1.  What platform is your TMS database?
SQL Server

2.  What platform is your eMuseum database?
No idea. Probably SQL Server. (See next answer for clarification)

3.  The standard data refresh process is comprised of several steps (make snapshot, thumbnailer, full-text concat).  How are you running the refresh process on your eMuseum data?  Manually executing?  Via Windows batch file?  DTS?  Other?)  And why was your particular method chosen?
Manual export into an MS Access file, which is uploaded to the server. An automated script moves the data into a database (?). This was the process devised by our web developers prior to my joining the museum.

4.  Approximately how many records are being exported into eMuseum?
Initially, 200 (no updates). Now we're up to ~800 (periodic manual updates).

5.  Who are your eMuseum users? (internal staff? external internet traffic? something else?)
External internet traffic (I hope).

6.  What are your thoughts about user satisfaction/experience with the application?
When compared to the sleek data structure of TMS, eMuseum looks like a rather slipshod construction. I was having problems with an update while redoing some mapping, and manually changed the data in the Access file to see where the webpage was pulling from. Why? Because identical data was stored in 6 different locations in eMuseum.

7.  What kinds of customizations did you implement?
Ironically, the entire site was overhauled, and really only the export tool was "out-of-the-box".

8.  What kinds of services/support did GS provide for your project?
I'm not sure, as this predates my arrival.

9.  Any other comments about your eMuseum development experience that might be useful to someone following in your shoes?
We are currently working on a new interface and back-end for our collections portal on our website, and will most likely drop the eMuseum export function. As Gallery Systems continues to develop eMuseum, I would strongly encourage them to migrate to an open-source LAMP server, so that eMuseum can harness powerful new Web 2.0 applications, such as Steve (which is PHP based). Such a move would also mean a lower cost of ownership for museums since LAMP servers are less expensive to license. But, I'll step off my soap-box...


-----Original Message-----
From: The Museum System (TMS) Users on behalf of Brenda Podemski
Sent: Mon 4/21/2008 7:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: eMuseum:  How are you refreshing your data?  How is it working for you?
 
(I've been having difficulties sending this to the list and have contacted some of you individually, so my sincere apologies if you receive multiple copies of this message--no need to reply more than once!)

Greetings -

We are trying to implement eMuseum for in-house use here at the Getty, and have been having internal discussions about how best to refresh the data.

In order to gauge how people are already using it, here is a short, informal poll of sorts for users out there who [are currently/have used] eMuseum at their institutions.  I am especially interested in hearing from any Oracle users (I know you're out there), but welcome all input since we are looking at both platforms.

* * * * *


* * * * *

Replies may be sent directly to me if you prefer.  Many thanks in advance for any information you are willing to share!

Best,

Brenda


~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
Brenda Podemski
Business Applications Administrator
Collections Information & Access
The J. Paul Getty Museum
www.getty.edu 

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