VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
CS 411W Lab 4
User’s Manual
VIPS Prototype
Prepared by: VIPS INC
Date: 04/27/2009
1
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
Welcome to the VIPS Prototype (Nicholas Bitto, Chad Pellitt) ................................. 4
Introduction (Nicholas Bitto, Chad Pellitt) ................................................................. 4
2.1
Purpose (Nicholas Bitto, Chad Pellitt) ............................................................... 5
Getting Started (Chad Pellitt, Kyle Bohannon) ......................................................... 8
3.1
Website (Eric Schultz, Nicholas Bitto) ............................................................... 8
3.2
Test Harness (Kyle Bohannon, Nicholas Bitto) ............................................... 10
3.3
Simulation (Jacob Baughman, Chad Pellitt) .................................................... 22
3.3.1 Getting Started .......................................................................................................... 23
3.3.2 Engaging the Engine ................................................................................................. 24
3.3.3 Engaging the Test Harness........................................................................................ 25
3.4
Engine (Chad Pellitt, Jacob Baughman) ......................................................... 27
3.5
Barcode Scanner (Chad Pellitt, Nicholas Bitto) ............................................... 28
Using the Prototype (Chad Pellitt, Jacob Baughman) ............................................ 30
4.1
Website (Eric Schultz, Nicholas Bitto) ............................................................. 30
4.2
Test Harness (Kyle Bohannon, Nicholas Bitto) ............................................... 38
4.3
Test Harness Simulation (Chad Pellitt, Kyle Bohannon) ................................. 51
4.4
Simulation (Jacob Baughman, Chad Pellitt) .................................................... 54
4.5
Engine (Chad Pellitt, Baughman) .................................................................... 55
Error Messages (Nicholas Bitto, Eric Schultz) ........................................................ 55
5.1
Website Errors (Eric Schultz, Nicholas Bitto) .................................................. 56
Glossary of Terms (Nicholas Bitto)......................................................................... 59
List of Figures
Figure 2.1.1
Figure 3.5.1
Figure 3.5.2
Figure 3.5.3
Figure 4.1.1
Figure 4.1.2
Figure 4.1.3
Figure 4.1.4
Figure 4.1.5
Figure 4.1.6
Figure 4.1.7
Figure 4.1.8
Figure 4.1.9
Figure 4.2.1
Figure 4.2.2
Figure 4.2.3
Figure 4.2.4
Real World Product Major Functional Component Diagram
Barcode Scanner
USB Port
Barcode Scanner Trigger
Register a new Account
Login Page
Visitors Page
Register a Visit Page
Sample Pass
Change Account Information Page
View account History Page
Faculty and Staff Page
Invite a visitor
Visitor Screen
Visitor Screen (part 2)
Modify a Garage Screen
Password Entry Box
List of Figures
2
7
16
17
18
19
20
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
30
31
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.2.5 Modifying Garage Information
Figure 4.2.6 Pass Screen
Figure 4.2.7 Password Entry Box
Figure 4.2.8 Modifying Pass Information
Figure 4.2.9 Department Screen
Figure 4.2.10 Password Entry Screen
Figure 4.2.11 Selecting a Department
Figure 4.2.12 Modifying Department Information
Figure 4.3.1 Scenario Screen
Figure 4.3.2 Pass Entry Screen
Figure 4.3.3 Garage Simulation Screen
Figure 4.4.1 Start menu
Figure 4.4.2 Administrative Command Prompt
Figure 4.4.3 Empty Garage
Figure 4.4.4 Active Simulation
32
33
34
35
36
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
42
43
45
List of Tables
Table 5.1.1
Table 5.1.2
Table 5.1.3
Table 5.1.4
Table 5.1.5
Account registration Errors
Log In Errors
Registering a Visit Errors
Update Account Errors
Invite a visitor errors
46
47
47
47
48
3
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
1 Welcome to the VIPS Prototype (Nicholas Bitto, Chad
Pellitt)
Thank you for your interest in the Visitors Interface for Parking Services (VIPS). The
VIPS prototype is a customizable product used to manage visitors in congested parking
environments. The VIPS prototype is designed to aid visitors by allowing them to pre-register
visits to the university and obtain a parking pass online. The VIPS prototype demonstrates the
functionality of registering visitors through the VIPS website. The prototype also demonstrates
the ability to administer visitors, allow faculty to register visitors, load different parking
scenarios, view database contents, and manipulate a garage simulation.
This user manual describes the features of the VIPS Prototype and helps the user in the
process of operating the prototype. The manual contains a section of user screens, error
messages, and troubleshooting help.
2 Introduction (Nicholas Bitto, Chad Pellitt)
According to the US census (GIS Lounge, 2001), urban population densities are steadily
increasing. Parking in these areas has become a great burden. The effects of the population
growth are felt everywhere. One particular place parking is a burden is on urban universities. The
amount of incoming students and faculty place a big toll on limited parking resources. The
university parking offices must manage all parking patrons. These patrons vary greatly and
include students, staff, faculty, and visitors. The university subscription parkers demand a high
level of service, and the universities have developed a reasonable solution for their subscription
4
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
patrons. However, many universities have left out their visiting patrons. Visitor Interface for
Parking Services (VIPS) will solve the visitor element in this complicated parking equation.
