[DDI-users] Nesstar Software
Simon Musgrave
ddi-users@icpsr.umich.edu
Mon, 17 Mar 2003 14:03:42 +0000
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Dear colleagues (please pardon multiple posting)<br><br>
I hope that colleagues will be interested in the news of our latest
release of the Nesstar software built around the DDI. In many ways the
DDI and Nesstar have had a very close relationship for many years and we
would be very pleased if anyone wanted to try out this latest Nesstar
software. <br><br>
By way of reminder, the Nesstar software suite version 2.0
(server/light/publisher) has many new features and is designed to be a
highly customisable and scalable technological platform for the
preparation, publication and remote access to aggregated tables and
micro-data. Nesstar provides extensions to standard Web technologies that
allow an organisation to build dynamic and interactive Web sites powered
by advanced data services. It is particularly suited to anyone wishing to
disseminate survey data or results and is based upon the DDI
(<a href=3D"http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/DDI" eudora=3D"autourl">www.icpsr.umi=
ch.edu/DDI</a>)
. More details can be found at
<a href=3D"http://www.nesstar.com/" eudora=3D"autourl">www.nesstar.com</a>
.<br><br>
Nesstar tools include:<br>
<font=
face=3D"Symbol">=B7<x-tab> </x-tab=
></font>Nesstar Server - a specialised data server providing standard web=
services (hence supporting a distributed environment) as well as advanced=
data services. The Nesstar server includes an SQL-based metadata management=
system, a data storage system, a powerful statistical engine as well as=
flexible access control.<br>
<font=
face=3D"Symbol">=B7<x-tab> </x-tab=
></font>Nesstar Light (Web Engine) - an additional layer that allows an end=
user to access Nesstar services through a standard Web browser. This is=
totally customisable and configurable and is the interface that presents=
the search, browse, display, analysis and retrieval options to the user.=
<br>
<font=
face=3D"Symbol">=B7<x-tab> </x-tab=
></font>Nesstar Publisher - a sophisticated data conversion and preparation=
tool that can rapidly publish data from a variety of sources (including=
SPSS, SAS, Excel etc.). The tool includes a specialised metadata editor,=
data and metadata validation routines and metadata templates that provide=
standardisation and control. For anyone managing and publishing survey=
data, this tool must be seen!<br><br>
In preparation (and due Q2 2003) are:<br>
<font=
face=3D"Symbol">=B7<x-tab> </x-tab=
></font>Nesstar Explorer - version 2 of the specialist web browser=
that contains all the cubes functionality as well as advanced searching and=
display options. It is the tool for the professional data user. <br>
<font=
face=3D"Symbol">=B7<x-tab> </x-tab=
></font>Nesstar Cubes - a new data manipulation display that enables the=
user to drill up and down and =91slice and dice=92 multi-dimensional cubes=
using drag and drop. It also enables multi-views of data (time series,=
graph and map) and is directly linked into the DDI standards environment=
for which Nesstar software is well known.<br><br>
Training: If you are interesting in training on the new version of Nesstar,=
then we have already scheduled 2 day training sessions at Colchester on the=
8th and 9th of May and 3rd and 4th July. This will take participants=
through the whole process from setting up a Nesstar server to preparing a=
dataset for publishing.<br><br>
If you would like to try out the new version, please email <font=
color=3D"#0000FF"><u>nesstar-support@nesstar.com</u></font>, for a 90 day=
trial. This will come with up to one days free technical support. If you do=
decide to use Nesstar software for your organisation, we have a number of=
different support packages that we can discuss to meet your needs. Nesstar=
is owned by the University of Essex and the Norwegian Social Science Data=
Service (NSD) and is pleased to provide this at zero license for academic=
institutions. However neither the Data Archive at Essex or NSD are able to=
provide support directly.<br><br>
With best wishes<br><br>
Simon<br><br>
<br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
Simon Musgrave<br><br>
Nesstar<br>
John Tabor House<br>
Wivenhoe Park<br>
Colchester CO4 3Q<br><br>
Tel: +44 1206 872321<br>
Fax: +44 1206 873516<br>
Mobile: +44 7940 783875<br>
Web: <a href=3D"http://www.nesstar.com/" eudora=3D"autourl">www.nesstar.com<=
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