Transparent access to distributed, heterogeneous environmental information systems

Quality situation assessment and decision making require access to multiple sources of data and information. The question facing today`s analyst is not so much {open_quotes}Is the data I need to do my work available?{close_quotes} as {open_quotes}How can I get to the data I need to make an informed decision?{close_quotes} Insufficient accessibility to data exists for many large corporations and Government agencies. By utilizing current advances in computer technology, today`s situation analysts have a wealth of information at their disposal. There are many potential solutions to the information accessibility problem using today`s technology. The United States Department of Energy (US-DOE) faced this situation when dealing with the problem of high level radioactive waste (HLW) tanks in the United States. The result of their efforts has been the creation of the Tank Waste Information Network System -- TWINS. The TWINS solution combines many technologies to address problems in several areas such as user interfaces, transparent access to multiple data sources, and integrated data access. Data related to the HLW tank complex is currently distributed throughout several US-DOE installations. Over time, each installation has adopted its own set of standards for information management, hardware, and software platforms. These factors contribute to the complexitymore » of accessing information in a manner that enhances the performance and decision making process of the analysts. This paper presents one approach taken by the US-DOE to resolve the problem of distributed, heterogeneous, multi-media information management through the development of multilevel architectural controls and access mechanisms for the HLW Tank complex. The information system architecture developed for the US-DOE by the TWINS effort is one that is adaptable to other problem domains and uses.« less