Visitor parking is difficult to manage in a subscription-based environment, resulting in
visitor frustration and loss of revenue. Current visitor parking systems on university campuses
are complicated and ineffective at managing visitors. The current process at Old Dominion
University involves a customer finding a parking space close to the parking office. The customer
must then physically walk into the parking office to obtain a visitor pass. The evolution finally
ends with the customer walking back to his car and attempting to find parking close to his
destination. The visitor parking process is difficult and inefficient. The University is attempting
to use an outdated process to handle modern visitor demands. James Long, ODU Parking
Services Director, stated ODU fields 15,000 visitor requests per year (J. Long, personal
communication, September 11, 2001). The demand for visitors is high, and the process currently
does not effectively manage the demand.
VIPS Inc. has a solution for these visitor woes. VIPS has designed a solution that will
seamlessly integrate into the University’s current parking solution and provide the much needed
service to visitors. The VIPS solution will solve the current problems of managing visitors and
streamline the process. We hope that you, as a visitor, faculty, or parking administrator, will find
VIPS to be an effective solution to meet your visitor parking needs.
2.1 Purpose (Nicholas Bitto, Chad Pellitt)
VIPS will be a customizable add-on that integrates with whatever current parking
solution is in place at the university. The VIPS product is designed to manage the university's
visitor demands. The VIPS system will allow visitors to register online and obtain a visitor pass
to the University. The visitor will have a choice between two parking garages. The visitor pass
5
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
will allow the visitor to enter their chosen parking garage through authenticated barcode access.
The VIPS product will also provide a means for faculty to register their guests. The VIPS system
stores all of the visitor data, which will allow for the development of visitor trend analysis. VIPS
will allow the university to effectively and efficiently manage visitors without placing added
stress on subscribers.
VIPS will offer the university's visitors the ability to reserve parking online. Since VIPS
allows the visitor to register online, there is no need for the visitor to waste trips going to the
parking office. The VIPS system will allow visitors to choose a garage they want to reserve a
parking space in. VIPS will not guarantee a specific parking space. The VIPS guarantee is there
will be an available space in the applicable garage. The methodology VIPS uses to reserve
spaces is an algorithm that calculates spaces available and spaces reserved. The university will
be allowed to limit the amount of visitors the garage can accommodate.
VIPS Inc. will use a gated garage for access control. The visitor pass will have a printed
barcode. The barcode will be scanned at the entrance of a gated garage to grant the visitor access.
Once a visitor is granted access, the database is updated and a current status of the garage is
available. The current status of the garage will provide all users with the space available in the
garage. The space available will be delineated by faculty, students, and visitors. The VIPS
system will also integrate with the current technology in place, which will ensure every time a
car enters or leaves a garage the database is updated. The updated database will ensure an
accurate real-time status of the garage and ensure space reservations can be accommodated. The
database will also provide the university with the ability to use VIPS to develop visitor trend
analysis, to help predicate parking utilization.
6
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
The VIPS system will also provide the university faculty with the ability to pre-register
their guests. This will lift the burden off of visitors and ensure a smooth interaction with
university guests. The VIPS website will have several authenticated user levels. The user levels
will allow for a standard user, faculty user, and an administrator. The website will also verify
with the database to ensure that the users are valid. VIPS dedication to information security will
ensure all users are authenticated and permitted the proper access into the system.
Figure 2.1.1 illustrates the major functional components of VIPS. The light blue boxes
indicate hardware, and the dark blue boxes indicate software. The grey box indicates assumed
customer hardware, and the black box indicates assumed customer software. VIPS will tailor a
solution for any hardware configuration a customer has in place.
Figure 2.1.1 - Real World Product Major Functional Component Diagram
7
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
3 Getting Started (Chad Pellitt, Kyle Bohannon)
Section 3 provides information on how to get started using the VIPS prototype. There are
separate sections for each component of the system, describing what to do first. The initial setup
and starting options are explained for each of these components.
3.1 Website (Eric Schultz, Nicholas Bitto)
The VIPS website allows a visitor to print out a visitor's pass to a college or university. A
faculty or staff member with an account can invite a visitor and email the invited visitor a pass.
Visitor trend date is gathered in the VIPS database and allows the Parking Services staff to make
decisions based on a better understanding of visitor traits.
The website has four main sections:
1. Unregistered accounts
2. Log In
3. Visitors
4. Faculty/Staff
1. Unregistered accounts- When a visitor arrives to the VIPS Website for the first time, they
need to create an account. The Unregistered Accounts page contains a form to create an
account. An account allows a visitor to store his settings for multiple visits. The website
can be found at http://cs.odu.edu/~eschultz/BlueTeam/register/ .
2. Log In- After a visitor has created an account, he needs to login to the VIPS Website.
This prevents unauthorized users from accessing restricted areas. The following option is
available on the page:
8
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
a. Log in
-Enter a valid username (an email address)
-Enter the username's password.
The website can be found at http://cs.odu.edu/~eschultz/BlueTeam/login.php .
3. Visitors- After a visitor logs in, he will be redirected to the Visitors Page. The Visitors
Page displays the accessible pages for that user. The website can be found at
http://cs.odu.edu/~eschultz/BlueTeam/visitor/index.php .
The VIPS Website Visitor page allows a visitor to:
a. Register an account
b. Print out a pass
c. Update personal information
d. View History
4. Faculty/Staff- After a faculty or staff member logs into the VIPS website, they are
redirected to the Faculty/Staff Page. The website can be found at
http://cs.odu.edu/~eschultz/BlueTeam/invite/index.php .
