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Digital Libraries
Q2 1999 Status Report

Table of Contents:

What's happened this quarter? Changes since last report (April - June 1998)
Where are we? Full summary through this report period- June 1998 (Quarter 2)
Where are we going? Plans after June 1998 (Quarter 2)

Changes since last report (April - June 1998)

What we have learned this report period

The quad-processor Intel Pentium Pro computer, running Windows NT server, has performed very reliably. Running MultiMIMSY's Oracle database served by this computer has been very stable.
With regard to MultiMIMSY's Oracle client, the new Intel-based computers are providing a much betteruser-experience than the Apple Macintoshes currently available to the Museum staff, as measured by not only speed, but also by interface. Not unexpectedly, both MultiMIMSY's Oracle client and MultiMIMSY's report-writing software, PowerSoft's InfoMaker, perform considerably faster on the new Intel hardware than the older Macintoshes.
The lack of formal training in Windows NT has created some inefficiencies, as well as creating some possible security risks. We are exploring securing formal training through Cornell, as we try to better educate ourselves via on-line methods and reading text books and trade journals. To a lesser extent, unfamiliarity with the Oracle server application has also slowed our progress.
Image manipulation and quality assurance work on one of the dual processor machines has been slower than expected because the machine, in order to use the color calibration software, must run Windows 95, and Windows 95 cannot take full advantage of the second processor. We hope that this problem will be solved with Windows NT 5.0, perhaps with a color calibration software update.

Milestones this report period

Equipment received, configuration, and installation

2 Workstations
300mhz Intel Pentium II DUAL processors, 256MB memory, 4GB disk, Windows NT Workstations connecting over TCP/IP (10Base-T).
One workstation is located at the CIDC (in Kroch Library), and the other workstation is situated at the museum. "Researcher's Cataloging Workstation 2 (Museum)" and "High-end shared graphics
workstation (CIDC)".

Additional software installed

Researcher's Cataloging Workstation 2 (Museum)
Q2
1.MS Office 97
2.Oracle client (MultiMIMSY)
3.PowerSoft InfoMaker (MultiMIMSY report writer)
4.FileMakerPro.
5.PC-Mac LAN
High-end shared graphics workstation (CIDC)
Q2
1.MS Office 97
2.Adobe Photoshop
3.Driver software for 21" monitor, color scanner, color printer, and CD-ROM writer.
4.Microsoft FrontPage

Training

No structured training this report period. See "training" topic in the section "What we have learned this report period", above.

Participants

No change in participants this report period.

Web links

No new web links this report period.

Full summary through this report period - June 1998 (Quarter 2)

Milestones

(See above for this quarter's Milestones.)

Equipment received, configuration, and installation
1Q

1 Server
4x200mhz 500kb L2 Cache Intel Pentium Pro processors, 500MB memory, 5x9GB disk, Windows NT Server, accessible over TCP/IP (10Base-T).
Disk format: RAID 5 (fault-tolerance) over the applications and data partitions, and disk mirroring across the boot partition. DAT back-up for archiving and catastrophic back-up.
Located at the CIDC, in Kroch Library.
4 Workstations
300mhz Intel Pentium II processors, 128MB memory, 2GB disk, WindowsNT Workstations connecting over TCP/IP (10Base-T).
Two located at the CIDC, in Kroch Library, and two are situated at the museum.


Additional software installed

Server:
1Q
1.Run-time Oracle database (MultiMIMSY server) software. Enables museum-level image description and cataloging capabilities. Accessed via proprietary Oracle client (MultiMIMSY client).
2.Symantec's pcANYWHERE/32 for remote administration over both dial-in and Internet.
Project Manager's Workstation:
1Q
1.MS Office 97.
2.Oracle client (MultiMIMSY).
Project System Engineer's Workstation:
1Q
1.MS Office 97.
2.Oracle client (MultiMIMSY).
3.Windows NT Server management software.
Researcher's Cataloging Workstation 1:
1Q
1.MS Office 97.
2.Oracle client (MultiMIMSY).
3.FileMakerPro.
Public Kiosk (dedicated-use station):
1Q
1.Luna Imaging System software enables public access to museum project's most recently digitized images.

Training

1Q

MultiMIMSY (Willoughby) training. Nine participants, representing the four collaborating departments.  Three days duration, all day. [3/31/98 - 4/2/98, 9AM to 5PM.]

Participants

CORNELL INSTITUTE for DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
  Participant Position Contact info.
  Peter B. Hirtle Project Director pbh6@cornell.edu
  Oliver B. Habicht Project Systems Engineer oh10@cornell.edu

 

JOHNSON MUSEUM
  Participant Position Contact info.
  Carol A. DeNatale Museum's Imaging Project Coordinator cad11@cornell.edu
  Michael L. Bevans Digital Photographer mlb38@cornell.edu
  Matthew J. Shirley Digital Photographer mjs60@cornell.edu
  Paul R. Gentile Digital Computer Technician* prg4@cornell.edu
  Yvonne K. Widenor Cataloguer ykw2@cornell.edu
  Rebecca W. Davidson Cataloguer* rd18@cornell.edu

*part-time

ARCHITECTURE, ART and PLANNING
  Participant Position Contact info.
  Margaret N. Webster AAP Slide Library Coordinator mnw3@cornell.edu

 

HISTORY of ART
  Participant Position Contact info.
  Wendy Botting History of Art Slide Library Coordinator wb13@cornell.edu


Plans

We have received the draft data of each department's databases that was outsourced for conversion to the MultiMIMSY database format. Once we are satisfied with the data conversion we will permit departments to update information directly.
We must reconcile the data against our records and preferences. Some of the fixes require running SQL scripts that assume no new data is present. Therefore, we must finish this step before departments are permitted to update the database.
Train-the-trainer work will continue now that we have data. Once we approve the data conversion, we will no  longer use department-specific databases for the shared image data. [From 98Q1]
We must establish policies and standards for language and data entry into the database structure so queries will work similarly across all departmental data. This will require testing and iterating our
preferences over time. [From 98Q1]
We must develop a method to communicate between the Oracle server (MultiMIMSY) and the Luna Imaging System. MultiMIMSY contains information about the images managed by the Luna software. [From 98Q1]
We expect to develop the capability to use internet browsers to access certain elements of either (or both) the MultiMIMSY or Luna databases. [From 98Q1]
We must enhance the kiosk workstation's security and robustness. [From 98Q1]

Web links

Cornell Institute for Digital Collections (CIDC)
IMAG/CU Software Project (CIDC site)
Johnson Museum Online Project (CIDC site)
MultiMIMSY (Willoughby site)    

 

 

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Last modified on: 10/12/99