Technology to Support System Management

Kenneth LaRueDivision ManagerTransit Programs Division

October 21, 2008

Began electronic data collection in

1989• Oklahoma State University

– Center for Local Government Technology

Initial Development

• Initially developed using dBase IV– a DOS database program

• which has been superseded by several versions.

• The software we developed was call . . .

•Making

•Your

•Life

•Easier

What does our data collection software

do?•Records expenses

–Not an accounting program

•Records statistical data–Ridership and vehicles

MYLE and MYLEO• MYLE

– The software used by the local transit projects for reporting expenses, passenger trips and vehicle statistics.

• MYLEO– The software used at ODOT to import the

data files submitted by the local operators.

1997 Changed to aWindows Operating System

• MYLE and MYLEO were upgraded to a Windows Operating System, using Visual dBase.– Still, a DOS operating system

In early 2000 we began experiencing problems

• Data had reached a magnitude at which MYLE did not function properly.– We had to develop “work around solutions,” because there was

no way to fix the problem. Visual dBase was a “dead” program.

• We experienced situations in which MYLE would not work on the newer computers.– After contacting the computer manufacturer we learned that

Visual dBase would not work on machines that had more than 512k of RAM.

• The MYLE program had become unstable, data files were losing their indices.– This requires us to access the contractor’s data files and run

special routines which were very time consuming and could cause the corruption of data files.

The time had come to replace

MYLE and MYLEO

Key points for program development.

•Not a lot of change.– We wanted a seamless transition to the new program.

• It would be an on-line program.– No need to copy and append data from one PC to another.

• Data would be on a central server.– Projects would not need to conduct periodic backups.

Key Points for program development.

continued

• Off-site disaster recovery.– It’s a secret.

• Developed in consultation with end users.– We held multiple workshops to get their input.

• And a very important key. . . . .

Hire someone who knows your

business

What programming software should we

use?• Microsoft Access

– Not able to handle the magnitude of records.

• Oracle – Too expensive & trained personnel would be hired away.

• MySQL/PHP– Open source and inexpensive (free).

• Along with other database programs

We would use MySQL/PHP to merge MYLE and MYLEO into one internet based

program called. . . .

What did we decide to do?

MYLEO-net

MYLEO-net functions

•Expense Reporting– Not an Accounting Program

•Statistical– Ridership and Vehicle

MYLEO-netIt’s all one database; however,

we refer to it as having two sides.

• The ODOT side– ODOT staff can see all projects and their

data.

• The Project’s side– Projects can see only their respective data.

Safeguards

Levels of security• Level 1

– Browsing privileges and report functions only

• Level 2– Data entry only and report functions

• Level 3– Authority to edit records

• Level 4– Authority to add/edit budgets, routes, vehicles and grant

access to a user at level 4 or lower

• Level 5– ODOT only, access to all levels

ODOT’s “Side”

The Project’s “Side”

Financial• Operators establish their estimated

annual budget, by line item.• Monthly, they report actual expenses

by line item.• MYLEO-net calculates the Federal

reimbursement based on these reported expenses.

Statistical• On a monthly basis, operators report

– Vehicle revenue miles and seat miles– Passenger trips and passenger miles

• Passenger trips are reported by general public, elderly and/or disabled

– Hours of Service

• To aid the operators in providing reports to their various funding sources, they can “tag” the rider’s information by Purpose Code.

Entering Monthly

Expenses

Entering Trip Data

Safeguards

Paying a submitted

claim

ReportsFinancial Reports

•Budget Information

•Project Expense Information

•Annual Contract Balance

•True Cost Report

Calculating True Cost

ReportsContinued

Ridership Reports•Trip Statistics Monthly Summary – By Vehicle, Route,

County•Trip Statistics Monthly Summary – By Route, County•Trip Statistics Totals•Trip Statistics Monthly Summary – By Purpose Code•Trip Statistics Summary By Vehicle and Purpose Code•Trip Sheet Detail – Purpose Code•Farebox Report•Mileage Report•Intercity Trip Statistics

ReportsContinued

ODOT Reports•Grant Distribution – By Project•Grant Disbursement – By Grant•Grant – By Fiscal Year

Disbursement of Federal fund

What’s next?

ASP.netActive Server Pages

• Object Oriented Programming– Better organized and maintainable

• Integrated Visual Studio environment– Greater debugging support and many

out-of-the-box controls• Better security

– PHP is an open source code

ASP.netContinued

• Different methods to store session data– Each logon creates a session

• More scalable– Grows with database, can add servers

• Faster– Client sessions means no more back and forth data

delivery to the server

Paperwork is massive

Working with the University of Oklahoma’s

School of Computer Science

• An FTA sponsored research project