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UW CORAL is software that facilitates use and control of a user facility, typically a lab space though it has been applied also to shops and meeting rooms. The code base for UW CORAL was developed at UW using the database schema from the original Stanford CORAL as a starting point. The web interface is intended to be usable for most tasks on a mobile device, though some functionality still requires a desktop or laptop computer.
The key features of UW CORAL are:
A new user wishing to make use of the services of any or all of the CORAL-using labs submits their information through a series of web pages. After submitting their essential information, they are guided through any additional steps required to gain access to the facility (perhaps EH&S training, lab orientation, and site quizzes). Lab administrators review the information, either approving it, sending the user back to one of the pages for more explanation and/or corrections, or possibly denying the user permission; and CORAL administers quizzes and interfaces with EH&S's site to ensure that the prospective users have met all the requirements. Once the user's registration is complete, they are ready to be trained on lab instruments.
Facility staff can assign users roles in a given lab or location; on a given instrument; on a given project or account; or even on a different user. Most of the functionality in UW CORAL is available only to users holding the appropriate role.
Users can reserve time on lab locationa and lab instruments through UW CORAL, subject to predefined policies. The policies can be defined on a per-lab, per-location and per-tool basis, so they can be tailored to suit individual lab needs.
Examples of typical policies include
The CORAL interface allows users to enable a tool, meaning unlock it and begin a user session, and disable it, subject to policy. Again, the policies can be defined on a per-lab, per-location, and a per-instrument basis.
Typical enable policies include
UW CORAL allows instruments to be locked through various means, to enforce the facility policies and to provide accurate measurements of when and by whom the instruments are being used.
Some instruments may be equipped with hardware or software interlocks, in which case enable and disable mean literally that. Other instruments may be run on the honor system, in which case the enable/disable function merely serves to track notional tool usage.
In either case, the time that an instrument is in use, by whom, for whom, for what project, billed to what account, is recorded every time a session is completed. This information can be used later for billing or reporting purposes.
Staff can define forms to collect information from users at the time of instrument reservation or disable. What data are collected, which fields are mandatory and how the data are plotted is under the control of the facility staff. Typical uses include monitoring instrument health and the consumption rate of consumables, tracking materials used to inform future planning, and facilitating instrument configuration changes necessary for upcoming sessions.
Many instruments include a computer. When these instruments are enabled using CORAL, a shared drive mapped to that computer is switched to point to the private drive space of that user. This private storage is also available to users from the university network as a file share, as well as being available on the web. This allows users to retrieve microscope images and supply pattern files without the risk of plugging USB keys into the instruments themselves.
No ordinary user has access to another user's shared drive space, but lab staff in every lab have access to all users' space.
CORAL also provides a mechanism for recording staff assistance and/or training time, either at instrument disable time (asking the user to supply how many staff hours should be included) or after the fact. Consumables (e.g., precious metals used in sputtering, or AFM tips) can be tracked in a similar way.
CORAL maintains a list of the qualified users of every instrument, providing the staff an easy way to reach them in case of unforeseen circumstances. Users can also report problems, and shut instruments down if they become aware that continued operation of the instrument would damage the instrument or harm the user. Only users with certain roles can bring a tool out of shutdown. Like instrument use sessions, problems and shutdowns are recorded and can be browsed or summarized for future planning purposes. Facilities that charge no-show or under-utilization fees typically do not assess those fees during periods when the instrument is shut down.
Before billing, users can review their own usage online and request corrections if, for example, they accidentally left an instrument enabled overnight. Similarly, staff can review the usage of the lab as a whole and make corrections as necessary, possibly adding their own staff hours or inventory transactions.
CORAL collects information about instrument use, as described above, and can present that information through various reports. Simple billing (cost per use, or cost per hour) is summarized for every project and account, making billing relatively straightforward. Although CORAL does not interface directly with the campus billing system, it can provide data formatted for easy submission as ISDs and formatting for invoices for outside users.
An an example of other reporting, we have a report generator that counts users to meet NSF requirements, making the process of generating that report into a single click. Reporting required by other funding agencies can be similarly automated, always assuming that the data they require is being collected.
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