vi
- ZU —
Commands and error messages will be provided in arabic. The concept
can be extended to any pair of alphabets upon request.
The Computer Hardware.
Currently the computer is a SIEMENS 7865 (IBM compatible) with
4Mbytes core storage operating under BS3000 operating system The
speed is 1.9 Mips (Million instructions per second).
The mass Btorage consists of 30 Gbytes IBM compatible fixed head
disks. Part of the units operate in double density with 1.2 Gbytes
storage per unit.
Tefécommuhicätion front ends are two MEMOREX 1270 with a total
cäpäcity of some 200 ports.
fhé.usu&l petiphertál&, high speed line printers. tape units
(6280/1600 bpi) áre provided.
Privaté files.
Whétead Mbét of the commercial dat&basés imply a massive
inffástrütture, there appedbs to be 8 genuine need fof many
eustomers to get easy access to a service whereby,, withôut the need
to heavily invest in hardware, software and relevant manpower, a
dita base can be created and interrogated using the full power of a
sophisticated retrieval software.
It is with this need in mind that the Private File Service was
created:
Depending on the type of work needed, the amount of data fo De
inputted, the frequency at which data have to go online two basic
alternatives are proposed.
The first if the Online Data Entry Service which operates on high
speed tetminals (2400 bps). The principle is that for each database
being cteated the customer establishes first the electronic
equivalent of the usual (paper) input forms. On such forms (called
"masks" - and there are 10 of them which can be made available) the
customer indicates the various locations and names of fields to be
subsequently filled with data.
A special operation allows these areas on the screen to be
"protected" so that during the input operations only the actual data
need to be keyed in. All data are stored in a special mass storage
where they are permanently available for correction, editing,
amendment etc. At predetermined intervals the data are collected,
. validated by a specific program and processed to become interrogable
under ESA-QUEST commands like any of the other public databases.
This service is well adapted to high yield databases such as is
found in the case of library automation with a high rate of document
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