TRIS - THE RECORDS INFORMATION SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85B01152R000801010025-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 4, 2008
• Sequence Number: 25
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/03/04: CIA-RDP85B01152R000801010025-3
TRIS - THE RECORDS INFORMATION SYSTEM
Approved For Release 2008/03/04: CIA-RDP85B01152R000801010025-3
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TRIS - THE RECORDS INFORMATION SYSTEM
BACKGROUND
TRIS (The Records Information System) was conceived in 1977 as a result
of concern over the number of custom-made, computer-based records management
systems throughout the Agency. Early efforts to establish TRIS were not
successful, although two systems, which later became key elements of TRIS,
were developed by the Office of Data Processing (ODP):
ARCINS, Archives and Records Center Inventory System developed
in 1977, is a file folder-level inventory of all inactive
records retired to the Agency Archives and Records Center.
RAMS, Records Center and Archives Management System developed in
1979, provides job-level control over accessioning, recalling,
and disposing of Agency records retired to the Agency Archives
and Records Center.
In late 1979, the Information Services Staff (a predecessor of the
Office of Information Services) established a task force to define and
formalize data element standards for developing automated registries. As a
result, the design of automated registries began to be treated as a single
application thus enabling ODP to develop the third key element of TRIS:
Interim CARS, Common Use Automated Registry System developed
in 1981, is a standardized software package for
automating basic office-level registry functions.
In August 1981, the Office of Information Services (OIS) proposed to
ODP that OIS direct the design and development of TRIS. ODP, however, felt
that the responsibility for managing complex automated systems should remain
in ODP, and that OIS's role should be to develop customer requirements.
In 1982. ODP's budget nronosal for TRTS contractor support costing
was disapproved. As a
result, emphasis was shifted from the broader aspects of TRIS to the
development of CARS as Phase I. Subsequently, ODP's TRIS program manager
and CARS project officer were reassigned due to other priorities and ODP's
efforts came to a halt.
Recently, in a thorough program review, OIS found that TRIS parameters
have been ill-defined, have fluctuated over time, and have not been central
to records information control and retrieval. As a result, OIS has focused
TRIS on those sub-systems (CARS, ARCINS, and RAMS) that are essential to
records and information management activities and has reorganized one of its
branches to assume management control over TRIS development.
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TRIS will be an on-line, computer-based records and information
management system that will encompass and enhance the capabilities of
Interim CARS, ARCINS, and RAMS. It will control records in all media from
the time they are entered into the system until they are either destroyed
or, when national security considerations permit, transferred to the
National Archives and Records Service. It also will provide the mechanism
by which electronic document transmission and electronic document receipting
between office-level registries will be possible. TRIS will be an
Agency-wide, but highly compartmented, system.
SUB-SYSTEM SCHEDULE
The following contains a brief description of the three sub-systems of
TRIS and the proposed timing of their development. A chart setting forth
the schedule for the development of all OIS systems is attached to this
report.
CARS. At present, 12 offices use a version of Interim CARS: Executive
Registry, IC Staff, National Intelligence Emergency Support Office, Office
of Legislative Liaison, Office of the DDA, Office of the DDO, Office of
Logistics, Office of Security, Office of Imagery Analysis, Office of
Scientific and Weapons Research, Office of Research and Development, and
Office of SIGINT Operations. Ten more registries probably will receive an
Interim CARS Package in CY 1983.
Although Interim CARS satisfies most automated registry requirements,
at least six additional features are needed:
a. Electronic exchange of common data elements between
registries to eliminate redundant keying.
b. Additional keyword and indexing capabilities for better
information retrieval.
c. Additional capabilities to provide for better document
control, including a limited capability to locate
documents retired to the AARC.
d. Additional data elements (1) to provide for a Reports
Management Program, (2) to record records control schedule
item numbers for "front end" records disposition, and (3) to
interface with ARCINS.
CARS will be compartmented; each registry will have access only to the
data it sends or receives. In addition, home registries will be able to
suppress extremely sensitive document titles to restrict access to the
related information.
Assuming adequate programming support, OIS will begin the CARS
feasibility study in August 1983 following completion of the CARS system
development plan. CARS testing will begin in August 1984 with selected
registries.
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ARCINS. ARCINS is an off-line system. Most ARCINS input data must be
recorded on paper forms and forwarded to OIS for keying. To reduce time and
effort, ARCINS will be modified to permit selected users to input
information on records into the system on their own. Software changes will
also be incorporated to provide greater flexibility in updating or changing
data elements in the system. The ARCINS feasibility study will begin during
the testing of CARS. Assuming no manpower or system complications, ARCINS
testing will begin by August 1985. As with CARS, the data in ARCINS will be
compartmented, with access on a need-to-know basis.
RAMS. RAMS will be enhanced to provide reference frequency statistics
on records deposited in the Agency Archives and Records Center. This will
help determine the most efficient retention period for temporary records.
