Storing and Accessing Non-ERP (CARS) Data in Departments/Offices

Storing and Accessing Non-ERP (CARS) Data in Departments/Offices

First, the request will be evaluated by the Director of Information Systems to determine if the identified data belongs in Bethel's ERP (CARS) system:

• Does the data have significance for more than one Bethel department or office?
• Is this long or short-term data storage?
• Is the information confidential, and if so, what security measures will be observed?
• Does the information already exist in CARS?

The Information Services team will respond to the request based on these criteria. If approved, continue to point 2.

ITS will offer two solutions for departments/offices to follow depending upon their needs. In either scenario, ITS will install the hardware, OS, web server application if needed, and database application. The department/office will be responsible to purchase, design/develop, and maintain the application software. The department/office will also be responsible for the monetary costs of the project.

• pc, Linux, Apache, MySQL
• pc, Windows 2000 server, IIS, SQL Server

Database solutions that employ personal database products such as Access and Filemaker are strongly discouraged. ITS experience with such personal products confirms that they are not designed to function in multi-user environments. They are neither robust enough nor have adequate security provisions to support the expansion of applications that departments/offices inevitably desire to create. This lack of flexibility leads to frustration and the inability to support expanded goals, resulting in loss of time and other resources. Thus, ITS will not support such solutions.

ITS will develop the protocols for making data from our ERP and/or the departmental/office database available via a web page. Data access will be available to persons in the department/office or to appropriate constituents outside the department/office.

ITS and the department are jointly responsible for reviewing the security design of the departmental database and application, to ensure that institutional data is appropriately protected.

ITS will provide consultation to the departments for this process. This service will help define the project, define the structure of the database, and in the use of the database tools.