ZTL CTLR DESCRIBED FDP ENTRY EVENT DURING TRANSITION FROM DARC TO HOST THAT ALLEGEDLY WAS CONTRARY TO AIRWAYS FACILITIES PROCS; BUT IN USE FOR YRS.

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ZTL ON DARC AT XA28Z A STRIP PRINTED STATING 'ZTL OPERATIONAL FDP XA28' (STRIP ATTACHED). FOR MY ENTIRE CAREER; THIS MESSAGE HAS ALWAYS MEANT THAT WE ARE STILL ON DARC; BUT THE FDP IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR ENTERING FLT PLAN INFO INTO HOST VIA THE D-SIDE KEYBOARD. THIS IS THE WAY I WAS TRAINED 20 YRS AGO; THIS IS THE METHOD USED TO START ENTERING FLT PLANS SO THAT THEY ARE 'STORED' WHEN HOST RETURNS. I SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVED A URET 'ALERT MESSAGE' WHEN THE AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIAN CAME TO LOOK AT IT; HE STATED THAT THE BELOW STRIP WAS 'AN INTERNAL HOST MESSAGE THAT AUTOMATICALLY PROCESSES.' HE ALSO STATED THAT THE FDP WAS NOT TO BE USED UNTIL AIRWAYS FACILITIES RELEASED IT. WE HAVE HAD NO TRAINING HERE ON WHICH MESSAGES STATING THAT THINGS ARE 'OPERATIONAL' SHOULD BE FOLLOWED; AND WHICH ONES SHOULD BE IGNORED. THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE COM BTWN AIR TFC AND AIRWAYS FACILITIES ON WHAT THESE MESSAGES MEAN. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING THINGS FOR 20 YRS THIS WAY; AND THIS HAS NOT BEEN NOTICED UNTIL NOW.