Chapter 2

Communicating With the OMB Host

This chapter tells you how to perform tasks involving the OMB Host computer. This chapter contains the following modules (indentation shows modules belonging to a set):

Connecting to the OMB Host

Downloading From the OMB Host:

Building a List of Accounts by Account Codes

Building a List of Accounts by Agency/Bureau Name

Uploading an Account(s) From Your PC to the OMB Host

Deleting an Account(s) on the OMB Host

Checking for Account Changes

Checking for Account Rule Changes

Creating a New Transmittal

Creating a New Account

Coping Account Data

Moving Account to New Agency/Bureau

Reports from the OMB Host:

Viewing a Report on the OMB Host

Disconnecting from the OMB Host

Read News Items

Update User Information

Connecting to the OMB Host

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

0

You must use a TCP/IP software to communicate with the OMB Host.

For more information about establishing your remote access to the EOP, see the COMMUNICATION SUPPLEMENT at the end of this guide.



1
Double click on the MAX A-11 icon.
Display the MAX A-11 main menu.

2
Select OMB HOST-CONNECT
Displays User Authentication box.

3
Enter your Userid and Password; press the ENTER key.
Displays Transaction Monitor which informs you that the MAX system is:

Verifying software compatibility

Checking for new news

Checking for table updates

Checking for user information


4

Select the OK button

Exhibit

Downloading From the OMB Host: An Explanation of the Account Selection Screen

Instructions The Account Selection screen contains the following:

Exercise field--To specify an exercise, click on the down arrow key in the Exercise field and then select the exercise you desire.

OMB Account field--If you want to select accounts by OMB account number, you must click on the OMB Acct field and provide one of the following:

Option Format

OMB Agency code AAA

OMB Agency+Bureau code AAA-BB

OMB Agency+Bureau+Account code AAA-BB-NNNNNN

OMB Agency+Bureau+Account+ AAA-BB-NNNNNN-C

Transmittal code

The NNNNNN can be four digits (for an appropriation account) or six digits (for a receipt account). The number you enter indicates whether you are requesting an appropriation account(s) or a receipt account(s). This number must agree with the option selected in the Type field. (See the Notes section, below.)

Treasury Account field--If you want to select accounts by Treasury account number, you must click on Treasury Account field and provide one of the following:

Option Format

Treasury Agency+Account code TT-NNNNNN

Treasury Agency+Account+ TT-NNNNNN-C

Transmittal code

The NNNNNN can be four digits (for an appropriation account) or six digits (for a receipt account). The number you enter (which indicates whether you are requesting an appropriation or receipt account) must agree with the option selected in the Type field.

Type field--This field enables you to further specify which accounts you want downloaded: all, just the appropriation accounts, or just the receipt accounts. The default is the All option. The option you select must agree with other values you specify on this screen. If you specify an account number by using the OMB Account or Treasury Account field, the number you enter must agree with the option you select in the Type field. For example:

If you request a specific appropriation account (say, 007-01-1234), you must select the Appropriation option in the Type field.

If you request a specific receipt account (say, 007-01-123456), you must select the Receipt option in the Type field.

Agency field--This list is used in conjunction with the Available Bureaus list field (below). It presents all the agencies for which you can select accounts.

To select an agency, click on the Agency up/down arrow to scroll thru the list of agencies. When you have selected the agency you desire, in the bureau field a list of available bureaus appear.

Bureau field--This list is used in conjunction with the Agency field (above). It presents all the bureaus for the agency that displays in the Agency field.

To select a bureau, click on the Bureau up/down arrow to scroll thru the list of bureaus and then click on the bureau you desire. To select all bureaus for the agency, click on "<All accounts>."

When you have picked the bureaus for this agency, select the Add button. This adds the agency/bureau pair(s) to the list you are building. The list displays in the Selections area of the screen.

Selections field--This is the list of all agencies and bureaus that you have asked for by selecting agency/bureau pairs in the Agency and Available Bureau lists.

You may remove agency/bureau pairs (rows) from this list by clicking on the agency and bureau you want to delete. When you have marked all rows that you want to remove, select the Delete button. The system removes the marked rows from the list.

Buttons--The following buttons are on the bottom of the screen:

Select the OK button when you have finished requesting the accounts you want.

Select the Add button when you have identified an agency and bureau(s) for which you want accounts. The system adds the identified agency/bureau pair(s) to the list in the Selections area.

Select the Delete button when you have marked one or more agency/bureau pairs in the Selections area for removal.

Select the Cancel button when you want to terminate the account selection process. The system returns you to the main menu.