The VIPS Website allows a Faculty/Staff member to:
a.
Invite a visitor
b.
View invitation history
9
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
3.2 Test Harness (Kyle Bohannon, Nicholas Bitto)
The VIPS test harness contains several web pages designed to interact with the VIPS
database and garage simulation. The Test harness requires the garage simulation to be running in
order to be fully functional. Each page of the test harness is described in detail below.
1. Visitor page – this page allows the creation, deletion, and modification of visitor
accounts. (figure 3.2.1)
Figure 3.2.1 Visitor page
It is located at http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~wbohanno/411/visitor.php. The page
contains the following elements:
a. Password form
Figure 3.2.2 Password entry
Allows you to enter the password to gain access to the page.
10
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
b. Simulation date
Figure 3.2.3 Simulation date
Allows you to change the date that the simulation uses in its algorithms.
c. Simulation state
Figure 2.2.4 Simulation state
Allows you to pause or resume the simulation by clicking the appropriate button.
d. Create a new visitor form
Figure 3.2.5 Creating a visitor account
This form allows you to input a new visitor into the VIPS database.
e. Search form
Figure 3.2.6 Searching for a visitor account
This form allows you to use multiple search options to find and display a visitor.
After a search, the following items are displayed.
i. Update a visitor form
This form allows you to update visitor information.
11
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
ii. Table of located visitors
This is a table showing all the visitors found by the search, with an option
to select one of them for the update.
2. Garage page – this page allows the creation, deletion, and modification of visitor
accounts. (figure 3.2.7)
Figure 3.2.7 Garage page
It is located at http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~wbohanno/411/garage.php. The page contains
the following elements:
a. Password form
Figure 3.2.8 Password entry form
Allows you to enter the password to gain access to the page.
12
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
b. Simulation date
Figure 3.2.9 Simulation date
Allows you to change the date that the simulation uses in its algorithms.
c. Simulation state
Figure 3.2.10 Simulation state
Allows you to pause or resume the simulation by clicking the appropriate button.
d. Create a new garage form
Figure 3.2.11 Adding a new garage
This form allows you to input a new garage into the VIPS database.
e. Search form
Figure 3.2.12 Searching for a garage
13
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
This form allows you to use multiple search options to find and display a garage.
After a search, the following items are displayed:
i. Update a garage form
This form allows you to update garage information.
ii. Table of located garages
This is a table showing all the garages found by the search, with an option
to select one of them for the update.
3. Pass page – this page allows the creation, deletion, and modification of passes. (figure
3.2.13)
Figure 3.2.13 Pass page
14
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
The pass page is located at http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~wbohanno/411/passes.php. It
contains the following elements:
a. Password form
Figure 3.2.14 Password entry form
Allows you to enter the password to gain access to the page.
b. Simulation date
Figure 3.2.15 Simulation date
Allows you to change the date that the simulation uses in its algorithms.
c. Simulation state
Figure 3.2.16 Simulation state
Allows you to pause or resume the simulation by clicking the appropriate button.
d. Create a new pass form
Figure 3.2.17 Creating a new pass
This form allows you to input a new pass into the VIPS database.
15
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
e. Search form
Figure 3.2.18 Searching for a pass
This form allows you to use multiple search options to find and display a pass.
After a search, the following items are displayed:
i. Update a pass form
This form allows you to update pass information.
ii. Table of located passes
This is a table showing all the passes found by the search, with an option
to select one of them for the update.
4. Department page – this page allows the creation, deletion, and modification of
department. (figure 3.2.19)
Figure 3.2.19 Creating a new department
16
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
It is located at http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~wbohanno/411/department.php. The page
contains the following elements:
a. Password form
Figure 3.2.20 Password entry form
Allows you to enter the password to gain access to the page.
b. Simulation date
Figure 3.2.21 Simulation date
Allows you to change the date that the simulation uses in its algorithms.
c. Simulation state
Figure 3.2.22 Simulation state
Allows you to pause or resume the simulation by clicking the appropriate button.
d. Create a new department form
Figure 3.2.23 Creating a new department
This form allows you to input a new department into the VIPS database.
e. Search form
Figure 3.2.24 Searching for a department
This form allows you to use multiple search options to find and display a
department. After a search, the following items are displayed:
17
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
i. Update a department form
This form allows you to update department information.
ii. Table of located departments
This is a table showing all the departments found by the search, with an
option to select one of them for the update.
5. Scenario page – this page allows you to send a specific scenario to the garage simulation.
(figure 3.2.25)
Figure 3.2.25 Scenario page
It is located at http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~wbohanno/411/scenario.php. The page
contains the following elements:
a. Password form
Allows you to enter the password to gain access to the page.
b. Simulation date
Figure 3.2.26 Simulation date
Allows you to change the date that the simulation uses in its algorithm.
18
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
c. Simulation state
Figure 3.2.27 Simulation state
Allows you to pause or resume the simulation by clicking the appropriate button.
d. Choose a scenario form
Figure 3.2.28 Selecting a scenario
This is a selection of buttons labeled by scenario. Each has a description of the
scenario.
6. Pass entry page – this page allows you to manually send a barcode or RFID code to the
garage simulation.
