Release

CWS/CMS Release 9.4 and Interim Release 9.4.0 (3-Day Reminder) Bulletin

August 13, 2024 Customer Relations
Release 9.4 will be implemented on Saturday, August 17, 2024
The application outage begins on Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 5:00 AM and will most likely complete around 11:00 AM. Users will not be able to access the CWS/CMS application during this period. All application updates will be applied during this outage and should be available once the outage is complete.

Note: Business Objects will be unavailable from approximately 8 AM to 11 AM while the Release 9.4 updates are being applied.

Customer support will be available from the IBM Helpdesk at (800) 428-8268.

Coexistent county CWSCMS.MSI file availability:
The CWSCMS.MSI file was made available on Friday, June 28, 2024 for technical staff to begin testing the installation of the release.  The code is located on the CWSDFSr share in the following location:
  •  \CODEDIST\Staging\R94
Dedicated County CWSCMS.MSI file delivery:
By Friday, June 28, 2024, dedicated county users should have started seeing the CWSCMS.MSI file copied to their workstations during Windows logon. Technical staff can verify that they have received the file by checking for its presence in the C:\CACW\R94 folder.  This file must exist on the workstation for the installation of Release 9.4 to take place on or after August 17, 2024.

Dedicated County users should do the following on the night before the release:
  • Restart (reboot) the workstation and log into Windows (aka the "welcome screen").
  • Restart again and do not log into Windows.
  • Leave the workstation powered on.
CWS/CMS, Release

CARES-Live 2.8.30 Production Release

July 22, 2024 Communications
All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
Effective July 25, 2024, CARES-Live 2.8.30 Release is Scheduled to Move into Production
The CARES-Live team has scheduled a release activity which requires an extended deployment time due to an Elastic Search release upgrade and the rebuilding and reindexing of three databases. The release activity will begin on Thursday, July 25, 2024, at 4:00 PM and conclude on Friday, July 26, 2024, at 2:00 AM. During this release, the CARES-Live team will focus on application changes.

Users will not be able to access the CARES-Live application during this scheduled outage.

CARES-Live 2.8.30:
  • This release addresses security findings and elastic search upgrades and other infrastructure updates and security patches not visible to CARES-Live users. 
Action Required
If users experience any issues with CARES-Live, please follow your county process for reporting issues. CARES-Live County Administrators may contact the CARES Service Desk through the CWDS ServiceNow Customer Support Management (CSM) Portal. Alternate methods are phoning 1-855-292-3444 or via email at Servicedesk@cwds.ca.gov during normal business hours. You may also email after hours and a Service Desk representative will contact you the next business day.
CARES-Live, Release

UPDATE: CWS/CMS Release 9.4 and Interim Release 9.4.0 (3-Day Reminder) Bulletin - POSTPONED

July 19, 2024 Customer Relations
UPDATE:  CWS/CMS Release 9.4, originally scheduled to be implemented on Saturday, July 20, 2024, will be postponed. The new deployment date is still to be determined, and will be shared out once it has been finalized. 
____________________________________________________________________

Release 9.4 will be implemented on Saturday, July 20, 2024

The application outage begins on Saturday, July 20, 2024 at 5:00 AM and will most likely complete around 11:00 AM. Users will not be able to access the CWS/CMS application during this period. All application updates will be applied during this outage and should be available once the outage is complete.

Note: Business Objects will be unavailable from approximately 8 AM to 11 AM while the Release 9.4 updates are being applied.

Customer support will be available from the IBM Helpdesk at (800) 428-8268.
Coexistent county CWSCMS.MSI file availability:

The CWSCMS.MSI file was made available on Friday, June 28, 2024 for technical staff to begin testing the installation of the release.  The code is located on the CWSDFSr share in the following location:
 
  •  \CODEDIST\Staging\R94

Dedicated County CWSCMS.MSI file delivery:

By Friday, June 28, 2024, dedicated county users should have started seeing the CWSCMS.MSI file copied to their workstations during Windows logon. Technical staff can verify that they have received the file by checking for its presence in the C:\CACW\R94 folder.  This file must exist on the workstation for the installation of Release 9.4 to take place on or after July 20, 2024.
Dedicated County users should do the following on the night before the release:
  • Restart (reboot) the workstation and log into Windows (aka the "welcome screen").
  • Restart again and do not log into Windows.
  • Leave the workstation powered on.
CWS/CMS, Release

