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HML Data Dictionary
An enterprise level database is needed to satisfy the requirement for the OHH research cores to import and integrate their field collections as well as their analysis of the generated data. The main goal is to facilitate the integration of datasets that in the past have typically been considered somewhat disparate and allow access to this aggregated data by researchers as well as the general public. Mechanisms to protect certain data will be implemented both internally by the DBMS and the front ends that allow access to the data. Thorough meetings with each individual group are a necessity in order to make the structure all encompassing enough without creating a database administration nightmare.
Currently, the groups that this database will support are:
- Applied Marine Genomics
- Emerging Chemical Contaminants
- Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
- Pathogen Source Tracking
Some of these groups may have their own data management system but we need to be able to share and query relevant data in an efficient manner. In order to do this, the utilization of a metadata catalog, ontologies, or other semantic mechanisms will be necessary. In the early stages, data will be imported into the system with ultimately the vision of using the previously mentioned metadata techniques being realized to create a unique and powerful data discovery tool.
Postresql, a highly-scalable, SQL compliant, open source object-relational database management system, was chosen to be the database server. Extensive user groups and our close association with organizations who use this system were important factors in making this decision. The PostGIS extension spatially enables the PostgreSQL server, allowing it to be used as a backend spatial database for geographic information systems (GIS). Since most if not all of the data collected will have a spatial component, this will be a key construct in facilitating data discovery through web GIS applications.