Availability of Water Field Application Software Transfer (WFast) for automated installation of field software
The Office of Surface Water is pleased to announce the creation the Water Field Application Software Transfer (WFast) project. The creation of WFast, allows offices to join WFast groups, enabling them to automatically receive software updates to their client systems as they are released using Microsoft MECM (the same process currently used to distribute AQUARIUS). When new versions of software included in WFast are pushed out, an email notification will be sent announcing the new software version and outlining the date and time the update will be applied. Systems that are not on the network will receive updates when they return to the network or connect via VPN.
The WFast project includes updates for the following surface-water software applications:
| 4-GS – Campbell Scientific PC400 4.7 |
| 4-GS – Culvert Analysis Program (CAP) 2021.0.0 |
| 4-GS – Hemisphere PocketMax4 4.0.0 |
| 4-GS – PuTTY-CAC 0.78.0.0 |
| 4-GS – RDI ChannelMaster Utilities 1.03.00.01 |
| 4-GS – RDI ISM Compass Calibration 1.3 |
| 4-GS – RDI SxSPro 1.18 |
| 4-GS – RDI WinH-ADCP 4.04 |
| 4-GS – RDI WinRiver II 2.24.0.8 |
| 4-GS – Sena ParaniWin 1.0.8 |
| 4-GS – Sontek FlowTracker 2.30 |
| 4-GS – Sontek FlowTracker2 1.7 |
| 4-GS – Sontek IQ 3.0 |
| 4-GS – Sontek RiverSurveyor Live Suite 4.1.0.0 |
| 4-GS – Sontek SL 3.00 |
| 4-GS – Sontek SonUtils 4.20 |
| 4-GS – Sontek ViewArgonaut 3.72 |
| 4-GS – Sutron LinkComm 3.7.20 |
| 4-GS – Teledyne RDI TRDI Toolz 1.4.0.4 |
| 4-GS – Tera Term 4.106 |
| 4-GS – USGS Field Sheet Viewer 2.1.0 |
| 4-GS – USGS Hydroacoustics AreaComp3 1.3.2 |
| 4-GS – USGS Hydroacoustics DatView 1.02 |
| 4-GS – USGS Hydroacoustics QRev 4.34 |
| 4-GS – USGS Hydroacoustics RIVRS 2.0.10 |
| 4-GS – USGS SVMobileAQ 2.6.219 |
| 4-GS – USGS WaveLab 1.2.0 |
| 4-GS – YSI Kor 1.2.18.0 |
Firmware and installation software for:
Teledyne RD Instruments
SonTek
Note: the firmware and installation software will be installed on the computer by MECM but it is the responsibility of the user to install the firmware on the appropriate instrument.
As this process matures and unforeseen issues are resolved, it is anticipated that this list will expand to include all field application software. Local IT Staff will be notified of any changes to the list of applications included in the WFast project.
The WFast groups include:
WFast – This group will receive recommended versions of all software in the project.
WFast Testing – This group will receive testing versions of the software, versions prior to making them recommended. Users included in this group should be willing to use new software and report any issues to the appropriate software coordinator, which will be identified in distribution announcements. All users in this project should also be included in the WFast group.
WFast Development – This group will receive versions of software that is in development and should be willing to provide assistance in evaluating and testing new features and changes. Because software at this level may include unexpected but critical bugs, only experienced users willing to test software in a development stage and provide feedback to the developers should consider joining this group.
Local IT Staff can control which computers are members of the MECM collections that are part of WFast groups. Sites that are interested in joining WFast groups should work with local IT staff to configure the following:
- In MECM, navigate to the Device Collections folder for your Center. Create a Device Collection using the following format. These Collection can be either Direct or Query Rules. (Example given is for the Caribbean-Florida WSC)
- GS-CaribbeanFlorida-W – WFast
- GS-CaribbeanFlorida-W – WFast Testing
- GS-CaribbeanFlorida-W – WFast Development
- All collections should be scheduled to update daily at 11pm to allow the parent roll up to run at 3 am.
Once created, please send an email to servicedesk@usgs.gov providing your Site name and the name of the completed Collection.
Sites and computers not participating in the WFast project can still use the MECM packages for all software in this project to manually distribute the software as has been the previous practice.
Questions about WFast can be sent to wfast@usgs.gov.