Notes There are two ways you can identify the accounts you are interested in. The first is by providing a Treasury account code or an OMB account code. If this is how you want to identify accounts, see the Building a List of Accounts by Account Codes@ module. The second way to identify accounts is to select the agencies and bureaus that contain the accounts you are interested in. If this is how you want to identify accounts, see the "Building a List of Accounts by Agency/Bureau Name" module.



Downloading from the OMB Host: Building a List of Accounts by Account Codes

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select the OMB HOST-DOWNLOAD.
Presents the Account Selection screen. (For a detailed discussion of this screen, see the "An Explanation of the Account Selection Screen" module earlier in this chapter.)

2

Select the Exercise.

3
Enter a value in the OMB Acct field or enter a value in the Treasury Acct field.

4
Select the Account type.

5
Select the OK button.
Displays the Account Download Selection screen.

6
From the list of accounts, select the account(s) you want to download.
Highlights the account(s) selected.

7
Select the Download button.
Downloads the selected account(s). Opens the first account and may display a MAX A-11 Information box with the message "Changes were made while opening the account - please review the following list of changes."

8

Select the OK button.
Display a list of account changes. (This list of account changes is from the data generation rules. Every time you open an account the system data generation rules are used to recalculate the data. If data is changed you will be presented with an information box with these changes.)

9

Select Print or Cancel button.

Notes This module assumes you have already used the instructions in the "Connecting to the OMB Host" module.

Because you are building a list of accounts by OMB or Treasury account codes, you must not place any values in the Selections area. (Remember, you can build a list of accounts by account code or by agency/bureau name, but you may not mix the two methods.) If you want to build a list of accounts by using agency and bureau names, see the "Building a List of Accounts by Agency/Bureau Name" module that follows this one.

Buttons--The following buttons are on the bottom of the Download Account Selection screen:

Select All button -- selects all the accounts on the list for download:

Clear All button -- clears all selected accounts

Previous window button -- moves you back one screen

Download Dir button -- changes destination directory

Download button -- downloads the selected accounts

Cancel button -- terminates the download an account(s) process


Exhibit

Downloading From the OMB Host: Building a List of Accounts by Agency/Bureau Name

Instructions


When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select OMB HOST-DOWNLOAD.
Presents the Account Selection screen. (For a detailed discussion of this screen, see the "An Explanation of the Account Selection Screen" module earlier in this chapter.)

2

Select the Exercise.

3
Select the agency. (To scroll thru the list of agencies click on the Agency up/down arrow.)
Highlights the agency and displays a list of available bureaus.

4
Select the bureau. (To scroll thru the list of bureaus click on the Bureau up/down arrow.)
Highlights the bureau(s).

5

After you have selected the agency and bureau you want, click on the Add button.
Adds the selected agency and bureau to the Selections box.

6

Select the Account Type.

7
Select the OK button.
Displays the Account Download Selection screen.

8
From the list of accounts, select the account(s) you want to download.
Highlights the account(s) selected.

9
Select the Download button.
Downloads the selected accounts and opens the first account.

Notes This module assumes you have already used the instructions in the "Connecting to the OMB Host" module to connect to the OMB Host and are positioned at the MAX Data Entry System - OMB Host Activities menu.

Because you are building a list of accounts by agency/bureau name, you must not place any values in the OMB Account or Treasury Account fields. (Remember, you can build a list of accounts by account code or by agency/bureau name, but you may not mix the two methods.) If you want to build a list of accounts by account code, see the "Building a List of Accounts by Account Codes" module that precedes this one.

Exhibit

Uploading an Account(s) From Your PC to the OMB Host

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select OMB HOST-UPLOAD.
Presents the Account Upload Selection screen.

2
Select the Exercise.
Displays the accounts you have downloaded for the specified exercise.

3
From the Account Upload Selection list, select the account(s) you want to upload.
Highlights the account(s).

4
Select the Upload button.
Uploads the selected accounts and returns you the main menu.

Notes This module assumes you have already used the instructions in the "Connecting to the OMB Host."

Buttons:The following buttons are on the bottom of the Account Upload Selection screen:

Select All button -- selects all the accounts on the list for download.

Clear All button -- clears all selected accounts

Chg Dir button -- changes source directory

Upload button -- uploads the selected accounts

Cancel button -- terminates the upload an account(s) process

Exhibit

Deleting an Account(s) on the OMB Host

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select OMB HOST-DELETE.
Displays the Account Selection screen.

2
Select the exercise, agency, and bureau. Then select the OK button.
Displays the Account Delete Selection screen.

3
Select the account(s) you want to delete.
Highlights the account(s).

4
Select the Delete button.
Deletes the selected accounts data and returns you the main menu.

Notes The delete process actually deletes the detail lines of an account. It does not delete the account itself.

