QuickStart Instructions for the Auto QA Browser - Run 8

• Go to the STAR Computing QA home page (from the STAR Home Page select "Computing" in the left panel, then select "QA" or go directly to the QA home page) and open the Auto QA browser by clicking on the "Automated Offline QA Browser" button in the upper portion of the page.
• If the browser fails to open contact the QA Experts ASAP. If you cannot get to the Auto QA browser then you are S.O.L.
• Enter your RCF login name.
• Generally you should follow the menu on page 2. Buttons 1.1 and 2.1 direct you to pages where Real Data Production jobs and Fast Offline Production jobs can be selected. Note that for Run 8 the Offline QA shift crew are only responsible for the fast-offline production.
• For Real Data Production (Button 1.1) you will typically want to filter out previously reviewed jobs and select all other run numbers for production within the past 24 hours. Queries can be made based on QA status, run number or date, and software production version.
• For the Fast Offline Production QA (Button 2.1) select the most recent run numbers which have not yet been QA reviewed. Other queries are available as explained above. At a minimum please examine QA histograms for each trigger set for at least one file sequence per run number. Do more if you have time.
• Once you select a job to examine the QA shift or full set of QA histograms may be selected. Generally the smaller, "QA shift" set of histograms will suffice however you may need to examine the full set of QA plots in order to better diagnos a suspected problem. The postscript and/or pdf files are generated on the fly and displayed on your terminal. Generally it is best to have the QA shift report web form open in a different window so that you can fill it out as you check each set of histograms, job-by-job. Please follow the instructions on the QA shift web forms and supply all requested information about yourself and the jobs you have examined.
• Sample QA shift histograms from Run 7 (Au-Au) are in the Description of Offline QA Shift Histograms for Run 7. Reference QA Histograms for Run 8 d-Au at 200 GeV are now available. You should become familiar with the QA Shift plots and have some idea of what to expect before taking your shift.
• Be sure to select the "MARK" button on the page for each job examined and reported.
• After completing all the listed jobs add whatever comments you think are useful and appropriate to the QA Shift Report. Be sure to include a useful summary for Fast Offline Data that will be helpful to the shift crew, i.e. report any changes from the previous day including new problems or resolution of old problems. Note that the QA Issues mechanism of the web based QA shift reportform automatically monitors day-to-day changes in these issues and lists them in the QA shift report summary that is mailed to starqa-hn.
• MOST IMPORTANT!!! If you suspect any problem with the detector(s), calibrations, reconstruction or production you must contact the appropriate expert(s). This is the basic reason for having the Auto QA system and these dedicated shifts. The experts may be contacted via either the QA Experts or Other Experts web pages.
• Complete your QA Shift Report and submit it. The ASCII text version will be emailed to 'starqa-hn'.
• Links to QA documentation, contacts, the Rcas/LSF monitor, Online Run Log, and the QA shift report web form are available from Page 2.
• Finally, you are done for the day; go get some rest!