FAQ for the upcoming CG Portal.

1. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Number 1
December 2008
CG PORTAL
This is the first in a series of frequently asked questions (FAQ) aimed towards orienting
By the Numbers
the Coast Guard family towards the new Coast Guard Portal (CG Portal). We expect to
have additional FAQs shortly. Suggestions or comments for additional FAQ questions
should be e-mailed to john.r.cole@uscg.mil.
137
THE NUMBER OF BLADE SERVERS USED
WHAT IS CG PORTAL? TO SUPPORT CG PORTAL
CG Portal is the much-anticipated web infrastructure and collaboration suite for the
5
Coast Guard. CG Portal will act as the single point-of-entry for both internal and external
THE NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENTS
customers. Unlike CG Central (our internal site) and www.uscg.mil (our Internet pres-
ence), CG Portal is a suite of applications working together to provide a feature-rich en- (DEVELOPMENT, TEST, CODE TEST,
vironment. At its core lie four key products: IBM Lotus Quickr, IBM Sametime, Fat- STAGE, PRODUCTION)
Wire, and IBM WebSphere Portal. Quickr is the collaboration tool, Sametime is the in-
ternal chat client, FatWire is the content management system tool, and WebSphere Portal
6
is the “wrapper” (it’s what gives our site its branding).
THE NUMBER OF TERABYTES OF
WHAT DOES CG PORTAL DO? STORAGE SPACE
CG Portal is a web-based tool set that provides users the ability to manage web content, 1,300
collaborate with colleagues in real-time, discuss content in real-time, and leverage key THE NUMBER OF MICROSITES THAT
Web 2.0 technologies to improve business communications. For content management,
NEED TO BE MOVED TO PORTAL
CG Portal uses software called FatWire. FatWire, in essence, allows our static web con-
tent from the World Wide Web and CG Central to display in a standardized format while
keeping a common look and feel. For collaboration, we have IBM Quickr. Quickr will 13,000
assume the role of the old CG Central Microsites. Quickr is defined as a team- THE NUMBER OF CG CENTRAL
collaboration software that allows users to access and interact with the people, informa-
CONTENT ITEMS THAT THE OSC WILL
tion and project materials needed to get the work done. In other words, it’s a high-end
MANUALLY PLACE WITHIN PORTAL
communication tool. The new Portal also leverages Web 2.0 technology in the form of
blogs (or web logs) and wikis. Blogs can be used to allow teams a free-narrative forum to
discuss topics of interest while wikis are collaborative-based web pages that can be 800
modified by any authorized user to create a long-term knowledge repository.
THE NUMBER OF WEBSITES THAT NEED
TO BE CREATED
WHY SHOULD I USE PORTAL? WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?
5
You should use CG Portal for three reasons. First, Portal integrates some of the best in
THE SIZE OF THE MIGRATION TEAM
Web 2.0 technologies (like blogs). Web 2.0 is defined as the paradigm shift in the way
the Internet is used. Instead of static content, the Internet is considered a worldwide col-
laboration network used to interact and communicate. The results facilitate creativity and
information sharing. Incorporating these tools within the Coast Guard should also facili-
tate creativity and information sharing. Second, if, at the end of first quarter 2009, you
attempt to browse CG Central you will get a 404-error message (also known as the noto-
rious quot;file not foundquot; error). Browsing to www.uscg.mil mil take you to CG Portal. Fi- What is Web 2.0?
nally, the Commandant says so. Web 2.0 refers to a large set of
ideas and techniques behind many
As far as “what’s in it for me?” we’d offer that the benefits are substantial. Leveraging new web sites and services which
these Web 2.0 technologies will enhance stakeholder and customer interaction and better encourage user interaction, com-
munication, and collaboration.
(Continued on page 2)

2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Number 1
(Continued from page 1) CG PORTAL
communications. The results may even yield innovation and cost savings. You never
Schedule at a Glanse
know!
HOW WILL PORTAL MAKE MY JOB BETTER?
