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Conversion
Doesn't Have to Hurt Anyone who has suffered through the writing of complex conversion scripts for old databases has probably wished for a new, technologically advanced conversion method. At times the process must feel as archaic as rubbing two sticks together to make a fire. Fortunately, a Canadian company has developed a new, integrated set of software tools called NOCARO that eliminates the need for scripts, making conversion jobs much easier for data integration companies and their customers. Simplified Technology in Action Developed by ORACON Corp., NOCARO converts source databases of mission-critical legacy data to most target RDBMS environments, thereby reducing conversion deadlines and dramatically improving data quality. This toolset controls the data conversion process and provides repeatable batches of conversion code with full documentation. The conversion process operates within an Oracle environment, since PLSQL and Oracle Forms were used to develop NOCARO. From one unified software environment, NOCARO moves data from extraction to verification, transformation and migration. After NOCARO completes the conversion process within its Oracle environment, the database may then be exported to a non-Oracle target model such as SQL Server. The software provides an application interface to define the intermediate Oracle table and identify the source file. NOCARO simplifies verification by allowing users to define error codes and the rules associated with those error codes in any language. It also provides facilities for the development of user functions, variables, transformations and lookups while maintaining the constraints on the target system. NOCARO includes a pushbutton interface for migrating selected data from the conversion target model to the production target model.
The NOCARO approach to database conversion is based on a four-step process: Step 1 - Extraction Providing an application interface to define the intermediate Oracle table and identify the source file, NOCARO moves data from an outside environment into the NOCARO conversion environment with simple, pushbutton technology. No records are modified or rejected during this step. Step 2 - Verification NOCARO next identifies impurities within the source data. Records that do not pass verification are flagged and prevented from entering the transformation segment of the process. For further ease of use, error descriptions can be defined in any language, verification rules can be defined globally or per source tables, and reports can be defined to display any of the columns in the source table. Step 3 - Transformation While maintaining the integrity of the target model, NOCARO provides facilities for the development of user functions, variables, transformations and lookups, and moves data from a source model into a target model. NOCARO facilitates mapping by using context-based pick lists. It also controls the transformation order, allowing constraints to be maintained on the target. Step 4 - Migration In the final step, NOCARO moves data from a conversion to a production environment. After defining the destination and selecting the desired batches, migration is achieved by pushing a single button. The Software, the Consultant and the Client More than simply a system, NOCARO is an actual process. While the NOCARO system is integral to the success of any conversion project, it is still only one part of conversion success. It is vital that the consultant works well with both the system and the client. Since a properly trained professional can dramatically reduce development and processing time, the focus is shifted to quality and client involvement. The client is consulted at every stage of the process to ensure that all needs are met. A 16-week schedule was defined for a recent NOCARO project. This schedule included an initial week of mapping with the client, sorting out every detail of how the data must move from source to target. After this initial planning week, the first completed conversion run finished within two weeks. Because the NOCARO concept is simple, conversions can be defined faster than ever before, allowing additional time to check and re-check the quality of the conversion effort. Because it is impossible to avoid errors after an initial conversion, in this example four re-conversions were built into the schedule. To make the re-conversions as painless as possible, NOCARO consultants worked with the client to understand exactly what needed correcting. Response was quick and complete. In less than two weeks of re-conversions, the client was again looking at their full set of data in their new system. The original 16-week schedule eventually required even less actual consulting time. NOCARO In The Trenches One of NOCARO’s chief strengths is that it easily addresses the need to import non-geospatial data into GIS applications, ranging from Jail Management Systems to Frequency Management Systems. "The NOCARO conversion tool is extremely flexible and very efficient," said Cathy Lastinger, systems consultant with Manatee County (Fla.) Information Services. "We converted almost 1.5 million records with fewer than 150 records rejected, a conversion success rate of 99.99 percent. Scripts generated by the NOCARO tool processed hundreds of thousands of records in a matter of hours." Ms. Lastinger also pointed out that consultation services in advance of conversion and customer support provided during cut-over was excellent, making the entire conversion process simple and successful. In the past, the GIS world faced several challenges linking spatial data with business operations data. NOCARO works as the "matchmaker" that seamlessly brings together spatial data and operations data within an enterprise. As NOCARO’s exclusive U.S. partner, Kinetic Solutions (St. Louis, Mo.) has found this matchmaking function to be the best part of the software. A full-service data integration company specializing in geographic information systems, Kinetic Solutions was thrilled to discover the NOCARO system because of its obvious benefits to customers. David Hosking, director of the Professional Services Group at Kinetic Solutions, expressed amazement at the speed of NOCARO after observing it in action. "NOCARO successfully completed a massive conversion of a county’s record management system in a fraction of the time it took to convert data from a much smaller jail management system using the traditional script-writing approach," said Hosking. "Also, NOCARO can be used to convert relational databases pertaining to any business application; it works on address records, property records, police records, health records and asset inventories, to name just a few. The only requirement is that the data in the source database must be extractable into either a fixed-format or a delimited format, or be directly importable into Oracle." NOCARO software is not currently available as a stand-alone software package. ORACON Corporation has elected instead to partner with data integration companies, such as Kinetic Solutions, to distribute NOCARO to clients. The software is licensed for use on each conversion project, and Kinetic Solutions consultants are the only U.S. representatives trained to use the software and perform the conversion process. About the Author: |
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software provides an application interface to define intermediate Oracle
tables and identify source files.