Technical Instructions for Accessing the Data Sharing System

I. Data Sharing Server - The Data Sharing Consortium has 3 ways in which you may access the system. They are:

1. Setting up a Data Sharing Server (DSS) to access the system
2. Setting up a DSS to both access the system and serve data
3. Using a DSS hosted by another agency

Depending upon the agency needs and the use level that you expect, you should consider each of these options. If you select to set up a DSS these are the primary issues you should consider;

1. What are the required minimum specifications required by your agency IT department for a server? Many times these will govern the choice of machine to be purchased or used for the DSS.
2. If your system is to be used to access other data, but will not host data, then you will need a server with Microsoft Internet Information Server and the .NET framework installed.
3. Agencies that wish to serve data must also support a database to host this information. The application has been written to work with multiple databases such as SQL Server, Access, MySQL, and others. Most agencies choose to use SQL Server, however licensing costs for SQL Server and selection of the correct licensing types should be considered when selecting the database. Also the local agency IT department ability to support the selected database must also be considered. The UCF Technical team is well-versed in licensing issues and ability to interact with various databases and should be contacted if there are questions.
4. Essentially any Pentium IV class server with sufficient memory (1 GB is recommended) and storage (40 GB is recommended) will be sufficient for the application.   The data sharing application is written in ASP. NET using Visual Basic as the host language. The source code for the application is available to all Consortium members to allow for customization of the application. Agencies should not modify the web services interface as that will cause the system to not be able to communicate with other servers. The application interfaces are all web based. Use and maintenance of the application can be done from any machine that can access the server via TCP/IP.

II. Getting Connected to CJNet - Once you have purchased the server and installed the software, you must connect the server to the CJNet network. FDLE typically provides 10 IP addresses when an agency registers to use CJNet. More information about how to obtain CJNet IP addresses and configure the system to run is available on the CJNET page.

III. Connecting to Agencies - Once you are connected to CJNet you will have to connect to other agencies to make queries and also provide the data for other agencies to query. In order to accomplish this you will need to contact the other members of the Consortium. The other agencies will need to know the IP address you will be connecting from and you will need their IP address in order to add them to your query list. Adding agencies can be done through the administrative options of the application which are accessible on the data sharing server through a web browser. Once you have added the other agencies IP address to your agency list and they have granted you access to their server you will be able to query data.

IV. Serving Data - The next and final step is to provide your own data and access to that data to the other members of the consortium. You maintain control over all data that you release to the other agencies. The current types of data that are supported are:

• pawn transactions
• name queries
• vehicle queries

To serve the data you will need to have a database on your server, configure the application to access the database, and put data into this database.  Typically the data that is served will come from your agency Records Management System (RMS). The data must be extracted and then translated to the database format used by the Consortium. In addition, any codes used by your RMS must be translated to the consistent code system used by the Consortium. The UCF personnel have experience in creating these translation engines and will provide either direct assistance or all specifications and code examples to assist all agencies in this step. Once this software to transfer the data to the DSS is in place you will want to set up a policy for the frequency to be used for updating the DSS database.

V. Maintaining the System - It can take between 1 day and multiple weeks to set up the system at any agency. Once the system is operational, it is typically not long before it becomes a crucial tool for your agency. You will want to guarantee continuous uninterrupted access to the DSS. This will require regular server maintenance and also applying any necessary security patches and other updates to the server. This maintenance is typically done by the agency IT staff and should be coordinated with that staff.

VI. Other Software Applications - Other software is available that works in conjunction with the data sharing system. A pawn entry system (client software) is available that works seamlessly with the system. An application for pawn shops that creates pawn tickets and also transfers the data to the agency (via ftp) is available. An FCIC upload facility will be available in January, along with other applications.