NOVEMBER 2007
ALCOAST 536/07 IDENTIFIES CG
CG Portal offers the Coast Guard an expanded and integrated set of web-based tools to
promote workforce efficiency. Portal seeks to enhance collaboration by providing PORTAL AS THE NEW WEB
Quickr, an easy-to-use tool for chatting, discussing, and creating. Portal seeks to improve TECHNOLOGY FOR THE
customer communications by easing web development. FatWire content management COAST GUARD
allows both novice and experienced web providers to get their messages out cleanly and
effectively. Portal also seeks to consolidate two archaic and outdated technologies (CG
MARCH 2008
Central and www.uscg.mil) under one umbrella. Doing so will streamline information
delivery to all CG members and ease duplicative efforts. Finally, and more importantly, IBM QUICKR, IBM WEBSPHERE, AND
CG Portal seeks to allow its customers (you) to focus on people instead of technology. FATWIRE ARE SELECTED AS NEW
We are, after all, not in the business of using technology. We are in the business of help-
PORTAL COMPONENTS
ing people.
OCTOBER 2008
Portal will make your job better by making your business processes easier.
INITIAL SHIPMENT OF 63 BLADE
DO I NEED MY CAC CARD TO ACCESS THE PORTAL FROM HOME? SERVERS ARRIVE ON THE
OSC DATA FLOOR
Yes. The new portal is also an extranet, which means it will be possible for CG personnel
who have Common Access Cards (CAC) to log into the intranet portion of the portal
NOVEMBER 2008
from anywhere on the Internet. This is a really useful aspect especially for reservists.
Now they won’t have to wait until their drill weekend to get access to information they FIRST CLUSTERED ENVIRONMENT IS
need. CONFIGURED AND TESTED.
Down the road, the portal will also incorporate the use of username and password au-
NEXT STEPS
thentication, so some people who don’t have CAC will be able to get into the system.
Auxilarists, dependents, and industry partners will be able to log in and take part in the
collaboration areas. Technically speaking, it is just a matter of time before that will be MIGRATE AND PLACE CONTENT FOR
available, the bigger issue is how people will be validated to have accounts and who will 800+ CG CENTRAL WEBSITES
keep those accounts up to date and correct.
CREATE A QUICKR PLACE FOR ALL
WILL THIS NEW PORTAL NOW ALLOW THE RESERVES OR AUXILIARY TO
1,300 MICROSITES AND MIGRATE
ACCESS USCG INFORMATION THEY WERE UNABLE TO ACCESS BEFORE?
CONTENT
Right off the bat, the Coast Guard Reserve will have access to CG Portal as long as they
have their common access card (CAC), a CAC reader, and know their personal identifi- INTEGRATE COAST GUARD BUSINESS
cation number (PIN). The Coast Guard Auxiliary, on the other hand, will be unable to INTELLIGENCE (CGBI)
access Portal because they are not issued CAC cards. Because the Auxiliary is a very
important part of the Coast Guard family – and they need Coast Guard information, too –
SOFT ROLL QUICKR, SAMETIME, AND
the ability to authenticate using a traditional username and password combination will be
WEBSPHERE PORTAL TO PRODUCTION
the next priority (currently estimated for fall of 2009).
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MOVING CONTENT FROM THE OLD SYSTEMS TO ALLOW FOUR WEEKS FOR TRAINING,
THE NEW? CONTENT VALIDATION, AND TESTING
CG Central will be migrated first. The OSC Web Team plans on moving the bulk of CG SECURE CG CENTRAL
Central material - including current Microsite content - to the new Portal using a semi-
automated process. Static content will be bulk copied to FatWire and current Microsite
REPEAT PROCESS FOR WWW.USCG.MIL
information will be loaded into Quickr. CG Internet content (www.uscg.mil) will be mi-
(Continued on page 3)

3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Number 1
(Continued from page 2)
grated second. For www.uscg.mil, the OSC Web Team will manually move all 800+ web
sites to FatWire.