Figure 3.2.29 Pass Entry page
19
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
It is located at http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~wbohanno/411/passentry.php. The page
contains the following elements:
a. Password form
Allows you to enter the password to gain access to the page.
b. Simulation date
Figure 3.2.30
Allows you to change the date that the simulation uses in its algorithm.
c. Simulation state
Figure 3.2.31
Allows you to pause or resume the simulation by clicking the appropriate button.
d. Enter a code form
Figure 3.2.32 Submitting barcodes and RFID’s manually
This is a selection of input fields for the garage, gate and code that you wish to
send to the garage simulation.
20
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
7. Garage simulation page – this page allows you to update several parameters of the garage
simulation.
Figure 3.2.32 Garage Simulation page
It is located at http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~wbohanno/411/garagesim.php. Each element
is described below:
a. Password form
Allows you to enter the password to gain access to the page.
b. Simulation date
Figure 3.2.33 Simulation Date
Allows you to change the date that the simulation uses in its algorithm.
c. Simulation state
Figure 3.2.34 Simulation State
Allows you to pause or resume the simulation by clicking the appropriate button.
21
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
d. Simulation options form
Figure 3.2.35 Changing simulation options
This is an entry form allowing you to change the entry rate and exit rate of a
garage, and run the start-of-day and end-of-day algorithms provided by the garage
simulation.
3.3 Simulation (Jacob Baughman, Chad Pellitt)
The VIPS Garage Simulation is a program written in Java that models the functionality of
a parking garage’s hardware. It also simulates the traffic flow of subscribers and visitors coming
and going over time. In the real world product, the garage hardware, such as the gates, RFID
sensors, and display board, will be directly connected via a router to the server running the VIPS
Engine. In the prototype, this functionality is modeled by simulating each hardware component
individually and simulating the communication among those components and with the VIPS
Engine.
Because the Garage Simulation is written in Java, you must have a recent Java Runtime
Environment installed on the computer from which you wish to run the Simulation. If needed,
22
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
you can obtain the latest Java Runtime Environment from www.java.com. You will also need all
of the Simulation’s class files in the same directory. The necessary files are Sim.class,
World.class, Garage.class, Gate.class, DisplayBoard.class, and Vehicle.class.
The Simulation is just one part of the VIPS system. In order to be useful, it must be run
concurrently with the VIPS Engine and the Test Harness.
3.3.1Getting Started
The Garage Simulation is a Java application that must be run
from the command line. The first step on a Windows environment is to
click the Start Button and enter the string “command” into the panel, as
shown in Figure 3.3.1, and then hit the “enter” key. Once you do, a new
window will open with a command prompt waiting for further input.
Figure 3.3.1
Start Menu
Once you have opened the command prompt, use the “cd” command to change into the
directory containing the Simulation class files. Figure 3.3.2 demonstrates this process. In the
sample figure, the directory containing the necessary class files is “c:\Users\jbaughma\VIPS\,”
but this is likely different on your system. Once in the desired directory, run the simulation
using the command “java Sim.” The simulation should display the message “Waiting for Engine
connection…,” indicating it is running correctly and waiting for the Engine to initiate a
connection.
23
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 3.3.2 - Administrative Command Prompt
3.3.2 Engaging the Engine
The next step is to run the VIPS Engine. To do so, follow the steps outlined in section
3.4. Once the Engine is running, it will initiate a connection to the simulation. If this is done
correctly, the simulation will display the graphic representation of the garage status, as show in
Figure 3.3.3. At this point the engine and the simulation are talking to each other, but they are
not exchanging any useful information because no scenario has been loaded. Any values
displayed, such as the available spaces in each garage, are garbage values that are meaningless
until a scenario has been loaded.
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
24
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 3.3.3 – Paused Simulation
3.3.3Engaging the Test Harness
Now that the simulation and engine are both running and talking to each other, we can
start to issue useful commands from the test harness. The specifications for using the test
harness to issue the commands contained herein are detailed in sections 4.2 and 4.3.
The first thing to do is load a scenario. From the test harness, try loading scenario one.
This scenario defines both garages as being approximately half-full. At this point, you should
25
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
notice that the entry and exit rates change once the scenario is loaded, but nothing is happening
yet. From the test harness, unpause the simulation. Once you do, you should notice the
simulation begins to send vehicles to random gates at the specified rate. When a car arrives at a
gate, the gate messages the VIPS Engine to see if it should open or not. If it does, this is
indicated by a green light atop the gate, and the vehicle enters the garage. If not, the light turns
red and the vehicle is rejected. When the simulation is active, it should appear similar to Figure
3.3.4. Once the simulation is active, it should respond to any test harness command sent to it.
Figure 3.3.4 - Active Simulation
26
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
3.4 Engine (Chad Pellitt, Jacob Baughman)
In order to run the VIPS Engine, the Garage Simulation must be in operation first. See
Section 2.4 for setup of the Garage Simulation. The VIPS Engine is written in Java, so it is also
necessary to verify that the Java Runtime Environment has been installed, which can be
downloaded from http://www.java.com/. Next, execute the VIPS Engine application:
1. In a Windows environment, click on the Start button and enter “command” into the
search box, as shown in Figure 3.4.1.
Figure 3.4.1 – Command Prompt
2. Use the ‘cd’ command to change to the directory containing the files related to the
VIPS Engine. An example is show in Figure 3.4.2, but the directory may be different
on your system.
3. Use the command ‘java -cp .;classes12.jar engine’ to run the application. Figure 3.4.2
demonstrates this process.
4. The VIPS Engine will automatically carry out all necessary procedures, so no further
setup is required.