Exhibit

Checking for Account Changes

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select OMB HOST-CHECK FOR ACCOUNT CHANGES option.
Displays a MAX A-11 Information box with the message: "These accounts have been updated since you downloaded them."

2

Select OK button.
Displays a list of accounts that have been updated. (If there isn't any changes, the system will redisplay the account.)

3

Select the account you want to redownload.
Highlights the account.

4

Select the Download button.
Displays a Confirmation box with the message: "Do you wish to overwrite your existing data?"

5

Select yes, yes to all, no or cancel.

Exhibit

Checking for Account Rule Changes

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1

Select OMB HOST-CHECK FOR ACCOUNT CHANGES
Displays a list of account changes or returns you to the main menu if there isn't any account rule changes.

2

Select the OK button.

Notes Every appropriation and receipt accounts have account rules associated with them. These rules are established in the MAX system when the account is created. When you update your account, the account rules will help determine what information is needed in the account. The following lists some examples of account rules.

Budget Enforcement Category

Subfunction

Character Class

GRH Codes

Exhibit

Creating a New Transmittal

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select OMB HOST-CREATE NEW TRANSMITTAL option.
Displays the Create New Transmittal box.

2

Select the exercise and version

3
Type in the OMB Acct ID number and transmit code you want to copy from and then type in the transmit you want to create.

4

Select the OK button.
Display MAX A-11 Information box with the message: "New transmittal created."

5
Select the OK button. (You can now download the account with the new transmittal.)

Notes Amount fields are zeroed-out except for BY column where one's are entered.

Exhibit

Creating a New Account

Instructions To create a new account, an agency submits the proper paperwork to the agency's OMB representative. The paperwork must provide the following information:

proposed account title

agency and bureau affected

statutory authority or description of the legislative proposal

fund type

subfunctional and character classification

whether the account is sequestrable or exempt

whether the account will finance payments to individuals

appropriations subcommittee jurisdiction

whether the account will have limitations on obligations and

for receipt accounts, the receipt type

When the OMB representative approves the establishment of a new account, the new account will then be created in the MAX database. Once the account is established, you can download the account and its associated rules.

When the user opens the account it will appear empty (i.e., it contains no schedules). The user adds schedules and detail lines.



Copying Account Data

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1

Select OMB HOST-COPY ACCOUNT.
Displays the Copy Account box.

2

Select the exercise and version.

3

Type at the ACopy from@: the OMB Acct ID you want copied and then type at the ACopy to@: the new OMB Acct ID.

4

Select the Request button.
Display a MAX A-11 Information box with the message: "Account has been copy to:"

Notes You can now download the account with the information you have copied.

Exhibit

Moving Account to New Agency/Bureau

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select OMB HOST-MOVE ACCOUNT option.
Displays the Move Account to new Agency/Bureau/Acct box.

2

Select the exercise and version.

3
Type at the "Move from": the OMB Acct ID you want moved and then type at the "Move to": the new OMB Acct ID.

4
Select the Request button.
Displays a MAX A-11 Information box with the message: "Account has been move to:"

Notes You can now download the account that you moved.

Exhibit

Reports from the OMB Host: An Introduction

Instructions There are many reports you can obtain. You need to be aware of a distinct between reports that you can order from the OMB Host and reports you order from the PC.

OMB reports use data that on the OMB Host and these data are used to print the President=s Budget.

PC reports use the data that are on either your PC hard-drive or server.

(The data from the OMB Host and the data from the PC may be different especially if you have not uploaded your data.)

This section will discuss only the reports available from the OMB Host. The OMB reports are grouped into six major report groups. Listed below are the reports groups and the available reports under each group.

Account Data Listings

Report
Description
Year

Appropriation Change

(Current to Previous)


Displays the differences between the current appropriation data at OMB and the previous data for one to five days.
PY - BY+9

Appropriation Account Data Listing
Displays the account data with only line number.
PY - BY+9

Detailed Appropriation Account Data Listing
Displays the account data with line number and line title.
PY - BY+9

Appropriation Discrepancy Listing
Displays the account error listing and the account data.
PY - BY+9

Receipt Change

(Current to Previous)


Displays the differences between the current receipt data at OMB and the previous data for one to five days.
PY - BY+9

Receipt Account Data Listing
Displays the receipt account data with character class code.
PY - BY+9

Account Title Listings

Report
Description

Master Account Title Listing
Displays a list of appropriation accounts and the control codes.

Receipt Account Title Listing
Displays a list of receipt accounts and the control codes.

Account Activity Listing
Displays a list of accounts, last download date, last uploaded date and the user name.

