This period occurs within the space of a few months during which the initial commissioning results are analysed and any necessary corrective action taken. It is expected that the Instrument Scientist (who may be but is not necessarily the Instrument Responsible) and the Paranal operations and support staff will gain hands on experience with the instrument during this phase. Limited service observing may be possible if the instrument performance is satisfactory.
During the performance evaluation or running-in period, also the pipeline software (assembled from the stand-alone modules provided by the consortia) and associated template operation procedures will be commissioned.