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Options and approaches to provide on-line access to databases.
Online BASIS databases at ZADI

D. Jiménez Krause
ZADI, Bonn

BASIS is a relational database management and document retrieval system with integrated WWW interface (BASIS is a product of Information Dimentions Ltd., USA). BASIS runs at ZADI on a Unix workstation.

The most significant characteristics of BASIS are:

advanced relational database features (similar to ORACLE)
advanced indexing features. Full text (single word) index, self-defined indices, combined indices, integrated thesaurus functionability
very powerful database server to quickly manage huge amounts of data, enabling multiple access to several databases at once
automatic generation of WWW forms for search and data output (integrated WWW interface for direct online access to the databases). The standard BASIS-WWW search and output forms can be manipulated in order to improve the Internet layout of the database.

On the other hand, to run a BASIS system implies:

very high initial investment (for software and hardware)
high version update and system maintenance costs
complex system management.

That means that BASIS is not a solution for a single institution but for a central documentation and information centre like ZADI that allows smaller institutions to put their databases in the Internet using high-speed Internet connection, high-end hardware, powerful software tools and database expertise provided by or available at these centres.

ZADI runs more than 30 online BASIS databases, some their own and some external (see Table 1).

In order to allow online access to CCDBs at institutions not yet having the tools for the realization of online databases, ZADI offers to host CCDBs at its BASIS server upon mutually agreed conditions.

Requirements for hosting an external CCDB at ZADI as an online BASIS database:

the responsibility for content, consistency and integrity of the “published” data lies with the DB manager
the supplied DB has to be in a definitive shape and available in electronic format, preferably dBASE or FoxPro, so that minimal effort is needed in order to convert it into BASIS
additional information has to be supplied, e.g. short description (labels) and long textual description of the fields (descriptors) as well as decoding tables either as text, dBASE or FoxPro file for coded fields.

Table 1. BASIS Online Databases at ZADI (selection)

BASIS Online Databases at ZADI (selection) Responsible No. of Entries

ELFIS German agricultural bibliographic database
http://www.dainet.de:8080/ELFIS/SF ZADI 237.264

German Research Projects in the agricultural sector
http://www.dainet.de:8080/AGFSTW/SF ZADI 31.338

Journal of Genetic Resources Publications Journal of the Information Centre for Genetic Resources (ZADI/IGR)
http://www.dainet.de/genres/infos/igrreihe.htm ZADI/IGR 7 volumes
125 contributions

PGRDEU German plant genetic resources catalogue
http://www.dainet.de/genres/pgrdeu/ ZADI/IGR, BAZ, IPK, BfN 110.000

International Database for Vigna Subterranea http://www.dainet.de/genres/bambara/bambara.htm ZADI/IGR, IITA, UNZA 1.897

International Vitis Database
http://www.dainet.de/genres/vitis/vitis.htm BAZ 16.000

International Database for Beta
http://www.dainet.de/genres/beta/ BAZ 9.461

European Hordeum Database
http://www.dainet.de/eccdb/barley/ IPK so far 23.293

European Poa Database
http://www.dainet.de/eccdb/poa/poa.htm IPK so far 2.636

Stand 07-17-1997

BAZ Federal Institute for Breeding Research on Cultivated Plants

IPK Institute for Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research

BfN Federal Agency for Nature Conservation

IITA Genetic Resources Unit of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria

UNZA University of Zambia

BASIS Online Databases at ZADI (selection)	Responsible	No. of Entries

ELFIS German agricultural bibliographic database http://www.dainet.de:8080/ELFIS/SF	ZADI	237.264

German Research Projects in the agricultural sector http://www.dainet.de:8080/AGFSTW/SF	ZADI	31.338

Journal of Genetic Resources Publications Journal of the Information Centre for Genetic Resources (ZADI/IGR) http://www.dainet.de/genres/infos/igrreihe.htm	ZADI/IGR	7 volumes 125 contributions

PGRDEU German plant genetic resources catalogue http://www.dainet.de/genres/pgrdeu/	ZADI/IGR, BAZ, IPK, BfN	110.000

International Database for Vigna Subterranea http://www.dainet.de/genres/bambara/bambara.htm	ZADI/IGR, IITA, UNZA	1.897

*International Vitis* Database** http://www.dainet.de/genres/vitis/vitis.htm	BAZ	16.000

International Database for Beta http://www.dainet.de/genres/beta/	BAZ	9.461

*European Hordeum* Database** http://www.dainet.de/eccdb/barley/	IPK	so far 23.293

*European Poa* Database** http://www.dainet.de/eccdb/poa/poa.htm	IPK	so far 2.636

BAZ	Federal Institute for Breeding Research on Cultivated Plants
IPK	Institute for Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research
BfN	Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
IITA	Genetic Resources Unit of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria
UNZA	University of Zambia