27
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 3.4.2 – VIPS Engine Setup
3.5 Barcode Scanner (Chad Pellitt, Nicholas Bitto)
The barcode scanner, shown in Figure 3.5.1, is used to scan the barcodes on printed parking
passes so that they can be verified. The instructions for operating the barcode scanner are as
follows:
Figure 3.5.1 - Barcode Scanner
Step 1: Plug the barcode scanner into the USB port. Figure 3.5.2 shows an example of a USB
port.
28
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
[This space left intentionally blank]
Figure 3.5.2 - USB Port
Step 2: Using the computer you have plugged into, click on the text field that you wish to insert
the barcode into and verify that the cursor is inside it.
Step 3: Point the light grey end of the scanner at the barcode you wish to scan.
Step 4: Push the trigger button on the underside of the barcode scanner, which is shown in Figure
3.5.3.
Step 5: Wait for a beep. You will see a string of numbers inserted into the field you selected.
The barcode has been successfully scanned.
[This space left intentionally blank]
29
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 3.5.3 – Barcode Scanner Trigger
4 Using the Prototype (Chad Pellitt, Jacob Baughman)
Section 4 contains detailed instructions for all the tasks required to operate the VIPS
prototype. The instructions are broken up into sections that describe the use of each individual
component. There are three types of users for the prototype: subscribers, department, and
visitors. The permissions of each user, along with step-by-step instructions are provided to
utilize all features of the VIPS prototype.
4.1 Website (Eric Schultz, Nicholas Bitto)
The website allows the end user access into the VIPS system. There are three types of
visitors: Unregistered, Visitors, and Faculty/Staff. Unregistered users need to register in order to
use the website. The visitor can generate a parking pass, and a faculty/staff member can invite a
visitor. Special faculty members can be granted the role of "department head." This title allows
the user to grant other users the ability to invite visitors.
30
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
1. Register- To use the VIPS Website, you must first register an account. This can be done
by first opening a web browser to the http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~eschultz/blueteam
website. Second, the user must continue by clicking on the "click here to register an
account" link, fill out the form, and finally submit the form.
Figure 4.1.1 displays the
register menu.
Figure 4.1.1 - Register a New Account
2. Log In- To log in to the VIPS Website, a valid username and password must be entered
on the http://cs.odu.edu/~eschultz/BlueTeam/ webpage. The login page grants your
account the proper permission to authorized areas. The login menu can be viewed in
figure 4.1.2.
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
31
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.1.2 - Login page
3. Visitors page- After Logging on to the VIPS Website, a visitor account is automatically
redirected to the Visitors Page. The Visitors page can be located at:
http://cs.odu.edu/~eschultz/BlueTeam/visitor/index.php and can be viewed in figure
4.1.3. The Visitors Page has the following functions:
a. Register a visit
b. Change account information
c. View account history
Figure 4.1.3 - Visitors page
4. Registering a visit- After logging in to the VIPS Website with a visitor account, the
visitor can click on the "Register a Visit" link. Figure 4.1.4 displays a calendar displaying
the availability of garages. To select a date, the user should click on the garage link you
32
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
wish to use. After the form is successfully submitted, the visitor will be displayed a
visitors pass which he must print out.
Figure 4.1.4 - Register a Visit Page
After a date has been selected, the webpage should launch a popup window containing
the user's pass. The pass should then be printed out and placed in the user's car on arrival
to the university. A sample pass can be viewed in figure 4.1.5.
33
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.1.5 - Sample Pass
5. Change account information- After logging in to the VIPS Website with a visitor account,
the visitor can click on the "Change Account Information" link. The page allows the
input of a user's first name, last name, and password in modifiable fields. The user can
edit the information and submit it accordingly. Figure 4.1.7 displays the change account
information page.
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
34
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.1.6 - Change Account Information Page.
6. View account history- The View Account History page allows a user to see the dates they
have visited the university. After logging in to the VIPS Website with a visitor account,
the visitor can click on the "View Account History" link. The page contains a table of the
user's visit history. The information available consists of: First Name, Last Name,
License Plate, and Email Address and password. A sample Account History page can be
viewed in figure 4.1.8.
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
35
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.1.7 - View Account History
7. Faculty Staff- After logging on to the VIPS Website (section 3.1.2), a Faculty or staff
member is automatically redirected to the Faculty/Staff Page. The Faculty/Staff Page can
be located by logging in to http://cs.odu.edu/~eschultz/BlueTeam webpage. Figure 4.1.9
displays the faculty/staff page. The Faculty/Staff page allows access to:
A. Invite Visitors page.
B. My Account page
C. Campus Visits page
D. Department page (department heads only)
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
36
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.1.8 - Faculty and Staff Page
8. Invite a visitor- A faculty or staff member may wish to invite a visitor to the campus and
save the visitor the hassle of registering for the visit. To do this, the faculty or staff
member clicks on the "Invite a Visitor" link after logging on with a faculty/staff account.
The Invite a Visitor page contains a form of required fields (viewable in figure 4.1.10)
that the inviter must fill out. Once the forum is submitted, an email will be sent to the
invitee's address where it can be opened and printed. The information available consists
of: First Name, Last Name, License Plate, and Email Address. Figure 4.1.10 shows a
sample Invite a Visitor page.
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
37
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.1.9 - Invite a Visitor.
