LMSbot: Reliability enhancements

ISSUE:

LMSbot is not always advancing to the second page of applications filed or acted on in LMS Public View resulting in incomplete information on FCC.today and lack of updates in eLMS.

CAUSE:

The FCC's LMS system uses different internal codes to have the server advance the view to the next page.  If the wrong code is sent, the page will not advance resulting in not being able to read the applications on subsequent pages.

SOLUTION:

We have narrowed this down to three different codes the system uses.  We have developed and installed a "switch" that will read the first list of 100 applications in order to determine the internal code used to manipulate to the next page.  The switch will then launch a parser program specific for that internal code.  In the past, we had to hard-code the new code as the FCC changed it.  The switch will now launch one of three different scripts based on what is the "code of the day".   

This will add approximately one minute to the routine update process. 

During business hours LMSbot will update every 15 minutes except on major activity days (such as filing deadlines and renewal grant days) where the system will operate every 20 minutes.