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Page References

Incoming links Outgoing links
SectionB.8
SectionB.8

Version management

Difference between version and

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[{TableOfContents title='B.8 Managing HER information systems'}]
[{TableOfContents title='B.8 Management of data standards - FISH'}]
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!!!B.8 Managing HER information systems
!!B.8.1 Technical support for HER systems
!!!B.8 Management of data standards - FISH
Management and development of data standards for the historic environment is co-ordinated through FISH, the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage (see [http://fishforum.weebly.com/]). All of the major heritage bodies in the UK, including ALGAO, are involved in the steering committee of the Forum, which meets twice a year.
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HER computer systems may be based on a corporate network or on stand-alone PCs and may make use of standard commercial packages or bespoke systems. However installed, computer systems need technical support for both hardware and software. Such support may be available from corporate IT departments but, even where centrally provided, the actual support may be supplied by contractors. HER managers are recommended to consider carefully the level of support that they require to keep systems running and where possible reach appropriate 'service-level agreements'. These agreements might cover:
*support from hardware engineers to maintain and repair computer equipment
*provision of replacement hardware if repairs are undertaken offsite
*support from software developers to maintain or develop databases
*support to maintain or develop GIS
*provision of a telephone help desk to answer enquiries about using databases or GIS.
FISH is an online data standards forum aimed at anyone interested in improving data management, indexing procedures and the exchange of historic environment information. It develops and supports a wide range of professional heritage tools - such as indexing terminologies, recording standards and guidelines ([MIDAS Heritage|Glossary#MIDAS Heritage|target='_blank']), technical data mapping and exchange tools (FISH Toolkit). Membership is open to anyone with an interest in heritage information standards and all products produced and maintained by FISH are free to use and download.
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!!B.8.2 Data security
All aspects of a computing system can affect data security. Hardware components can fail or become damaged. Software problems can lead to the corruption of data. Security can be compromised through unauthorised access and modification of data or through loss of confidentiality. Computer systems and the data they hold need to be protected and to have tried and tested recovery procedures in place. It is expected that HERs run by a local authority will have adequate security, including firewalls and anti-virus protection. The need for this needs to be emphasised for HERs provided by Trusts.
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!Access and modification control
Some form of access and modification control is necessary to secure HER systems. The HER officer plays a crucial role in deciding levels of access and security for both staff and other users. Passwords are usually seen as a suitable way of guarding against unauthorised access to a computer system but may not provide the level of security that is anticipated.
%%image-caption
[{Image src='fig9_new.png' width='750px' alt='Figure 9: The [FISH website |http://fishforum.weebly.com/|target='_blank'] is the starting point for finding out about data standards for the historic environment.'}]
''Figure 9: The [FISH website|http://fishforum.weebly.com/|target='_blank'] is the starting point for finding out about data standards for the historic environment.''
/%
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One problem is that users tend to choose passwords that are easy to remember, which unfortunately are therefore also easily discovered by 'hackers' (people who gain unauthorised access to computer systems). Ideally passwords should be at least eight characters long and be a mixture of numbers and letters in upper and lower case, for example eLc1ddZ. They should not be based on easily obtainable information such as names or telephone numbers. Security is improved if the system restricts the number of chances a user has to log on. Most modern operating systems provide for password encryption.
!!B.8.1 How to get involved
There are several ways in which HER officers can become involved in the work of FISH
!E-mail discussion list
The easiest way to get involved is to join the free open membership e-mail discussion list run by FISH (see the website for details of how to join). List members may ask questions, raise issues that require attention, seek advice and will receive news about data standards issues, conferences and meetings. The e-mail discussion list is also host to ‘e-conferences’ - specially focused discussion on particular standards related topics. These are announced in advance on the list.
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Passwords can also be required at different levels of the system, such as network login, user account, specific machines and application, and even on specific directories and files. The kind of access users are allowed can often be controlled as well, for example files and directories set to 'read only' in order to prevent unauthorised modification. The usability of the system needs to be considered before implementing passwords at too many different levels, as overuse can cause its own problems.
!Candidate term submission
As HERs expand the scope of their content, there is a continuing need for the addition of new terms to the existing [wordlists|Glossary#Wordlist|target='_blank']. HER officers can get directly involved in standards development by submitting candidate terms – suggested additions to one of the controlled vocabularies or thesauri managed and maintained by the [FISH Terminology Working Group|Glossary#FISH Terminology Working Group|target='_blank'] in conjunction with a network of different working groups and standards bodies. Details of the appropriate contact for submission of candidate terms and information about special procedures for submitting terms can be found in the Terminology section of the [FISH website|http://fishforum.weebly.com/fish-terminology.html|target='_blank']. In general candidate term submission will involve:-
*Identifying a term or an idea that is not covered by the existing list.