Budget Accounts Listings:

Nightly Production and Up-to-the-minute

Report
Description
Year

BAA - Budget (In-years)
Displays Budget Authority and Outlays by Agency and Account.
PY - BY

BAA - Baseline Budget

(CY to BY+4)


"
CY - BY+1

BAA - Baseline Long Range

Budget (Thru BY+4)


"
BY+2 - BY+4

BAA - Long Range Budget

(Thru BY+4)


"
BY+2 - BY+4

BAA -6-Year Baseline Planning

(Thru BY+4)


"
CY - BY+4

BAA - 6-Year Long Range Budget (Thru BY+4)
"
CY - BY+4

BAA - Baseline Planning

Comparison (Thru BY+4)


Compares previous exercise (i.e., Mid-Session) BA and outlay numbers with current exercise BA and outlay numbers and displays the difference.
CY - BY+4

BAA - Long Range Budget

Comparison (Thru BY+4)


"
CY - BY+4

BAA - Baseline Budget Change

(Thru BY+4)


Compares baseline numbers with policy numbers and displays the difference.
CY - BY+4

BAA - Baseline Planning Percent

Change (Thru BY+4)


Percentage increase or decrease between each year (For example, CY outlays is 100 million and BY outlays is 105 million, the percentage increase is 5%)
PY - BY+4

BAA - Long Range Budget Percent

Change (Thru BY+4)


"
PY - BY+4

BAA - Baseline Budget

(Thru BY+9)


Displays Budget Authority and Outlays by Agency and Account
BY+5 - BY+9

BAA - Baseline Long Range

Budget (Thru BY+9)


"
BY+5 - BY+9

BAA - Long Range Budget

(Thru BY+9)


"
BY+5 - BY+9

BAA - 6-Year Baseline Planning

(Thru BY+9)


"
BY+5 - BY+9

BAA - 6-Year Long Range Budget

(Thru BY+9)


"
BY+5 - BY+9

BAA - Baseline Planning

Comparison (Thru BY+9)


Compares previous exercise BA and outlay numbers with current exercise BA and outlay numbers and displays the difference.
BY+5 - BY+9

BAA - Long Range Budget

Comparison (Thru BY+9)


"
BY+5 - BY+9

BAA - Baseline Budget Change

(Thru BY+9)


Compares baseline numbers with policy numbers and displays the difference.
BY+5 - BY+9

BAA - Baseline Planning Percent

Change (Thru BY+9


Percentage increase or decrease between each year (For example, CY outlays is 100 million and BY outlays is 105 million, the percentage increase is 5%)
BY+5 - BY+9

BAA - Long Range Budget Percent

Change (Thru BY+9)


"
BY+5 - BY+9

Treasury Combined Statement Report: Nightly Production

and Up-to-the-minute

Report
Description
Year

Treasury Account Comparison Report
Displays TAR amounts from Treasury, the amounts in the MAX database, and the differences between the amounts.
PY

Treasury Accounts Out-of-Balance
"

ONLY THE ACCOUNTS THAT ARE OUT-OF-BALANCE


PY

Notes: The following is a list of options available to you at the OMB Reports screen.

Submit -- Orders a report from the OMB Host.

Print -- Prints the report at your PC printer.

View -- Displays the report on you PC screen.

Refresh -- Clears the screen and recheck job status

Delete -- Deletes the job

Cancel -- Terminates the report process

Reports from the OMB Host: Submitting Reports on the OMB Host


Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select the OMB HOST-OMB REPORT options.
Displays the OMB Report box.

2

Select the Submit button.
Displays Report Selection Box.

3
Select report groups you want. (You may request only one report group at a time.)
Highlights the selected Report Group.

4
Select the report you want. (You may request only one report at a time.)
Highlights the report.

5
Select the OK button.
Displays the Report Parameter Options box.

6
At the Report Parameter Options box, provide any values that the system requests. Different reports may request different information. (Under the Report Parameter section, there is a list of parameters and options).

7
Select the OK button.
Displays a job ID number.

8
Write down the OMB Host job ID number for the report you just requested. You may need this number later.
Generates the report you requested and returns you to the MAX main menu..

Notes: The following column are on the OMB Report screen:

Job Name This is a job number given to you at the time you requested the report.

Status Active -- report request submitted.

Complete -- report ready for viewing or printing

Size Size of the report job.

Exhibit

Reports from the OMB Host: Report Parameters

Each report requires different parameters selection. The following is a list of all parameters and the available options for that parameter.

Parameters
Parameters options
Description

ACCTS
ALL

AGY-AGY

AGY:BU-AGY:BU

AGY:BU:ACCT


All represents all the accounts a user has access to. (Must use colon to separate agency, bureau, and account codes.)

