FastLane Users, FastLane is now accepting file uploads in a variety of formats including Word, WordPerfect, PostScript, plain text, RTF, EPS, PowerPoint, DVI and TeX (MiKTeX 1.20e) within FastLane Proposal Preparation sections. Over 1000 files were converted by users this weekend. Most of these were converted to PDF (for NSF use) without errors. However, given the large numbers of files uploaded to FastLane in a given year (over 200,000/year at our present rate), we anticipate that there will be various possible combinations that will not work properly. As problems are identified, we will correct them or let users know how to avoid them. It is recommended that PIs continue to use standard fonts to avoid font substitutions when their files are converted to Acrobat 3 PDF format. Users will be shown the PDF file resulting from their original file and they will need to accept the results before the file is stored in FastLane. A few viruses were uploaded with Word files on Friday evening and, while detected by our software, they required manual intervention to clear the system. This is no longer necessary. Another incident occurred this weekend when a PI uploaded a file that produced a 30,000 page PostScript file. This also required manual intervention, at present. PDF files will continue to be accepted if properly created (e.g. the file is in Acrobat 3 format (PDF Version 1.2), PDFWriter was not used to create the file and that all fonts are embedded). The restriction against PDFWriter files is active and necessary since these files do not combine properly with other PDF files. FastLane is evaluating software that may reduce the known problems of combining together Acrobat 3 and Acrobat 4 files. If successful, this may allow the PDF version restriction to be eliminated. FastLane is still exploring options for robust checking, in batch mode, for font embedding in uploaded PDF files. --Craig Robinson, NSF -----Original Message----- From: Robinson, Craig R Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 5:31 PM To: 'Research Administration Discussion List' Subject: RE: FastLane: pdf format NOT necessary FastLane Users, One of our users uploaded a virus-infected file to our new conversion software. Our virus software detected it but stopped other files from being uploaded. We are working on the problem and hope to have it resolved soon. --Craig Robinson, NSF -----Original Message----- From: Claire L. Carlson [SMTP:xxxxxx@SELWAY.UMT.EDU] Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 5:15 PM To: xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG Subject: Re: FastLane: pdf format NOT necessary Sounds like a great idea - but isn't working out that way so far! We are having problems with this new approach. It isn't completing the upload and is timing out on us. And it won't let us upload files we have already converted to pdf. Claire L. Carlson At 04:25 PM 01/05/2001 -0500, you wrote: >>>> FastLane just implemented this in to production but wants to monitor it over the weekend. FastLane will still accept PDF, but will accept other formats as well (TEX, Word). They will then do the conversion on their end. If all goes well, they will formally announce it on Monday. At 03:25 PM 1/5/2001 -0500, you wrote: Within the last two hours NSF has eliminated the need to convert source documents into pdf format for proposal components submitted via FastLane. This does not yet appear in the "Advisories" on the fastlane home page; the info that pdf conversion is no longer necessary only appears within the proposal, at the individual interfaces where one begins the upload process. Christopher P. Aubry Coordinator, Electronic Grants Office of Rsrch Admin & Advncmnt 2114 Lee Building, UMCP College Park, MD 20742-5141 Phone: (301) 405-4179 Fax: (301) 314-9569 E-mail: xxxxxx@umresearch.umd.edu ====================================================================== Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available via our web site at <http://www.hrinet.org/>http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists") ====================================================================== *************************** Tammy Custer Ordway Electronic Initiatives Specialist Office of Sponsored Programs Cornell University 120 Day Hall Ithaca, NY 14853 P: (607) 255-5066 F: (607) 255-5058 <http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/tjb3/>http://www.people.cornell.edu/pag es/tjb3/ *************************** Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all! Claire L. Carlson Associate Vice President for Research The University of Montana E-mail: xxxxxx@selway.umt.edu Phone: 406-243-5796 Fax: 406-243-6330 ====================================================================== Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists") ====================================================================== ====================================================================== Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists") ======================================================================
