The purpose of this manual is to provide step-by-step training exercises pertaining to EQuIS. The training exercises are organized by EQuIS components. Each part of the manual provides training exercises for a specific EQuIS application and can be used independently, but the exercises work better when they are completed in the order presented. If a specific EQuIS component is not part of your data management workflow, skip that chapter. The exercises follow a single training scenario, which helps to tie all the training exercises together and provide greater understanding of the EQuIS workflow.
Regardless of which EQuIS workflow components are applicable to your training objectives, begin with the Introduction to EQuIS chapter. This chapter provides an overview of EQuIS components and workflow, discusses basic terminology used throughout the manual, and describes the training scenario in context of the EQuIS workflow.
Each training chapter contains an overview section of the specific EQuIS application and multiple sub-sections with specific exercises for that application. Each sub-section is organized around the training objectives and denotes the software, files, and permissions required to complete the exercises. Some of the exercises are optional and/or are more advanced, and these exercises may require third party software or administrative permissions. The basic training exercises are intended to provide a fundamental understanding of EQuIS and are not meant to be comprehensive.
In addition to the training exercises, the manual contains supporting information in the appendices:
•Appendix A explains administrative steps necessary to setup and configure new EQuIS databases, new projects, and some EQuIS components. The appendix builds on the knowledge gained through the training exercises.
•Appendix B is a glossary of terms and acronyms used in the manual.
Resources
EarthSoft offers a variety of resources to help understand and use EQuIS. While not part of the training exercises, these resources are available to all trainees.
EarthSoft Community Center
The EarthSoft Community Center (ECC) is an EQuIS Enterprise site and offers extensive online documentation of all EQuIS applications. The ECC also contains an online Data Dictionary, a Discussion Forum, EarthSoft Training Resources, video links, and other support resources. Visit the ECC at the link below, click Get started to register, and follow the on-screen instructions.
EarthSoft Website
EarthSoft's website provides descriptions of available EQuIS products and a corporate overview. Training resources, schedules, and programs are all denoted. Of particular interest with respect to training are the upcoming Open Trainings and EQuIS Academy courses.
For detailed customer support, the designated Point of Contact (POC) may email EarthSoft at:
support@earthsoft.com.
Conventions
A variety of conventions are used throughout the manual. Any actions that you should take or text that you should type appear in boldface type. File names and file paths are denoted with italic type. In addition, the specific exercise steps are denoted with italic type. Any EQuIS database field names appear in UPPERCASE text.
Active links in the manual appear as blue underlined text. Many of the links are internal to the manual, but others connect to outside sources, such as the on-line documentation on the EarthSoft Community Center.
The following icons are used in the manual to highlight certain aspects:
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Focus – The text here summarizes the focus of a particular training exercise. |
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Objective – This symbol highlights the objective of a particular training exercise and denotes the beginning of a new set of exercises. |
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Optional – This symbol denotes an optional training exercise. |
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Tip – The text here highlights especially important information that can help the user. |
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Warning – The text here advises the user of especially important information that the user needs to understand and follow. |