4.2 Test Harness (Kyle Bohannon, Nicholas Bitto)
The VIPS test harness contains several generic options, as seen in Figure 4.2.4. These can
be accessed at the top of each page in the test harness and are described below.
1. Simulation date
Figure 4.2.1 Simulation date
Step 1: The date is automatically filled with the current simulation date. Modify this date,
making sure to keep it in the format YYYY-MM-DD.
Step 2: Press Update button.
2. Simulation state
Step 1: Press the simulation state button to resume the simulation. The button will display
“unpaused.”
Figure 4.2.2 Simulation state
Step 2: To pause the simulation, press the simulation state button. The button will display
“paused.”
Figure 4.2.3 Simulation paused
38
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.2.4 Visitor Screen
The Test harness contains seven administrative pages. Each page will be described with
step-by-step instructions.
1. Visitor screen – This screen is shown in Figure 4.2.4. It contains several options detailed
below.
a. Login screen – password protection for the test harness
Step 1: Enter the appropriate password ‘cs411blue’ without the quotes.
Step 2: Press the submit button.
Figure 4.2.5 Password entry
39
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
b. Create a visitor - adds a new visitor to the VIPS database
Step 1: Enter values in each field of the ‘create a visitor’ form. All fields are
required.
Step 2: Make sure the email address and password are correct.
Step 3: Press submit button.
Figure 4.2.6 Submitting a new visitor
c. Modify visitor info – lets you change the visitors’ name, email address (userid),
password, and license.
Step 1: Select an option from the ‘search by’ drop down menu. Available choices
are MyID, userid, last name, and license.
Step 2: Enter all or part of the search criterion (E.g. looking for ‘bob@odu.edu.’
Entering ‘bob’ will find anyone whose userid contains the consecutive letters
‘bob’).
Step 3: Press submit button.
After submitting, a new form will appear as well as a table listing all information
found matching the search parameters (Figure 4.2.7).
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
40
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.2.7 Visitor Screen ( part 2 )
Step 4: Select a visitor to update or delete by clicking the button in the ‘choice’
column. When selected, the form above the table will be automatically filled.
If deleting a user, go to step 6.
Step 5a: Change any values you would like to update.
Step 5b: Press update button.
Step 6: Press delete button.
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
41
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
2. Garage Screen – this screen is shown in Figure 4.2.8. It contains several options
described as follows.
Figure 4.2.8 - Modify a Garage Screen
a. Login screen – password protection for the test harness
Step 1: Enter the appropriate password ‘cs411blue’ without quotation marks.
Step 2: Press the submit button.
Figure 4.2.9 Password entry
42
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
b. Create a garage - adds a new garage to the VIPS database.
Step 1: You will need to enter values in each field of the ‘create a new garage’
form. All fields are required.
Step 2: Make sure max capacity, student capacity, faculty capacity, and visitor
capacity are numeric values.
Step 3: Make sure that max capacity is larger than student capacity plus faculty
capacity.
Step 3: Press submit button.
c. Modify garage info – lets you change the garages’ name, email address (userid),
password, and license.
Step 1: Select an option from the ‘search by’ drop down menu. Available choices
are garage ID and garage name.
Step 2: Enter all or part of the search criterion. (E.g. looking for garage ‘sterling
garage 45th street.’ Entering ‘ster’ will find any garage whose garage name
contains the consecutive letters ‘ster.’)
Step 3: Press submit button.
After submitting, a new form will appear as well as a table listing all information
found matching the search parameters (Figure 4.2.10)
43
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.2.10 - Modifying Garage Information
Step 4: Select a garage to update or delete by clicking the button in the ‘choice’
column. When selected, the form above the table will be automatically filled.
If deleting a garage, go to step 6.
Step 5a: Change any values you would like to update.
Step 5b: Press update button.
Step 6: Press delete button.
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
44
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
3. Pass Screen – this screen is shown in Figure 4.2.11. It contains several options detailed as
follows.
Figure 4.2.11 - Test Harness Pass Screen
a. Login screen – password protection for the test harness.
Step 1: Enter the password ‘cs411blue’ without quotation marks (figure 4.2.12).
Step 2: Press the submit button.
Figure 4.2.12 Password entry
45
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
b. Create a pass - adds a new pass to the VIPS database.
Step 1: Enter values in each field of the ‘create a new pass’ form. All fields are
required.
Step 2: Make sure the date is in YYYY-MM-DD format.
Step 3: Make sure that garage ID is numeric.
Step 3: Press submit button.
c. Modify pass info – lets you change the passes’ email address (userid), valid date,
and garage number.
Step 1: Select an option from the ‘search by’ drop down menu. Available choices
are userid, barcode, and date.
Step 2: Enter all or part of the search criterion. (E.g. looking for pass with email
address ‘joe@odu.edu.’ Entering ‘joe’ will find any pass whose email address
contains the consecutive letters ‘joe.’)
Step 3: Press submit button.
After submitting, a new form will appear as well as a table listing all information
found matching the search parameters (Figure 4.2.13).
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
46
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.2.13 - Modifying Pass Information
Step 4: Select a pass to update or delete by clicking the button in the ‘choice’
column. When selected, the form above the table will be automatically filled.
If deleting a pass, go to step 6.
Step 5a: Change any values you would like to update.
Step 5b: Press update button.
Step 6: Press delete button.
4. Department Screen – this screen is shown in Figure 4.2.14. It contains several options
detailed as follows:
47
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.2.14 - Department Screen
a. Login screen – password protection for the test harness.