*Describing when the candidate term should be used (a [‘scope note’|Glossary#Scope note|target='_blank']).
*Providing background information, such as examples of record where the candidate term would be appropriate, or published sources which use the term.
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!Viruses
A computer virus is a self-replicating computer program that may or may not be harmful. Some viruses simply display a message on screen while others destroy data stored on the system's hard disk. Viruses are the scourge of contemporary computing and they are extremely prevalent. Figures from MessageLabs, a leader in the provision of secure content management services and anti virus services, over 10 percent of emails contain a virus. In 2000 McAfee, an anti-virus software producer, estimated that over 45,000 types of virus were known. Today the figure is well over 70,000. A 'Trojan horse' is another type of program, usually grouped with viruses, which is introduced on to a computer system and triggered by pre-defined actions. Trojan horses are not self-replicating but they are invariably destructive.
!Peer review participation
FISH, as the co-ordinating body for the development of data standards, is particularly concerned to ensure that new data standards meet the needs of the historic environment sector. To do this newly developed standards will in most cases be circulated in draft form for peer review. This is an opportunity for HER staff to identify concerns, express support and to play a part in shaping an emerging standard. All peer reviews will be announced via the FISH email discussion list (and often via other email discussion lists). It is vital that HER staff participate in this process. Only by participation can effective and relevant data standards be developed.
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It is essential that any computing system is protected by anti-virus software. This software must be regularly updated to combat new viruses as they are discovered. There are numerous software packages available and, if a system is not already protected, HER managers should make it a priority to install one of these.
__Relevant links__
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All files should be scanned by the virus checker before being loaded into a system.
[ http://fishforum.weebly.com/| http://fishforum.weebly.com/|target='_blank']] the website for the Forum on Information Standards in Heritage.
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!Remote Trojan Horse attacks, Worms, Hoaxes
Most organisations will have a firewall in place as part of their IT strategy, however, individual machines increasingly need the protection of personal firewalls. Hackers can compromise poorly secured web sites with malicious code which exploits browser vulnerabilities to upload and execute a remote access Trojan Horse on the browser host machine, hence the possibility of bypassing an organisational firewall. Browser patches for vulnerabilities and firewall settings necessarily must be kept up to date.
From this page you can:
*Consult current versions of the FISH [MIDAS|http://fishforum.weebly.com/midas-heritage-standard.html|target='_blank'] standard and [FISH Terminology|http://fishforum.weebly.com/download-fish-terminology.html|target='_blank']
*Participate in discussion via our [email discussion list|http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=fish&A=1|target='_blank'] run by JISCmail.
*View [recent discussion|http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/fish.html|target='_blank'] and [download files|http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/files/FISH/|target='_blank'] from the forum archives.
*Find out more about the [contributors|http://fishforum.weebly.com/fish-contributors.html|target='_blank'] that direct the work of the forum.
*View our [Terms of Reference|http://fishforum.weebly.com/fish-terms-of-reference.html|target='_blank']
*View [what's new from FISH|http://fishforum.weebly.com/news-and-events.html|target='_blank']
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''Useful websites:''
See also [ADS Guides to Good Practice|http://guides.archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/|target='_blank']
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CNET News [http://news.com.com/Web+site+virus+attack+blunted/2100-7349_3-5248279.html|http://news.com.com/Web+site+virus+attack+blunted/2100-7349_3-5248279.html]
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%%panel-box
!Panel 5: Tools for indexing and retrieval: 1. Wordlists
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McAfee (virus protection software) [http://www.mcafee.com/uk/]
Westshire HER designed a database and transferred its records from the original card index. The card index had built up over a number of years and was maintained by several different members of staff. As part of the computerization the HER officer decided to standardise the terminology used to index site types in the database.
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Symantec (secure content management services) [http://www.symanteccloud.com/en/gb/]
As each site was recorded the site type was checked against the HER's wordlist. If the site type did not appear on the wordlist it was added and the list amended. Where a site type already existed on the list the HER Officer checked the consistency of the spelling and removed any abbreviations prior to indexing the type in the __MONUMENT TYPE__ field within the new database record.
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Symantec ('Antivirus Research Centre') [http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html|http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html]
Below is a sample of the monument types that had been recorded on the HER card index.