RAMS also will be enhanced to provide on-storage space availability. This
capability will provide for the more efficient use of space at the AARC.
OIS believes that at least 75% (and perhaps 100%) of TRIS can be
developed in-house without direct contractor support. (The extent to which
an adequate digital storage medium and a registry-to-registry electronic
document transmission system can be developed in-house is not known at this
time.) The cost to OIS for TRIS during the first three years will
approximate Of this amount, manpower costs for requirements
definition, feasibility studies, documentation, testing, and training will
approximate 0 equipment costs of approximately will include
at least four Delta Data terminals, one printer, and one optical character
reader. When technically and economically feasible, the addition of an
optical storage and retrieval system, of yet undetermined cost, will be
considered. As with Interim CARS, each component registry using TRIS will
pay for its own equipment.
Near the end of the first two-year period, the need for direct
contractor support will be evaluated. It is expected, however, that OIS
will be able to "piggyback" on contractor-supported development programs
elsewhere in the Agency and to pace TRIS development with those programs.
With no direct contractor support, total costs to OIS, not including the
possible purchase of an optical disk storage and retrieval system, should be
considerably less thanL A chart listing the major TRIS costs is
attached to this report.
MAKING USE OF EXISTING TRIS SUB-SYSTEMS
OIS is making additional use of existing TRIS sub-systems through
programming and procedural modifications. One example is the recent
development of procedures enabling the DDA Registry to key directly into
ARCINS, thus eliminating one data recording step. Another example is a
current study to determine if registries can satisfy TSCADS requirements by
using printouts from Interim CARS.
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The greatest use of an existing TRIS sub-system, however, is being
achieved by providing Interim CARS to registries warranting automation. ODP
and OIS are working together to accomplish this objective in an expeditious
and efficient manner.
EXPLOITING COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE SYSTEMS
Considerable time has been spent looking at commercially available
records systems with little success. The Agency's unique missions and
functions, the high volume of its records, legal constraints,
compartmentation needs, and other security considerations so far have
precluded economical modification of existing software packages for OIS
requirements. Efforts, however, are continuing.
OTHER OIS SYSTEMS
OIS will develop or enhance three additional systems if adequate
programming resources become available. One is a document security system
that is not directly related to records or records management activities,
the second is an Information and Privacy Division system, and the third is a
system to support an expanded records management program. Each is described
below.
TSCADS. TSCADS presently is an off-line, batch system for recording
the most recent location of non-electrical Top Secret (TS) collateral
documents. It is labor-intensive and far from adequate to its job.
TSCADS will be replaced by an on-line system providing (1) a real-time
auditing capability; (2) auditing of selected types of CIA documents held by
other Government agencies; (3) control of other types of sensitive material,
e.g., Treaty Organization, Restricted Data; (4) an interface with CARS to
reduce keying time by at least 50 percent; (5) an audit trail of each
document; and (6) personal accountability. None of these capabilities is
presently available.
Assuming adequate programming support, the new system AUDITS (Audited
Document Inventory & Tracking System), will be developed and tested
concurrently with CARS (August 1984).
DECAL. The present DECAL system is an automated index of documents of
general interest released, either in declassified or sanitized form, under
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and the mandatory review for
declassification provisions of Executive Order (EO) 12356 and its
predecessor Executive orders. Information believed to be of interest to the
general public is indexed and used to rapidly satisfy identical or similar
requests. At this time we are capturing more than 50 percent of the
information being released.
OIS plans to increase the amount of material indexed in DECAL over the
next year by recording significant documents released to requesters in years
prior to the initiation of the DECAL system. Once this material has been
included, it might be possible to expand DECAL to incorporate other types of
material released by other Agency components.
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The expansion of the existing DECAL system might require some modest
increase in programming support from within OIS during the next year.
Development of an Agency-wide system would require additional programming
resources, the amount depending on the type and the size of the system
envisioned.
ARMS. OIS plans to develop an ADP Records Management System (ARMS) to
support the Agency's growing production and use of automated information.
The system, as it is envisioned now, will have two primary functions. The
first is to record information about existing and proposed Agency ADP
systems in order to (1) establish data element standards to reduce the
amount of data recorded in incompatible formats, (2) establish "front end"
disposition instructions for the information stored or produced by a system
to reduce the cost of unnecessary retention, and (3) identify and reduce the
amount of identical data stored in two or more systems to reduce capturing
and storage costs. The second function is to record information about (1)
proposed and existing Agency software programs to facilitate "off-the-shelf"
applications, and (2) commercial state-of-the-art technology that might be
applicable to present Agency systems.
If OIS obtains its requested programming support, work on ARMS can
begin in 1985.
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Jan
PROPOSED OIS SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE
1983 1984 1985 1986 1987
Jul Dec Jan Jul Dec Jan Jul Dec Jan Jul Dec Jan Jul Dec
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