Basically, it is important to have some idea about what can and can't be done if you want to set realistic goals. Right now CephBase, FishBase and OBIS are all using Access. Although we often have similar data fields, no doubt our tables and the relationships between them are very different. Left on its own CephBase would move to a more secure client-server model using MS SQL Server 7, while OBIS has stated a preference for Oracle. Standards need to be agreed to and put in place as soon as possible, but funding must be made available to convert to those standards, otherwise the distributed database will shrink rather than grow.
Suggestions are always welcome.
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