CWS/CMS: Postponement of CWS/CMS Release 9.4

July 19, 2024 Communications
All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
Due to the impact caused by the CrowdStrike update bringing many systems down, the CWDS Executive Leadership Team has decided to postpone the CWS/CMS Release 9.4, originally scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience this postponement may cause; however, it was decided this was the safest decision to avoid complications with the release. This decision will best allow all counties to fully recover from the impact of the major CrowdStrike incident before pushing out the release to CWS/CMS workstations.

The new date for the CWS/CMS Release 9.4 is still to be determined. An update will be sent out as soon as the new release date has been finalized.
Additional updates will be sent out as new information is received.

Action Required
No action regarding CWS/CMS Release 9.4 needed at this time. Release activities are postponed until the release date has been finalized.
Update, Announcement, CWS/CMS, Release

CWS/CMS: Release 9.4 - Informational (30-Day) Bulletin

June 18, 2024 Communications
All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
This communication is a notification that a bulletin has been posted to the CWDS website. As a reminder, ‘Bulletins’ are located beneath the ‘Follow Our Progress’ header on the CWDS website’s home page. The bulletin provides a reminder and direction prior to Release 9.4 on Saturday, July 20, 2024.
 
Action Required
Please review the bulletin and share the information with county personnel.
Notice, CWS/CMS, Release

Release 9.4 and Interim Release 9.4.0 Informational (30-day) Bulletin

June 18, 2024 Customer Relations
The mandatory VB6 version of Release 9.4 will be implemented on Saturday, July 20, 2024.

Coexistent county CWSCMS.MSI file availability:

The CWSCMS.MSI file will be available by Friday, June 28, 2024, for technical staff to begin testing the installation of the release. The code will be located on the CWSDFSr share in the following location:
  •  \CODEDIST\Staging\R94
Perform any necessary testing, but do not install countywide before July 20, 2024. The new release will not work with the database until then.

Dedicated County CWSCMS.MSI file delivery:

By Friday, June 28, 2024, dedicated county users should start seeing the CWSCMS.MSI file copied to their workstations during Windows logon. Technical staff can verify that they have received the file by checking for its presence in the C:\CACW\R93. folder. This file must exist on the workstation for the installation of Release R9.2 to take place on or after July 20, 2024.

Release 9.4 documents are located on the CWDS website. More documents will be added as the release go-live date approaches.
 
CWS/CMS, Release

CWS-CARES Release 0.13 Production Release

June 12, 2024 Communications
All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:

Effective June 26, 2024, CWS-CARES Release 0.13 Production Release Is Planned to Move into Production
The CWS-CARES team has scheduled release activity that will interrupt connectivity to the CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process for pilot counties Contra Costa, Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara. The release activity is planned to begin at 5:00 PM on June 26, 2024, and conclude at 11:00 PM. During this scheduled outage, users in pilot counties will not be able to access the CARES RFA application.
 
CWS-CARES Release 0.13:
The purpose of this release is to primarily deliver fixes for known issues, enhancements to behind-the-scenes functionality and security improvements to CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process.

CWDS is excited to share the new RFA features that are planned to be available following the implementation of CWS-CARES Release 0.13 on June 26, 2024, to the CARES-RFA Pilot County users. These new features are derived from user feedback as well as project planned enhancements.

As a resource to pilot counties, over the next few weeks, your organization can expect to receive information regarding a Webinar along with an updated Participant and Quick Reference Guide. These resources will provide the system users with details of the features/functionality that have been added since the last production release. 

RFA Application Process:
The RFA Application process is the Receipt, Record, Submission, and Assignment of an Application. The RFA Application process was selected as the first software build for CARES. CARES will ultimately replace the legacy Child Welfare System CWS/CMS. The RFA Application Process will operate in a totally new Production Environment without integrating with other legacy systems, such as the CWS/CMS and CARES-Live applications.

