Overall Policy

• Within the availability of resources, users and projects will be provided with reasonable access to suitable computing facilities to enable them to perform their necessary functions.

• Access needs of remote areas (such as Jervis Bay) to computing facilities and data is as important as those of centralized areas.

• The ANBG aims to establish a better ratio than three computing access points for every four staff who need it for their duties.

• The SUN Unix system and the FDDI fibre optic and ethernet communications network forms the core of botanical information system of the ANBG through IBIS (Integrated Biodiversity Information System). Botanical information is maintained on and delivered by this system.

• Selected information from the ANBG will be made available through appropriate internet protocols to the general community.

• User access to the SUN is through a 'star' network of dumb terminals or microcomputers acting as such and through workstations connected to the network backbone. Local manipulation of data is not encouraged and not recognized by IBIS at this stage, other than word-processing of final reports.

• Scientific applications will be placed on the SUN as these become available for Unix.

• Word-processing, spreadsheets, graphics are available locally on microcomputers (MacIntosh or MSDOS, either networked or stand-alone). Where possible such facilities will be made available on the SUN network.

• Only two microcomputing environments will be supported in the ANBG and connected to the network:
  • MacIntosh (Visitor Services)
  • MSDOS (Botany, Living Collections, Administration).

• Communication and transfer of data between the SUN and both types of microcomputers is by:
  • Ethernet connection
  • Serial communication (RS 232, either direct or by line drivers and MDX)
  • Floppy disk (either 5.25" or 3.5")

• 3.5" floppy disk drives are the standard adopted by the ANBG and all new PCs will use this format. 5.25" disk drives in existing computers will be gradually supplemented by 3.5" disk drives if there is space to install them or replaced if there is not. Several machines and networks have both formats to enable easy transfer of data.

• All intelligent workstations implement graphic user interface and mouse pointing devices. A WINDOWS graphical operating environment will become the standard within the ANBG on all platforms.

• Output devices such as printers (dot-matrix and laser quality) are accessible via the SUN network and on each of the microcomputer environments. A plotter is attached to the SUN. Suitable printers will be installed in each work area.

• Scanning input devices are available on each of the microcomputer environments and will be connected to the network.

• Library cataloguing functions will remain on the DEST mainframe for the time being, at least until a suitable alternative arrangements can be found.

• Administration computing functions, other than word-processing, are not addressed by the ANBG at this stage. Correspondence file management, and some sectional and staff information is maintained. Financial records are maintained elsewhere in ANCA and made available through the network.