Year
2009
Abstract
Most high-end Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) typically involve a considerable programming effort, along with an ongoing dedicated and trained development team; they also generally require formal programming skills and specific database administration (DBA) training. Although such systems have their place in applications which process millions of on-line transactions on a daily basis (such as finance/banking transaction systems), the usage of such systems for Nuclear Material Accountancy and Control System (NMACS) often results in unjustifiable costs and adds un-necessary technical complexity. Budgetary constraints, along with the need for “one-off” systems, and the lack of a customizable “off-the-shelf” system means that nuclear material accountancy and control databases are often developed in-house according to specific local needs. For systems which are required to transact data in the tens-of thousands of records per annum, a graphically based RDBMS, such as FileMaker, offers a useful alternative in NMACS. The strengths of FileMaker are its ease of use, intuitive graphical user interface, rapid prototyping and development by non-programmers, as well as powerful, easy to design, report layouts. Although FileMaker has a sophisticated built-in script editor and compiler, complex safeguards reporting and varying operational requirements mean that these are more complex to implement using FileMaker scripts. FileMaker has no native built-in SQL query engine. The NMACS system in use at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) incorporates an integrated physical inventory accountancy and control system, combined with an Australian specific and IAEA compliant reporting and book inventory reporting system. The system is unique insofar as it is a highly specialised and integrated database system, which is coupled with customised and embedded Perl scripts that make use of advanced programming features, including SQL querying of the FileMaker database using ODBC connectivity and automated data output directly into Excel spreadsheets. Although the use of Perl scripts usually requires a knowledge or background in Perl programming, the use of Perl has added flexibility and increased the reporting capabilities of FileMaker. Extremely complex reports, which would otherwise be difficult, or time consuming to develop using the built-in FileMaker script editor are more easily produced, while at the same time providing custom formatted output to Excel files and thereby facilitating regulatory compliance and inspections.