How were environmental data interchanges performed in the past? How are they done now with SEDRIS?

Source data can be obtained from a variety of origins in a variety of data formats and resolutions. This data was input to a proprietary database generation system where the data was manipulated to fit a specific image generator system as well as meet a specific application's requirements. The result was a generic, or native, database. From the native database, run-time databases were usually generated to support the image generator as well as other needs.

Attempts to share these native database were done by direct conversion of the data to another native database’s format. Another method was to use a conversion/interchange mechanism. Unfortunately, these conversions acted as filters on the data causing losses and creating ambiguity.

In SEDRIS, the provider extracts the data from their native databases using a standard API (application program interface). SEDRIS allows the data to be captured from the provider's native format with accompanying meta-data to clearly explain the data. Again, using the API, the consumer extracts the data from the SEDRIS transmittal exactly as delivered and inserts it into their native database. The use of the API as a standard access method along with a common data model ensures an unambiguous, loss-less data interchange.