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!Backing-up data
No matter what precautions are taken, data is probably going to be lost at some time either accidentally or through malice or theft. There is a need for a strategy to be in place which covers both the backing-up of data and a tried and tested recovery plan. In short, risk assessments should be undertaken. If the HER is remotely hosted, there is an increased need to ensure that adequate back up facilities are in place.
|Altar|Tomb Barrow
|Barrow|Round Cemetery
|Disc Barrow|Tumulus
|Gravestone|Graveyard
|Headstone|L. Barrow
|Long Barrow|Mausoleum
|R.C. Cemetery|Round-Barrow
|Tomb|Tombstone
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GFS (grandfather, father, son) is a widely used back-up plan. It is usually employed as part of a tape-rotation strategy but can be employed with other storage media. GFS is normally based on a weekly schedule with full, partial or no back-ups undertaken variously on each day. The last full back-up of the week is the 'father' with any daily back-ups described as a ’son'. The latter are often selective involving very specific data that may have changed since the last 'father' back-up was done. These back-ups are transient and the storage medium can be reused once a new 'father' has been created, however, the last full back-up of each month, known as the 'grandfather', is usually kept as a permanent copy and not available for reuse. It is good practice to store monthly and even weekly back-ups offsite, preferably in a secure and fireproof environment.
The HER Officer rewrote the wordlist taking the decision to use rules to ensure that the wordlist isconsistent. These were:
*Natural word order
*No abbreviations
*No punctuation
*Include Preferred and Non-Preferred terms
The revised wordlist that was developed for the computerization appears below. Preferred terms appear in upper case, Non-Preferred in mixed case.
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Using GFS may be excessive for many situations, especially if data remains static for long periods. For example, updating a database might be so irregular that only an occasional back-up is necessary. In such cases, it might be sufficient to export a copy of the database following updating and to back-up the whole system weekly or monthly. Backing-up and recovery strategies should be tailored to need.
|ALTAR TOMB| |
|BARROW|use for| Tumulus
|CEMETERY|use for| Graveyard, R.C. Cemetery
|DISC BARROW| |
|GRAVESTONE|use for|Headstone
|LONG BARROW|use for|L.Barrow
|MAUSOLEUM| |
|TOMB|use for|Tombstone
|ROUND BARROW|use for|Barrow, Round
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Traditionally tape has been used as a back-up medium. It is cheap and tape back-up systems are inexpensive to buy. However, low-cost alternatives are now also available through high capacity DVD based systems for example. Serious consideration should be given to these for smaller systems, as they have the added advantage of easily enabling the movement of data between systems with similar drives. Other emerging back-up technologies include RAID disk arrays, where data is mirrored on more than one disk, or Storage Area Networks (SANs), which allow the sharing of back-up equipment between computers, although these are probably aimed more at the corporate market.
The new wordlist included all the old terms but only those which were Preferred could be used to index in the new database. Any Non-Preferred terms were included as a guide to which term to use for indexing.
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It is good practice to attempt a test restore on a separate PC or server to ensure back up procedures are adequate. This should be repeated after upgrades and alterations to the system. Backup and restore procedures should be included in disaster recovery plans.
The computer records were indexed using the new wordlist and as a result information retrieval was improved. A request from a user for all information about Barrows could now be answered by a relatively simple search of the database, rather than following a long trawl through the card index.
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As a final thought, if complete disaster happens and your back-up strategy fails or has not been implemented all may not be lost. A number of companies specialise in recovery following drive crashes, virus attack, file system corruption and so forth. It might be an expensive exercise but so is data loss. The only solution is to maintain an efficient back-up and recovery strategy and document this in your disaster plan.
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%%panel-box
!Panel 6: Tools for Indexing and retrieval: 2. Thesauri
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''Useful websites:''
Like a wordlist, a thesaurus is used to standardise terminology and help the user to choose terms to enter into database fields. However, unlike a wordlist, a thesaurus:
*allows terms, related by a similar subject, to be grouped together into hierarchies and crossreferenced to other groups of terms which may be relevant to the subject.
*provides the user with a single Preferred term to use where there is a choice of terms with the same or similar meaning e.g. __BARROW__ use for Tumulus.
*through the use of hierarchies, allows terms to be selected at a general or specific level, depending on the level of indexing required.
*is a dynamic tool, which can be developed by the addition, amendment and deletion of terms,
relationships or hierarchies as dictated by individual needs.
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GFS Back-up Strategy [http://www.intel.com/support/storageexpress/sb/cs-011789.htm|http://www.intel.com/support/storageexpress/sb/cs-011789.htm]
__Example__
Westshire HER acquired the HBSMR Software from exeGesIS SDM Ltd and migrated all their records
from the old database. A similar search to that carried out using terms from the wordlist can now be done using the thesaurus built into the software.