RFA Application Process Features:
  • Allows an applicant or County staff member to initiate an emergency or standard application to become a resource family home
  • Creates a facility profile that tracks required information to complete this process, including background check results, completion of orientation and training hours, physical home assessment, and family evaluation
  • Aggregates information into a report to recommend approval or disapproval of a resource family application
Action Required
RFA Pilot County users review new features in the CWS-CARES Production Environment after June 27, 2024.
All Release Notes, including information for this release once available, can be found here: RFA Application Process Release Notes and Interim Processes
Update, Announcement, Maintenance, Release, CWS-CARES

CWS-CARES Release 0.13 Production Release - June 26, 2024 | 5 PM - 11 PM

June 12, 2024 Communications
All SPOCs and Technical Contacts:
EFFECTIVE June 26, 2024, CWS-CARES RELEASE 0.13 PRODUCTION RELEASE IS PLANNED TO MOVE INTO PRODUCTION
The CWS-CARES team has scheduled release activity that will interrupt connectivity to the CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process for pilot counties Contra Costa, Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara. The release activity is planned to begin at 5:00 PM on June 26, 2024, and conclude at 11:00 PM. During this scheduled outage, users in pilot counties will not be able to access the CARES RFA application.
CWS-CARES Release 0.13:
The purpose of this release is to primarily deliver fixes for known issues, enhancements to behind-the-scenes functionality and security improvements to CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process.
CWDS is excited to share the new RFA features that are planned to be available following the implementation of CWS-CARES Release 0.13 on June 26, 2024, to the CARES-RFA Pilot County users. These new features are derived from user feedback as well as project planned enhancements.
As a resource to pilot counties, over the next few weeks, your organization can expect to receive information regarding a Webinar along with an updated Participant and Quick Reference Guide. These resources will provide the system users with details of the features/functionality that have been added since the last production release. 
RFA Application Process:
The RFA Application process is the Receipt, Record, Submission, and Assignment of an Application. The RFA Application process was selected as the first software build for CARES. CARES will ultimately replace the legacy Child Welfare System CWS/CMS. The RFA Application Process will operate in a totally new Production Environment without integrating with other legacy systems, such as the CWS/CMS and CARES-Live applications.
RFA Application Process Features:
  • Allows an applicant or County staff member to initiate an emergency or standard application to become a resource family home
  • Creates a facility profile that tracks required information to complete this process, including background check results, completion of orientation and training hours, physical home assessment, and family evaluation
  • Aggregates information into a report to recommend approval or disapproval of a resource family application
Action Required
RFA Pilot County users review new features in the CWS-CARES Production Environment after June 27, 2024.
All Release Notes, including information for this release once available, can be found here: RFA Application Process Release Notes and Interim Processes
CARES, Release, CWS-CARES

CWS-CARES Release 0.12 Production Release - March 29, 2024 | 5 PM - 11 PM

March 25, 2024 Communications
March 25, 2024 UPDATE: CWS-CARES Release 0.12, originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 27, 2024, has been rescheduled to Friday, March 29, 2024. The release activity is planned to begin at 5:00 PM and conclude at 11:00 PM. During this scheduled outage, users in pilot counties will not be able to access the CARES RFA application.
__________________________________________________________________________
EFFECTIVE March 27 29, 2024, CWS-CARES RELEASE 0.12 PRODUCTION RELEASE IS PLANNED TO MOVE INTO PRODUCTION
The CWS-CARES team has scheduled release activity that will interrupt connectivity to the CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process for pilot counties Contra Costa, Fresno, Placer, and Santa Clara. The release activity is planned to begin at 5:00 PM on March 27 29, 2024, and conclude at 11:00 PM. During this scheduled outage, users in pilot counties will not be able to access the CARES RFA application.
CWS-CARES Release 0.12:
The purpose of this release is to primarily deliver fixes for known issues, enhancements to behind-the-scenes functionality and security improvements to CWS-CARES Resource Family Approval (RFA) Application Submission, Review, and Approval Process.
CWDS is excited to share the new RFA features that are planned to be available following the implementation of CWS-CARES Release 0.12 on March 27 29, 2024, to the CARES-RFA Pilot County users. These new features are derived from user feedback as well as project planned enhancements.
As a resource to pilot counties, over the next few weeks, your organization can expect to receive information regarding a Webinar along with an updated Participant and Quick Reference Guide. These resources will provide the system users with details of the features/functionality that have been added since the last production release. 
RFA Application Process:
The RFA Application process is the Receipt, Record, Submission, and Assignment of an Application. The RFA Application process was selected as the first software build for CARES. CARES will ultimately replace the legacy Child Welfare System CWS/CMS. The RFA Application Process will operate in a totally new Production Environment without integrating with other legacy systems, such as the CWS/CMS and CARES-Live applications.
RFA Application Process Features:
  • Allows an applicant or County staff member to initiate an emergency or standard application to become a resource family home
  • Creates a facility profile that tracks required information to complete this process, including background check results, completion of orientation and training hours, physical home assessment, and family evaluation
Aggregates information into a report to recommend approval or disapproval of a resource family application
Action Required
RFA Pilot County users review new features in the CWS-CARES Production Environment after March 28 30, 2024.
All Release Notes, including information for this release once available, can be found here: RFA Application Process Release Notes and Interim Processes
Notice, Release, CWS-CARES

