Test for Communication Problems with APT

Do these steps to test for and resolve communication problems with APT:

1. Install and start APT
2. Test access to documentation

Click on the "Help" menu and select "Roadmap".

a) If it worked you will see the Roadmap document pop up in your web browser. Go on to step 3.

b) If it didn't work you will get a message like:

Please check network status

If you are connected to the internet, please set the HTTP proxy:

Go to the "Edit" menu, click on "Preferences", select the "Network" tab and enter your HTTP proxy host and port. (Your system manager should be able to supply you with these values. You may also be able to find them in the preferences for your web browser.)

Quit APT and start it up again.

Now try the test again. If you still can't connect there may be a problem with the proxy information you put in; please double check. If it still doesn't work, please send e-mail to help@stsci.edu.

3. Test access to investigator database

   Click on the "New Proposal" button and then click on the "New Co-I" button. Type in "beck" and hit return.

   a) If it worked you will get a pop up that gives numerous people whose names begin with "beck". Click on any name and click on "OK". Go on to step 4.

   b) If it didn't work you will get a message like:

        Unable to contact STScI address server

   If you get this message please go to the "Edit" menu, click on "Preferences", select the "Network" tab and click on "Force HTTP".

   Quit APT and start it up again.

   Now try the test again. If it still doesn't work, please send e-mail to help@stsci.edu.

4. Test ability to submit

Click on "Submit" (the tool button has a paper airplane).

Click on the menu "Current Tool" and select "Test Mode".

Type in a comment like "test submission from your name".

Click on the "Submit Phase I (Test)" button.

(Note that there will be a few pop up boxes asking you to save, and warning you that the proposal has errors and has no attachment. The only tricky one is the warning about the errors. Simply type any text into that pop up box and then push its submit button to continue.)

Look in the Submission Log box (below the "Submit Phase I" button).

a) If it worked you will get something like:

Assigned ID: 385 

----- Attempting Submission 1 (Tue Dec 12 18:56:22 GMT 2006) -----

Phase I Proposal 385 (junk) successfully submitted.

b) If it didn't work you may get:

Unable to contact STScI Phae I Proposal ID server.

If you get this message, you probably had trouble with step 3 also. But if you haven't already, follow the steps in 3b for forcing an HTTP connection.

Note: The next time you bring up APT you will not be in test submission mode, but you can switch back using the "Current Tool" menu if you are just about to submit.

5. Known problems

When you have finished these steps, you should be set up to use APT without any communication problems.

Note that if you have had to turn on "Force HTTP" the submission will be slower, but it should still work.

There is one known bug with "Force HTTP": If your attachment is large (>5MB) you may get the incorrect message "Unable to contact STScI submission server". If this happens to you please submit without an attachment and contact help@stsci.edu. We will arrange to get your attachment via e-mail.