[Nhcoll-l] collections based database software
Ginzbarg, Steve
sginzbar at ua.edu
Thu May 21 20:47:50 EDT 2020
Chris Jordan who manages the Arctos database at Texas Advanced Computing Center writes (see below).
Steve Ginzbarg
Assistant Curator
The University of Alabama Herbarium
From: Christopher Jordan <ctjordan at tacc.utexas.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 5:15 PM
To: Matthew Edeker <medeker at tacc.utexas.edu>
Cc: Ginzbarg, Steve <sginzbar at ua.edu>
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] collections based database software
Steven,
We have a tape archive and an offsite storage system in Arlington that we use for storing full backups of the database. We also have a disk-based replica of Arctos media which are hosted at TACC. Any participating member of Arctos could receive a full copy of the database backups, but there have been some concerns about “masked” data, so under the new “version” of the Arctos infrastructure which will be deployed starting next week, I believe they are planning to set up backups for each individual sites “portion” of the database which they could then take for themselves - this is really a policy question and thus best addressed with the Arctos team themselves.
The question of not losing backups of the database is honestly the least of the concerns WRT a system like Arctos - the challenges are mostly in having a replicable instance of the whole infrastructure since without the code that runs it the database backup would be difficult to do anything with. That has been a challenge in the past but is improving vastly in the current code modernization, and in the near future we expect to be able to host multiple running instances of the whole stack including backup instances at other participating Arctos sites.
Thanks
----------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Jordan
Data Management and Collections Group Lead
Texas Advanced Computing Center
The University of Texas at Austin
Phone: 512.232.3755
E-mail: ctjordan at tacc.utexas.edu<mailto:ctjordan at tacc.utexas.edu>
________________________________
From: Derek Sikes <dssikes at alaska.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:06 PM
To: Rob Robins <rhrobins at flmnh.ufl.edu>
Cc: Amanda Bremner <Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca>; Mayfield, Teresa <tmayfield at utep.edu>; Ginzbarg, Steve <sginzbar at ua.edu>; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>; Arctos Working Group <arctos-working-group at googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] collections based database software
Rob,
Indeed - & Arctos is served from the Texas Advanced Computer Center: https://www.tacc.utexas.edu/
-Derek
On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 11:58 AM Rob Robins <rhrobins at flmnh.ufl.edu<mailto:rhrobins at flmnh.ufl.edu>> wrote:
Hi Folks,
Just a quick observation, surely not lost on this group, but "the cloud" is just a computer or computers. Maybe it's in your building. Maybe its in another town. Maybe its in a giant data center. Maybe its in another university setting kind of like yours.
In any case not all clouds are equal and comparisons should not be made off the cuff.
If one is making one's evaluation on what thingamajig to select partly on the cloud-computing component with which it is associated, one will presumably want to evaluate said cloud carefully.
Best wishes,
Rob
________________________________
From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>> on behalf of Amanda Bremner <Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca<mailto:Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca>>
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 3:12 PM
To: Derek Sikes; Mayfield, Teresa
Cc: Ginzbarg, Steve; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>; Arctos Working Group
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] collections based database software
[External Email]
Yes, definitely a lot of priceless time is put into these records.
Thank you again Derek ☺
Amanda
From: Derek Sikes [mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu<mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu>]
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:06 PM
To: Amanda Bremner; Mayfield, Teresa
Cc: Carla Cicero; Ginzbarg, Steve; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>; Arctos Working Group
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] collections based database software
Amanda,
Arctos is cloud-based computing like gmail. It's accessed entirely through web browsers. This has the advantage of never having to worry about loss of data on local computers or maintaining backups yourself (I've had computers crash & be stolen). Prior to moving to Arctos I had hundreds of thousands of records in a home-made database on a computer in my office & I became increasingly worried about the safety of the data. After spending a decade and hundreds of thousands of dollars getting the data into a database it becomes very very important that the data are safe. Buildings sometimes burn or flood etc. Having all your data in the 'cloud' is very reassuring. It's arguable that the data are safer than the specimens!
I've cc'd Teresa Mayfield who I'm pretty sure can help with providing you a way to take Arctos for a 'test drive'.
Cheers,
Derek
On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 10:43 AM Amanda Bremner <Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca<mailto:Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca>> wrote:
Dear Derek, Carla and Steve,
Thank you all for your responses ☺.
I do have a question a couple of questions: Can you download Arctos on a single workstation to try it out for a small representative sample of records to test it out?
Steve, can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by “I think that Sustain Specify making their code available is defeating the purpose of having one unified program that serves many users”? I am very new to this.
Cheers,
Amanda
From: Derek Sikes [mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu<mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu>]
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 3:51 PM
To: Carla Cicero
Cc: Ginzbarg, Steve; Amanda Bremner; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>; Arctos Working Group
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] collections based database software
I've been happily using Arctos for the University of Alaska Museum Insect Collection<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.uaf.edu_museum_collections_ento_&d=DwMGaQ&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=MCIx6IevDpZN7oPx8SAIb6_HvqHJFo2if2SZHHR4kiQ&m=Yn_XqAH-fUIoUzzAysFQCJvh0kF-LjwYm0rghlpeFL8&s=7cD-fdvj8KZKzcUGyR-Xb276cWX6WVFMMIhiYhPk-4E&e=> since 2012 and am also happy to answer any questions about it.