Publishing content in FatWire works differently than in either CG Central or
www.uscg.mil. In simplest terms, content is first placed in a large bucket and then indi-
vidual pieces of content from the bucket are hung on a display page(s) (this is a key step
in the prevention of double publishing). After the initial load of content into the Fatwire
bucket (containing approximately 13,000 items) the team will quot;hangquot; as many of the
items as possible. Since the organization of pages and sites in CG Portal will not exactly
mimic the structure of either www.uscg.mil or CG Central it will be difficult for anyone
other than an item owner to determine the final placement on a page. The Portal team
will take on the heavy lift of ensuring that all data is migrated from these two legacy sys-
tems but we will rely on content publishers in the field for the placement of some content
to ensure success.
CG Web content will not be moved by the OSC. Because of the distributive nature of the
CG Web, units wishing to have CG Web static content moved to CG Portal will need to
move the content themselves. Local business applications will need to remain status quo
until the next iteration of CG Portal.
SHOULD PEOPLE WANTING NEW WEB SITES WAIT FOR THE PORTAL? OR
SHOULD THEY MAKE ARRANGEMENTS UNDER WWW.USCG.MIL OR ON THE
CG WEB?
There are no plans to deter any unit from using any existing system, in accordance with
current policy, until CG Portal goes into production and becomes the authoritative
source. If your content is of a time sensitive and/or critical nature, by all means, post. On
the other hand, if your information is routine, large, or complicated, we suggest waiting
since we cannot guarantee your information will be migrated exactly as posted.
One word of caution: if you elect to leverage CG Web for your content, please note that
there are no plans on automatically migrating any of that material to Portal anytime soon.
This means that any material posted on CG Web will have to be manually recreated - by
What is a blog? your unit webmaster - on CG Portal.
Blog is short for weblog. A blog is
HOW IS THE PROCESS FOR POSTING CONTENT TO PORTAL DIFFERING
generally a journal or newsletter
which is updated frequently. Blogs FROM POSTING TO CG CENTRAL AND WWW.USCG.MIL?
are easily updated and may allow
comments from readers. The answer to this question will depend on how familiar you are with both (or either).
CG Central uses a template approach to posting content. You fill in the blanks, hit a sub-
mit button, and your content appears (oversimplified but accurate). Www.uscg.mil, in
contrast, requires that all your web pages be developed in a staging environment using a
traditional HTML editor like Microsoft FrontPage. New pages or changes to your exist-
What is a wiki?
ing site are replicated, on the hour, to the Internet-facing servers. Posting within CG Por-
A wiki allows visitors to add, re-
tal is a combination of the two. For the novice, posting content is simply a matter of en-
move, and edit available content.
tering in your text using a combination of form fields and a rich-text editor. Hitting the
This ease of interaction and opera-
submit button will push your data to the public (either internal or external). For the web
tion makes a wiki an effective tool
savvy, content can be manipulated using the source code view of your rich-text editor
for collaborative authoring.
page.
Web content providers will have the ability to post content internally, externally, or in
combination. Although convenient, having the ability to post to both locations will re-
quire an additional level of governance. Most units wouldn’t want to see the wrong infor-
mation get posted in the wrong location! Needless to say, HQ staff will develop and im-
plement a policy soon.

4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Number 1
(Continued from page 3)
WILL I STILL BE ABLE TO USE MY WEB EDITORS LIKE MICROSOFT FRONT‐
PAGE AND DREAMWEAVER?
No. Microsoft Frontpage, Dreamweaver, and other third-party web developer applica-
tions are no longer necessary. Posting content for either internal or external viewing uses
a series of pre-designed templates. While the concept of “templates” appears discourag-
ing for the creative types, it is not. Web content developers and content providers will
have plenty of flexibility to generate any design or layout they desire. The only exception
to this is overall page layout. Keeping with the DHS mandate in terms of branding, all
page headers, footers, and side bars will retain a standard look and feel. One word of
caution: a poorly designed page remains a poorly designed page whether in Portal or not.
▲
OPERATIONS SYSTEMS CENTER
408 Coast Guard Drive * Kearneysville, WV * 25430