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Data recovery example [http://www.ontrack.co.uk|http://www.ontrack.co.uk]
This allows the user to either search for a specific term, e.g. __ROUND BARROW__ or to carry out a search using the "Broad Term" of __BARROW__ and asking for all the records indexed with its "Narrow Terms". This search would retrieve any records indexed with any of the terms listed below, but would only require one search instead of twenty!
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!!B.8.3 Procuring new information systems
Any plan to implement new computing facilities or GIS for the HER is likely to begin with staff. This may come about because an existing HER system is coming to the end of its working life or because new technology and improved tools have become available. Once it has been recognised that a new or replacement system is desirable, it is important to prepare a business case for procuring a new system and to specify the HER’s requirements from it.
*BARROW
**BANK BARROW
**CHAMBERED BARROW
***CHAMBERED LONG BARROW
***CHAMBERED ROUND BARROW
**D SHAPED BARROW
**LONG BARROW
***CHAMBERED LONG BARROW
***OVAL BARROW
**POND BARROW
**RING BARROW
**ROUND BARROW
***BELL BARROW
***BELL DISC BARROW
***BOWL BARROW
***CHAMBERED ROUND BARROW
***DISC BARROW
***PLATFORM BARROW
***SAUCER BARROW
**SQUARE BARROW
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The HER's parent organisation may have a corporate information systems strategy. This may specify standard software applications to be used within the organisation and for which there is in-house expertise. The strategy document may also give guidelines for procurement of specialist professional applications or for working with IT consultants.
!HER databases
Most organisations consider HER databases to be specialist professional applications that may be developed either as bespoke systems or purchased as off-the-shelf products. In specifying new HER databases it is important to consider both compliance with nationally agreed data standards and user requirements for working with the system. HER managers are recommended to consult other HERs and the NMR to discuss the systems that are in use in HERs as well as talking to IT professionals (whether consultants or those working for their organisation).
!GIS software
If a local authority has chosen a particular GIS this may be a powerful argument for the HER to do likewise. A corporate GIS will make the task of sharing data with other sections easier and will enable the HER to harness the expertise within the authority, helping to support the system, and possibly to obtain the software at low or no cost. HER managers should still check that this software meets their requirements. These requirements must be realistic - think about how much a facility would be used, and if the requirement is occasional, whether there are cheaper ways of meeting the need, such as using an external contractor.
One element of the user requirement is likely to be a list of the functions that the GIS is intended to perform. A useful source of advice is the ''Functional Requirement Specification for GIS'' (LGMB 1991), available from the Improvement and Development Agency, formerly the Local Government Management Board (LGMB). This includes a catalogue of GIS functions, which can be used as a 'checklist' to compare different software products and to assess if any customisation might be required and what skills would be needed to achieve the desired outcome. Target response times for operations that are important to users can provide a useful benchmark and can be used to make sure that the users' expectations and the developer's system performance targets are aligned. For example, if the identification of all records falling within an administrative boundary will be a frequent enquiry what would be the maximum acceptable time for this to take?
!Contracts
If you are entering into a legal contract with an external supplier, it is well worth having a 'health check' from a specialist department, for example legal services or procurement. If internal advice is not available then consider budgeting for specialist advice. The cost may seem expensive, but will be small compared to the expense of a major mistake. Establishing the user requirement and expressing that in legally enforceable terms is a skill in its own right - don't underestimate it!
!!B.8.4 Data migration
As data standards and information technology have developed, most HERs have migrated their databases into newer systems. Data migration requires careful planning, which may include:
*completing an audit of the HER database, its data structure and assessing the data quality
*confirming the format in which digital data will be exported from the existing database
*securing a back-up and an archive copy of the existing database
*mapping the data in your old system to the data structure of the new system
*identifying problems or issues with the data to be addressed in advance of migration, including planning, to adopt national data standards and reference data
*planning to complete data migration and have the new system up and running as quickly as possible
*establishing a training programme for HER staff to enable them to become familiar with the new systems.
It is probable that the FISH Interoperability Toolkit will have a significant role to play in the movement and migration of data in the future (See also section B.6, B.7).
Using a thesaurus also allows the indexer the flexibility of indexing at either the general level (where the only information known is that a __BARROW__ exists) or the more specific level (where investigation shows the monument to be a __CHAMBERED ROUND BARROW__).
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This page (revision-14) was last changed on 31-Mar-2015 17:20 by Alison Bennett Top