The aim is to encourage all DSIS organisations to have good commonly available telematic services
The aim is to encourage all DSIS organisations to have good commonly available telematic services
Contents:
.| Aim and Benefits |  top |
Eurostat’s Board of Directors have decided to encourage the use of an
information and management tool called STADIUM
for central collection of structured data and also to decrease the amount
of bilateral flow. It is hoped that 90% of all data transmissions will
be made via STADIUM or e-mail by 1999.
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To assist in the sending of data flows to Eurostat, the
EDIFLOW
project is compiling an inventory of data flows between Member States and
Eurostat. The aim of this project is to help identify Member States who
would benefit from sending flows electronically.
In addition, Eurostat aim to continue to encourage committee members to use electronic mail so that 100% participation is achieved. |
The main benefits will be:
Simplicity and reliability of communication through desk-to-desk, such as e-mail, and application-to-application services.
| Description | top |
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The underlying telematic network is closer to becoming a reality for the Community Statistical System's computer environment, with pilots covering all Member States. The logical DSIS network will provide the backbone for exploiting the benefits of both the European Reference Environment and the e-mail service. The aim is to make the network an invisible layer to its users so that they do not have to be concerned with how a message gets from one user to another. The message carrier might be one of a number of technical means, such as the Internet, X.400 or the service provider, TESTA. |
The EDIFLOWproject is compiling a survey to show the format, frequency and size of data flows sent from Member States to Eurostat. To ease the burden on Member States of compiling this survey, a team at Eurostat is first mapping the flows that they receive. These are then being validated and corrected by the individual countries concerned. Two approaches have been adopted to complete the picture of the data flows. Firstly a horizontal approach is being used, which eventually hopes to cover all Member States. Secondly, a vertical approach has been adopted whereby the priority data flows have been identified in all Member States. For example, the foreign trade database COMEXT, has very high volumes of flows and this is followed closely by flows for the Labour Force Survey.
The E-mail
for Administrations and Groups project was established within the
IDA programme in 1997 to help a sample set of advisory committees and working
groups use electronic mail in their work. Currently the project is supporting
more than 80 committees at 10 different Directorate Generals (DGs). More
than 80% of Eurostat is supported by e-mail. In committees where e-mail
has been successfully integrated it has led to a significant decrease of
communication overheads.
| The main objectives for the remainder of the project are to organise the provided services in such a way that they can easily be maintained after expiration of the project and that the spreading of the use of e-mail can continue without project support. The number of supported committees will be maximised. |  |
Eurostat have also developed various tools and services:
| STADIUM
is a Eurostat tool which receives electronically transmitted statistical
data and automatically forwards it the correct destination. It comprises
two components; a server used for classifying, routing, maintaining datasets
and an optional client used for sending and receiving data, as well as
to provide follow-up monitoring and reporting tools about data exchanges
with the server.
The STADIUM Server has an embedded EDI translation facility which can be configured to translate EDIFACT messages into the format expected by the recipient application. STADIUM Clients can be UNIX servers or PCs with DOS or Windows, based at DSIS organisations. The STADIUM Client may be freely installed at any organisation exchanging statistical data with Eurostat. |
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While e-mail, file transfer and other media can offer speed, ease of use, confidentiality and integrity, there are additional advantages to STADIUM when transferring data files.
The added value services that STADIUM offers over other electronic means of data reception are:
· management follow-up · end-user independence ·
automatic routing
· alarm generation · backup · global data flow
monitoring
· automatic acknowledgement
STATEL is multi-protocol file exchange software which fully integrates telecommunications and allows partners to exchange files and directories through a standardized Application Programming Interface (API). It is independent of the telecommunications protocol used. STATEL uses data encryption and is very reliable. It keeps track of transmitted data and retransmits data as soon as a gap is detected. STATEL uses the concept of a Virtual File System (VFS). This enables users at either end of the link to place files in the VFS which are accessible to either party.
TESTA IPnet (Trans-European Services for Telematics between Administrations) is a private data network for use by European Institutions. It is built on the technology of the Internet so that well known web browsers and e-mail packages can be used. It was developed by the European Commission and the Member States in 1995 as part of the IDA program. The main advantages of TESTA is that it is a single global provider with widespread points of presence. This means that there is help desk support in every country in the native language. TESTA also offers a guaranteed level of service. TESTA supports both IP and X400 protocols. The IP protocol makes in Internet compatible so that SMTP, HTP and FTP are available. In addition, by using TESTA, it is possible to connect to the statistical database at Eurostat called new CRONOS and the foreign trade database called COMEXT.
| Achievements and Work Programme | top |
The work programme aims to develop the tools and products further to provide a technological base to enhance and exploit the existing European telecommunications infrastructure. Also, projects such as EDIFLOW are being promoted in order to increase the efficiency of data flows from Member States.
A Web Client is being developed and tested and will be hosted on an Internet server. The prototype is operational but as yet has not been implemented for general use. The Web version of STADIUM will simplify client-server usage as access will be through a web browser. A Web access point has also been developed where GESMES messages can be tested and validated.
While e-mail, file transfer and other media can offer speed, ease of use, confidentiality and integrity, there are additional advantages to STADIUM when transferring data files. The added value services that STADIUM offers over other electronic means of data reception are:
alarm generation · backup · global data flow monitoring
automatic acknowledgement
| Attempts are being made to render the product as transparent as possible and to have standard protocols. It is hoped that STATEL will become a commercial development. The aim is to become compatible with all Member States networks. New Statel installations have taken place in Spain, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Austria and Belgium. |  |
The EC’s foreign office (DGVIII) in charge of co-operating with Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries is going to use STATEL to automatise operations to exchange data.
Also the STATEL Interest Group on the DSIS-IRC has been created. To obtain a user name and password please call the Help Desk: http://europa.eu.int:8000/dsis-irc/
Users can choose from several different levels of service:
Profile 1, which has been available since the end of June 1998, uses an ISDN dial-up call over the public switched network. This provides one or two 64kbps switched digital circuits into TESTA. Call charges only arise when a connection is made.
Profile 2 which is currently being investigated is expected to offer the user a cheaper leased line connection. This would be an analogue circuit, available all the time, supplemented at times of peak demand by a parallel dial-up ISDN call.
Profile 3, which provides user administration with a digital connection twenty four hours a day. This is the highest performance option. Administrations link into TESTA through a frame relay and use a leased digital circuit offering speeds of 64kbps and greater.
In Spain and Greece a full inventory has been completed and as a result major STADIUM installations have taken place. This year, four new countries, Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg are taking part in the survey.
The STNE WG has pioneered the use of the document repository and the distribution list which can be used to contact the whole statistical (SPC and STNE) members community using one e-mail address called a functional address. Functional addresses are, in contrast to personal addresses, associated to one’s function rather to one’s identity. This enables the address to be shared by different persons and do not have to be changed when an individual moves to a different position.
A Project Database is currently being maintained with information about Member States addresses, e-mail systems and a log of the most common problems that have occurred while exchanging e-mail. Help with problems is usually solved by consulting the Help Desk in Brussels. For more customised support there are resources to visit Member State Administrations. Approximately 7 - 10 visits are planned per year.
E-mail facilities available to administrations include an e-mail user guide, data on administrative workflow and the best e-mail routes between groups of users, a training guide and recommendations on specific technical issues. The multi-lingual help desk is available to provide all forms of support to committee members who would like to use, or to use more effectively, e-mail.
To contact the EM4AG help desk :
Telephone: +32 2 745 0 821
E-mail: C=be;A=rtt;P=logica;O=committees;S=helpdesk
Internet ctt1@brussels.logica.com
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