Managing Data & Information with the

SECN Decision Support System

GWS MeetingNew Orleans, LAMarch 14-18, 2011

Outline Background and a brief history Planning Process Transition: MS Access to SQL Server SECN Decision Support System Next Steps

A Brief History Information Needs Assessment (INA)

Standard IT approach to systems planning

DMPlanning

VSPlanning Conceptual

ModelingDevelopProtocols

ConceptualModeling

SystemDesign

AssessNeeds

AssessNeeds

Implement

ConceptualModeling

DevelopProtocols

AssessNeeds Conceptual

ModelingDevelopProtocols

Implement

AssessNeeds

ConceptualModeling

DevelopProtocols

Outcomes of the Needs Assessment Preliminary protocol development summary

documents

Protocol reporting (output) requirements and the necessary inputs to meet those requirements

Preliminary conceptual object model The foundation for database development Describes required database components and the

relationship between those components

Conceptual Object Model

Take home message To meet the needs of our program and the

expectations of end-users, our data management system should be an integrated, enterprise level solution that takes advantage of the following: Data integration across protocols Better performance, especially for larger

datasets Easier access across multiple locations Minimal data redundancy Robust, online access to the centralized system Greater reporting capabilities

Status: 2006-2007 Initial database development efforts in MS

Access for our fixed-station water quality monitoring protocol Due to need for rapid database development Lack of approval from IT to use SQL Server Current staff not skilled in SQL server

Fixed-station water quality monitoring Data loggers collect data every 30 minutes, year

round >17,500 records, for 8 parameters, per station, per

year By late 2005 there were 5 stations operating Currently there are 17 stations in operation Discrete nutrient data also collected monthly and

quarterly

Requires equipment inventory and maintenance records

Requires extensive pre- and post-deployment calibration

Requires extensive QA/QC procedures using ancillary weather data and manual examination of the data

Database Problems for this Protocol Issues with Implementing this protocol

database in Access: Multiple users required multiple database copies

– leading to problems with database replication QA/QC procedures difficult due to amount of

data and performance issues Other Issues

Unable to centralize due to poor performance Database size limits rapidly approaching Inadequate reporting capabilities

Lessons Learned Involve local IT staff early in the process and

throughout the process

Make sure your staff have the skills necessary to support whatever database and applications that you build.

Don’t start development until your protocol data collection procedures have been stabilized or finalized

Skipping ahead to today During 2008, SECN transitioned from MS Access

to SQL Server for existing databases Almost all new development takes place in SQL

Server Development begins when the protocol is stable

ConceptualModeling

SystemDesign

AssessNeeds Implement

SECN SharePoint Site Windows Server 2003 SQL Server 2008, enterprise edition SQL Server Reporting Services Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS)

2007, enterprise edition Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 .NET framework 2.0 and 3.0 Dundas Data Visualization for Reporting

Services Bing Maps Development tools: Microsoft InfoPath, Visual

Studio

Functionality Overview Data Entry

Enter field data collection information Update database lookup tables Keep an inventory of equipment and repairs

Data QA/QC Save an electronic copy of data sheet – as

entered Save an electronic copy of data sheet – as

certified Certify data entry For data logger data – flag as suspect, delete

Data Analysis and Reporting Standardized reporting available on SharePoint Map viewer application

SECN SharePoint Site

http://secn

Form is in MS InfoPath

Matches data sheet * indicates required Built in QA/QC Data submitted

directly to the database as provisional data

Form saved as a record of data entry

Data verification is a separate step

Update lookup tables

Inventory Equipment

QA/QC – Certify Data

Data Analysis and Reporting

Next Steps Continuing development for protocols coming

online Expanding our reporting capabilities and data

access tools Working with US-FWS I&M program to take

advantage of our system whenever protocols allow

Moving our mapping application to NPMap

Questions?