No.14
October,1996

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Downsizing of NACSIS-CAT/ILL Database Systems

The NACSIS computer system was updated to an open system between the end of December 1995 and the beginning of January 1996. Therefore, the union catalog must be moved to a general-purpose database server that will be installed to match the open system environment.

The Cataloging Information System consists of the catalog system (NACSIS-CAT) and the ILL system (NACSIS-ILL) as is already well-known, and serves more than 450 libraries for daily use. The number of terminals simultaneously connected from those libraries has exceeded 1,500, so the system is being made good use of as it is directly related with library activities. Since more than 60 libraries are being added every year, use of the service will be further expanded.

The database moving to the server that is to be made is the first step toward changing to a new multi-language catalog system to be operational in fiscal 1997. However, this is a short-term measure to cope with the rapid increase of users. By moving the databases and the database management system (DBMS) to the server, the load on the mainframe machines being successively installed to ensure compatibility in the planned upgrade can be reduced, and aims at supporting those increasing terminals simultaneously connected to the system.
With the conventional Cataloging Information System, both the application programs that perform data retrieval and registration and the DBMS function resided in the mainframe machines, but after the conversion the application programs will run on the mainframe machines and the DBMS function will run on the server. This will not significantly change the method of use for the participating libraries, though some changes as listed below will be made when the database is moved across.

  1. Instant updating of master file.
  2. Retrieval by Kanji words for titles, etc.
  3. Half-size Katakana (JIS X0201 encoding) used so far changed into full-size Katakana (JIS X0208 encoding).
  4. Maximum length of search key increased from 24 bytes to 32 characters.
The database will be moved across interrupting the service as little as possible, however, system operation may be stopped temporarily for some reason. The shift will thus be made around the year-end in order to minimize the impact on the users.

After the database has been moved to the server, the system service will be further improved: catalog updating will be instant, retrieval by Kanji words which has long been requested, will be possible, and the union catalog databases will be directly accessible using a WWW browser on the Internet.

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