[alma-config]Configuration Design Review Report

[John Conway]

> 
> ALMA/EU has arranged for John Conway to join the ALMA Project for the next
> two years to assume configuration design leadership role.  On behalf of the
> committee, we would like to welcome John.  We're looking forward to an
> interesting and collegial discussion of the array as we move toward a
> final configuration design.  We anticipate a timely implementation
> of the rest of the recommendations of the committee.  
> 

Hi

 It is clear that there is a lot of effort required on quite a short 
timescale  to meet  the timeline for ALMA configurations outlined in the 
CDR report (compact configuraton by ALMA week at end of April and 
the rest of the design by September). 

 On the other hand most of the ideas and constraints and software are in
place -  due to the combined efforts of all of us over the last few years.
All the elements are there, the final step is to integrate everything
togther to produce a final design. In doing this we will have to 
be pragmatic - this is an engineering problem as much (if not more 
so) than a scientfic one. 

I see my main role as coordinating the effort to produce the final 
design. Namely ..

1) To ensure that all the elements of the array design - compact,
intermediate and large are integrated into one coherent plan.

2) To make sure that the final design is consistent with the 
PDR and CDR recomendations.

3) Act as the contact person for engineering  and site development
in deterimining the interaction/interfaces  with other parts of the 
project- including the important interfaces of transporter design and 
roads and services.

4) Maintain the configuration documentation (including the 
Configuration chapter of the ALMA book which has not been 
updated  for a while).

-- I plan today or tomorrow - to individually phone all those who are 
active in the configurations design to discuss in which role they can
contribute to  making the final design --

 Yours 
  John