Step 1: Enter the password ‘cs411blue’ without quotation marks (figure 4.2.15).
Step 2: Press the submit button.
Figure 4.2.15 Password entry box
b. Create a department - adds a new department to the VIPS database
Step 1: Enter a value in the field of the ‘create a new department’ form.
48
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Step 2: Make sure the date is in YYYY-MM-DD format.
Step 3: Make sure that garage ID is numeric.
Step 3: Press submit button.
Step 4: Select a manager from the list shown in Figure 4.2.16.
Figure 4.2.16 - Selecting a Department Manager
Step 5: Press submit button.
c. Modify department info – lets you change the departments’ name and department
manager.
Step 1: Select an option from the ‘search by’ drop down menu. Available choices
are department name and department ID.
49
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Step 2: Enter all or part of the search criterion. (E.g. looking for department
named ‘OEAS.’ Entering ‘oe’ will find any department whose name contains the
consecutive letters ‘oe.’ It is not case sensitive.)
Step 3: Press submit button.
After submitting, a new form will appear as well as a table listing all information
found matching the search parameters (Figure 4.2.17).
Figure 4.2.17 - Modifying Department Information
Step 4: Select a department to update or delete by clicking the button in the
‘choice’ column. When selected, the form above the table will be automatically
filled.
If deleting a department, go to step 6.
50
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Step 5a: Change any values you would like to update.
Step 5b: Press update button.
Step 6: Press delete button.
4.3 Test Harness Simulation (Chad Pellitt, Kyle Bohannon)
The VIPS Test Harness contains several pages related to the Garage Simulation. Section
4.3 describes the Scenario Screen, Pass Entry Screen, and Garage Simulation Screen.
1. Scenario Screen – The Scenario Screen can be accessed at
http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~wbohanno/411/scenario.php. Figure 4.3.1 shows this
screen.
Figure 4.3.1 – Scenario Screen
This page contains several options for the Garage Simulation. The instructions for this
page are:
51
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Step 1: Ensure that the simulation is paused by looking at the Simulation State. The
Simulation State is shown at the top right of the screen, as seen in Figure 4.3.1.
Step 2: Select a scenario. Each scenario will automatically be loaded when clicked.
Scenario 1 loads the average expected amount of students, faculty, and visitors into
each garage. Scenario 2 loads the garages to maximum capacity. Scenario 3 loads the
garages to full minus one, which is reserved for a specific visitor. Scenario 4 clears
garages to an empty state.
2. Pass Entry Screen – The Pass Entry Screen can be accessed at
http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~wbohanno/411/passentry.php. Figure 4.3.2 shows this
screen.
Figure 4.3.2 – Pass Entry Screen
Step 1: Enter ‘1’ or ‘2’ in the garage ID field to select the appropriate garage number.
Step 2: Enter ‘1’ or ‘3’ in the gate ID field if the user is entering the garage. Enter ‘2’
or ‘4’ in the gate ID field if the user is exiting the garage.
Step 3: For a visitor, enter the barcode number in Enter barcode field. For students
and faculty, enter the RFID number in the Enter RFID code box.
52
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Step 4: Press Check Code.
3. Garage Simulation Screen – The Scenario Screen can be accessed at
http://webspace.cs.odu.edu/~wbohanno/411/garagesim.php. Figure 4.3.3 shows this
screen.
[This space has been intentionally left blank]
Figure 4.3.3 – Garage Simulation Screen
To change the rate that vehicles enter or exit the garage:
Step 1: Enter entry and/or exit rates.
Step 2: Press Update.
53
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
To simulate the start of a day:
Press the start-of-day button, which will allocate spaces that have been reserved by
visitors in advance.
To simulate the end of a day:
Press the end-of-day button, which will deallocate spaces that have been reserved by
visitors and give the spaces back to students.
To view trend data and a full listing of the database contents:
Click the view database tables link.
4.4 Simulation (Jacob Baughman, Chad Pellitt)
The garage simulation does not require any direct interaction once it has been properly
started and supported as described in section 3.3. All user interactions and commands must be
sent to it via the test harness.
Once running, the simulation will indicate its status animatedly with several versions of
icons. The “paused” state of the simulation is as shown in figure 4.4.1. The current arrival and
departure rate of vehicles is indicated by the “Entry Rate” and “Exit Rate” text at the top of the
window.
Figure 4.4.1 Paused and Unpaused Images
The three vehicle types are student, faculty, and visitor, and are depicted in figure 4.4.2.
These represent the actual end users of this system, the vehicle they drive, and the category of
user into which they fall.
54
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
Figure 4.4.2 Vehicle Images
The gates are depicted as in figure 4.4.3. The typical idle state of a gate is shown with a
black light. A gate that is opening, because the user’s RFID or barcode has been accepted, is
shown as a flashing green light. A gate that is not opening, because the user’s RFID or barcode
has been rejected, is shown as a flashing red light.
Figure 4.4.3 Gate Images
4.5 Engine (Chad Pellitt, Baughman)
No interaction with the VIPS Engine is needed once it is running. The VIPS Engine runs
in the background and does not require any user input. It automatically carries out operations
that are necessary for VIPS to operate.
5 Error Messages (Nicholas Bitto, Eric Schultz)
This section provides descriptions of errors that a user of the prototype may encounter.