Solicitation for County Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for CWS/CMS R9.4

March 12, 2024 Customer Relations

All SPOCs and Training Contacts:
The Child Welfare Digital Services (CWDS) Office is requesting county staff to participate in the Release 9.4 Support of O365 with the CWS/CMS Application County Test Workshop (CTW). Registered testers will participate in the testing of Release 9.4 Support of O365 with the CWS/CMS Application which is scheduled for delivery to the Counties on July 20, 2024.

The CTW for Release 9.4 will be conducted in a remote setting via Server Based Computing (SBC) soft tokens.
The deadline to register is Friday, March 22, 2024.
System Change Requests (SCRs) included in this release are:

  • SCR 8939 Support of O365 with the CWS/CMS Application
  • SCR 8908 Update Service Provider: Add NPI No and Middle Initial to ID Page and Search Dialog
  • SCR 8976 R9.4 Training Tools Package  
  • SCR 8988 Forms Release Update #1 for 2024

Counties are encouraged to register individuals with knowledge and experience working in the areas mentioned above. A mix of end users with casework or supervisory experience will also be beneficial. Participants will validate the changes in the release and will perform tests of problem fixes and enhancements. Participants will work with other County and State testers and vendor support staff.

Remote CTW sessions will take place in the morning from 9:00AM - 12:00PM and again in the afternoon from 1:00PM – 4:00PM on the following dates: 
CWDS is seeking fifteen (15) County staff members for each of the VB6 twelve (12) sessions (2 sessions per day). 

R9.4 SCRs in the VB6 Environment:
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Thursday, April 18, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Tuesday, April 23, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Thursday, April 25, 2024 (AM or PM session)
CWDS is seeking fifteen (15) County staff members for each of the C# sixteen (16) sessions (2 sessions per day). 

R9.4 SCRs in C# Environment:
Monday, April 29, 2024 (AM or PM session
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Thursday, May 2, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Monday, May 6, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Wednesday, May 8, 2024 (AM or PM session)
Thursday, May 9, 2024 (AM or PM session)

Participants are welcome to register for any of the sessions listed above in half or whole-day increments.
We encourage you to submit your request for a specific session as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday March 22, 2024. If a session’s count exceeds the maximum count, Customer Relations will work with that tester to be rescheduled for another session. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

A Release 9.4 CTW Online Registration Form (see link below) for each potential tester must be received as soon as possible but no later than 5:00 PM on March 22, 2024, so that the CWDS office can finalize the needed arrangements.
Link: Release 9.4 CTW Online Registration Form  

If for, any reason, you cannot access the Online Registration Form, please contact CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov.
The CWDS Office will work with the registered testers on all the details of their CTW participation.  

Special Note:
The County data will be pulled from the Production Environment and copied to the CTW Environment on Tuesday March 26, 2024, at the Close of Business. Therefore, changes to your Production environment after this date will not be in the CTW environment.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact CWS_CustRel@osi.ca.gov.
Your continued support of CWDS is greatly appreciated. 

Action Required
Submit a Release 9.4 County Test Workshop Online Registration Form no later than 5:00 PM on March 22, 2024

CWS/CMS, County Test Workshop (CTW), Release