Cheers,
Derek
On Wed, May 20, 2020 at 10:12 AM Carla Cicero <ccicero at berkeley.edu<mailto:ccicero at berkeley.edu>> wrote:
Hi Steve - Thanks for this email. I just sent Amanda a separate email suggesting that they also consider Arctos, with a few details about the system and community.
We are happy to answer any questions Amanda might have about Arctos.
Best,
Carla
On Wed, May 20, 2020 at 11:09 AM Ginzbarg, Steve <sginzbar at ua.edu<mailto:sginzbar at ua.edu>> wrote:
Dear Amanda,
I am looking at Arctos, https://arctosdb.org/<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__arctosdb.org_&d=DwMGaQ&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=MCIx6IevDpZN7oPx8SAIb6_HvqHJFo2if2SZHHR4kiQ&m=Yn_XqAH-fUIoUzzAysFQCJvh0kF-LjwYm0rghlpeFL8&s=BBNTdJdpMOb3e0Lp4doeXRU06m1yXleot7G_kqc_Bxc&e=>. I like their business model. If you want a feature and they think it will be useful to others they will incorporate it. If not, you pay them to add it. Cost of the software is based on number of specimen records.
I think that Sustain Specify making their code available is defeating the purpose of having one unified program that serves many users.
Many of the examples in the Darwin Core quick reference guide, https://dwc.tdwg.org/terms/<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dwc.tdwg.org_terms_&d=DwMGaQ&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=MCIx6IevDpZN7oPx8SAIb6_HvqHJFo2if2SZHHR4kiQ&m=Yn_XqAH-fUIoUzzAysFQCJvh0kF-LjwYm0rghlpeFL8&s=D6iKM5inS6_LehgAgizdmz1YaAY4hy5otWbbWxuWb4Q&e=>, are from Arctos.
Arctos has been around since the 1990s. I like their webinar tutorials.
All data are securely stored at the Texas Advanced Computing Center.
Is anyone using Arctos who could comment on it?
Steve Ginzbarg
Assistant Curator
The University of Alabama Herbarium (UNA)
________________________________
From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>> on behalf of Amanda Bremner <Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca<mailto:Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca>>
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 9:34 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu> <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>>
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] FW: collections based database software
Hello,
We are considering choosing a new database, either EMu by Axiell or Sustain Specify, for our Natural History collections (Zoology, Botany and Mycology, Geology and Paleontology). The database we currently use was designed for use in libraries (Inmagic DB/TextWorks).
Have any of you recently reviewed these two databases? Would you be willing to share pros and cons, beyond the fact that one is significantly more costly than the other?
Thanks,
Amanda
Amanda Bremner, M.Sc.
Curatorial Assistant/Adjointe à la Conservation des collections
Department of Natural History/ Département d’histoire naturelle
New Brunswick Museum/Musée du Nouveau-Brunswick
277 Douglas Avenue/ 277, avenue Douglas
Saint John, New Brunswick/ Saint John (Nouveau-Brunswick)
Canada E2K 1E5
Tel: 506-643-7670
Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca<mailto:Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca> ]
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Derek S. Sikes, Curator of Insects
Professor of Entomology
University of Alaska Museum
1962 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6960
dssikes at alaska.edu<mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu>
phone: 907-474-6278
FAX: 907-474-5469
University of Alaska Museum - search 400,276 digitized arthropod records
http://arctos.database.museum/uam_ento_all<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.uaf.edu_museum_collections_ento_&d=DwMGaQ&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=MCIx6IevDpZN7oPx8SAIb6_HvqHJFo2if2SZHHR4kiQ&m=Yn_XqAH-fUIoUzzAysFQCJvh0kF-LjwYm0rghlpeFL8&s=6vTo4o_bx89FefvwNFApBcYvi8kkFHahMfUVRaIQajk&e=>
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--
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Derek S. Sikes, Curator of Insects
Professor of Entomology
University of Alaska Museum
1962 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6960
dssikes at alaska.edu<mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu>
phone: 907-474-6278
FAX: 907-474-5469
University of Alaska Museum - search 400,276 digitized arthropod records
http://arctos.database.museum/uam_ento_all<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.uaf.edu_museum_collections_ento_&d=DwMGaQ&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=MCIx6IevDpZN7oPx8SAIb6_HvqHJFo2if2SZHHR4kiQ&m=Yn_XqAH-fUIoUzzAysFQCJvh0kF-LjwYm0rghlpeFL8&s=6vTo4o_bx89FefvwNFApBcYvi8kkFHahMfUVRaIQajk&e=>
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Interested in Alaskan Entomology? Join the Alaska Entomological
Society and / or sign up for the email listserv "Alaska Entomological Network" at
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--
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Derek S. Sikes, Curator of Insects
Professor of Entomology
University of Alaska Museum
1962 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99775-6960
dssikes at alaska.edu<mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu>
phone: 907-474-6278
FAX: 907-474-5469
University of Alaska Museum - search 400,276 digitized arthropod records
http://arctos.database.museum/uam_ento_all<http://www.uaf.edu/museum/collections/ento/>
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Interested in Alaskan Entomology? Join the Alaska Entomological
Society and / or sign up for the email listserv "Alaska Entomological Network" at
http://www.akentsoc.org/contact_us
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