTH At any time you can change the width of the columns in the Log Entry Form by clicking and dragging the edge of any column heading. Click the Restore Columns Width option to restore the Log Entry Form to its original column widths.


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PREFERENCES When you select Preferences in the Options menu, the following window opens:

Notebook Grid Line Height In this box you can specify the number of lines spaces, from one to five, that are used to display comments in the Notebook tool (explained in Lesson 5).

Site Subject Selection Picklist Order This box allows you to choose to have either the facility type or location identifier in the first column of the SAL Log Subject Selection window.

Log Entry Input Options These options include Enter to Tab, Auto Pop Up, and Typing Replaces Text. These three options are also available directly through the Options menu and were previously explained.

Void Log Entries Text Color Voided log entries are displayed on the Log Entry Form in a different color to differentiate them. In this box you can select the text color you wish to use.

Reset to Default Each box in this window contains a Reset to Default button. Clicking this button resets its associated parameter(s) to the default value stored in SAL.


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Exiting SAL When you exit, you are logging off and shutting down the SAL program.

You can exit SAL in three ways:

• Select File│Exit on the Menu Bar.

• Click the Exit button [ ] on the Button Bar.

• Click the on the Title Bar.


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Quick Process Guide – Logging Basics

ACCESS SAL LOG ENTRY FORM

VOID A LOG


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EDIT A LOG CREATE A LOG ENTRY


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Self‐Test For true/false, circle the correct answer: T if it is True, F if it is False. For multiple‐choice, choose the most correct option. For fill‐in‐the‐blank, write in the word(s) that best completes the statement.

Answers are in Appendix A.

1. If multiple users share the same machine, each user may share the same windows account when using SAL.

T F

2. Accessing the Log Entry Form involves three major steps: launch SAL, login to SAL, and select Log Subject facility and ____________.

3. After completing the Log Subject Selection, log data may not display unless that same timeframe has been downloaded through SAL Sync.

T F

4. While the entire main window in SAL is referred to as the Log Entry Form, the area of the screen that represents the actual Log Entry Form is the _________.

a. Menu Bar b. Facility Selection Line c. Grid area d. Log Input Line

5. All fields of the Log Input Line must be populated, regardless of order, before adding the log entry.

T F

6. Four tools that you will find useful when creating log entries are New Entry, Edit, Clear Log Input Line, and Void. These tools can be accessed in the first group of the Button Bar or in the ________ menu.

a. View b. Operator c. Tools d. Options

7. ______________ is the only CC that does not trigger a Log Entry Aid.

8. You can edit a log entry using the Edit command or by clicking its Type icon. T F

9. When you void a log entry, you are only voiding that single entry and not the entire log sequence.

T F

10. SAL customization is managed via the _________ menu.

a. Edit b. View c. Tools d. Options


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