VIPS Inc. has attempted to limit the complexity of user screens and have created intuitive user
screens. However, as with any software system, errors can occur. VIPS has provided this error
handling section to limit user frustration and provide explanations to overcome errors.
55
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
5.1 Website Errors (Eric Schultz, Nicholas Bitto)
The website is designed to give useful errors to help facilitate ease of use. The tables in this
section are broken up to give errors for the specific page where the error occurs.
1. Registration page- The errors you may encounter when registering for a VIPS account are
contained in table 5.1.1.
Error
Action Required
Invalid license plate
Must be a maximum of 8 characters, 9 with a space. Alphanumeric.
Invalid first name
Must not be "First name."
Invalid last name
Must not be "Last name."
Invalid Password
Must not be "password."
Passwords do not match
Please retype the passwords and ensure they match.
Emails do not match
Please retype the emails and ensure they match.
Table 5.1.1 Registering Errors
2. Log In- The errors you may encounter when you attempt to log in to the VIPS website
are contained in table 5.1.2.
Error
Action Required
Invalid Username
Username is the email the user registered with.
Invalid Password
Password is between 4 and 16 characters.
Table 5.1.2 - Log In Errors
56
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
3. Visitors Page- Once you have logged in to a visitor account you may experience errors
depending on what page you are using. Each visitor page is described and a table with
errors is provided.
a. Register a Visit- The errors you may encounter when you attempt to register a
visit are contained in table 5.1.3.
Error
Action Required
Garage 1 (full)
Register on a different day.
Garage 2 (full)
Garage # (full)
Register in garage X.
Garage X
Table 5.1.3 - Registering a Visit Errors
b. Update Account Information- The errors you may encounter when you attempt to
update your account information are contained in table 5.1.4.
Error
Action Required
Invalid license plate
Must be a maximum of 8 characters, 9 with a space. Alphanumeric.
Invalid first name
Must not be "First name."
Invalid last name
Must not be "Last name."
Invalid Password
Must not be "password."
Passwords do not match
Please retype the passwords and ensure they match.
Emails do not match
Please retype the passwords and ensure they match.
Table 5.1.4 - Update Account Errors
57
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
4. Faculty/Staff Page- Once you have logged in to a Faculty/Staff account you may
experience errors depending on what page you are using. Each Faculty/Staff page is
described and a table with errors is provided.
a. Invite a Visitor- The errors you may encounter when you attempt to invite a
visitor are contained in table 5.1.5.
Error
Action Required
Invalid license plate
Must be a maximum of 8 characters, 9 with a space. Alphanumeric.
Invalid first name
Must not be "First name."
Invalid last name
Must not be "Last name."
Invalid Password
Must not be "password."
Passwords do not match
Please retype the passwords and ensure they match.
Emails do not match
Please retype the emails and ensure they match.
Table 5.1.5 - Invite a Visitor errors
b. Update Account Information- The errors you may encounter when you attempt to
update your account information are contained in table 5.1.4.
Error
Action Required
Invalid license plate
Must be a maximum of 8 characters, 9 with a space. Alphanumeric.
Invalid first name
Must not be "First name."
Invalid last name
Must not be "Last name."
Invalid Password
Must not be "password."
Passwords do not match
Please retype the passwords and ensure they match.
Emails do not match
Please retype the passwords and ensure they match.
Table 5.1.6 - Update Account Errors
58
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
6 Glossary of Terms (Nicholas Bitto)
Barcode – A pictorial representation of numeric or alphanumeric characters that can be
interpreted by a barcode scanner. Barcodes will be used to identify visitors in the VIPS garage
simulation
Client Computer – Any computer capable of accessing the Internet; this is the computer
used to access the VIPS website
Customer – The organization or company purchasing the VIPS product, usually a
university
Display board – A device with three digital panels to display the number of available spaces.
The device is attached to the entrance of each garage and interfaces with the VIPS engine to keep
track of the current number of faculty, students, and visitors
Garage – A building designed to house vehicles consisting of multiple tiers and ramps, which
transition from one tier to another
Hardware Infrastructure – The existing hardware used to support the customer’s parking
solution (i.e. Gates, Pneumatic Sensor, Display Board, etc.)
Interface – A communication channel between two programs or applications
Lot: A single level paved area used for parking cars
Oracle – A database application which stores structured data and accepts Structured Query
Language for retrieval of pertinent information
Parking environment – A large scale business or university that has several different
garages and lots that are used to handle several types of customers
PHP Hypertext Pre-processor – PHP is a recursive acronym (where a letter in the
59
VIPS Lab 4 - User Manual
acronym is the acronym itself). It is a structured language used in website development
for its ability to dynamically create HTML documents based on differing inputs
Programming Language / Structured Query Language (PL/SQL) – A modification of SQL
to include functionalities of many modern programming languages
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) – An automatic identification system that uses
radio frequency to identify an item from a distance; in this case, a car has an RFID pass
and it can be read just by the car driving under an RFID reader
Structured Query Language (SQL) – A language that uses English key words, which are
interpreted by a database for the purpose of returning pertinent information
Subscription User – Any person who pays a fee to be able to regularly use a customer’s
available parking spaces for a specified length of time
Terminal – A dedicated computer reserved for a specific input. In the case of VIPS, it will allow
access only to the custom VIPS website for the customer, to allow visitors who did not
preregister to register once they have arrived
Visitor – The end-user of VIPS product
60