ACCOUNT IND
ALL

Active

Credit

Lim (Limitations)

Multif (Multi-functions)


Used only in the Account Title Listing to specify the type of account.

COMPARISON FILE
1 = Pres. Budget

4 = Mid-Session


Used only in the BAA - Comparison report to specify the Appropriation file you want to compare.

CREDIT IND
All data

Credit data



DETAIL-LINE SPACING
S = Single space

D = Double space



DISCR TYPE
A = All

C = Credit

L = Loans

O = Object


Used only in the Appropriation Discrepancy Listing to specify the type of discrepancy you want printed. .

DOWNLOAD DATE FROM
MM/DD/YY
MM = Month

DD = Day

YY = Year


DOWNLOAD DATE TO
MM/DD/YY
MM = Month

DD = Day

YY = Year


DUPLEXED OUTPUT
No = print on one size

Yes = print on both size



EXERCISE
PB1998 = Pres. Budget 1998

TR1998 = Training



FAX ATTENTION


FAX/EMAIL ADDR1
FAX number (no dashes) or Email address

FAX/EMAIL ADDR2
FAX number (no dashes) or

Email address



FAX/EMAIL ADDR3
FAX number (no dashes) or Email address

FILE LEVEL (CURRENT)
M = Master

1 = Alternative 1

2 = Alternative 2

3 = Alternative 3


Used in the Appropriation and receipt change reports to specify the first file you want to compare.

FILE LEVEL (PREVIOUS)
M = Master

1 = Alternative 1

2 = Alternative 2

3 = Alternative 3


Used in the Appropriation and receipt change reports to specify the second file you want to compare.

FILE LEVEL
M = Master

1 = Alternative 1

2 = Alternative 2

3 = Alternative 3



JOB CLASS (normally no

change)


A = small print jobs

B = medium print jobs

D = large print jobs

X = system printers



LINE TYPES
All

P = Schedule P

O = Schedule O, etc.


Specify the schedule you want printed.

NUMBER OF COPIES
#

OUTPUT DESTINATION (O/P DEST)
FAX/EMAIL

RMT = remote printer

LOCAL = OMB 4th floor

Computer room



PREVIOUS FILE GENERATION
-1 = one day before

-2 = two days before

-3 = three days before

-4 = four days before

-5 = five days before


Used in the Appropriation and receipt change reports to compare current file to the file from one to five days before.

REPORT OUTPUT CLASS

(normally no change)


Unbound

System printer

TSO terminal

Bound

3-hole simplex

3-hold duplex


Unbound is the default for agency users. The other parameter options are available to users at OMB.

REPORT SEQUENCE
Account

Division

BP Member

BUD



TRANSMIT
BLANK = ALL

0 = Transmit O

1 = Transmit 1 etc.


Specify the type of accounts to print.

UPLOAD DATE FROM
MM/DD/YY
MM = Month

DD = Day

YY = Year


UPLOAD DATE TO
MM/DD/YY
MM = Month

DD = Day

YY = Year

Exhibit

Reports from the OMB Host: Viewing a Report on the OMB Host

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

0
Request a report through the OMB Reports option. (See the "Submitting Reports on the OMB Host" module in this chapter.)

Be sure to note the job number of the job that produces your report.


Generates the requested report.

1
From the OMB Reports screen, select the Job Name of the report you want to view. (Be sure that the job status indicate complete.)

2
Click on the View button from the OMB Reports screen.
Displays output for the report you requested.

3

Select print or cancel.

Notes You may view only those reports that have not yet finished printing. Once a report has printed, it is deleted from the OMB Host and you may not view it.


Disconnecting from the OMB Host

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select OMB HOST-DISCONNECT.
Disconnects from the OMB Host.

2

Select FILE-EXIT.
Exits the MAX A-11 applications.

Exhibit







Read News Items

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select OMB HOST-READ NEWS ITEMS.
Displays the News Items and Messages box.

2

After you have read the news items, select either delete, print, or cancel

Exhibit

Update User Information

Instructions

Step
When you do this...
...the system does this.

1
Select OMB HOST-UPDATE USER INFORMATION.
Displays user information box.

2

Update user information.

3

Select the OK button.
Updates the user information at the OMB Host.

Exhibit


Table of Contents
Communications Supplement
Chpt 1: Introduction and Background Chpt 2: Communicating w/ OMB Host
Chpt 3: Basic Editing Chpt 4: Additional Editing
Chpt 5: Reviewing Data Chpt 6: Utilities and Misc Topics



MAX A-11 Home Page