Q¨
UESTII ´
O, ol. 21, 1 i 2, p. 233-240, 1997
STATISTICAL DATABASES: THE REFERENCE
ENVIRONMENT AND THREE LAYERS PROPOSED
BY EUROSTAT
ROGER DUBOIS
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Eu os a
The unc ions o he Eu os a in o ma ion sys em a e di ided in o ou sec o s which
co espond o he a ious s ages in he p ocessing o da a om hei collec ion o
hei di usion:
– P oduc ion: collec ion, alida ion and s o age o he da a and me a-da a;
– S o age o he e e ence da a (accep ance o he in o ma ion);
– Use o he e e ence da a ( isibili y/secu i y and ind/deli e );
– Di usion.
The sys em o acquisi ion and alida ion ep esen s o Eu os a a majo wo klo-
ad gi en he di e si y o he pa ne s and o he di e en da a p ocessing si ua ions
encoun e ed. The upsho o he di e si y and change in bo h he p oduc ion and dis-
semina ion en i onmen s is he need o de-couple hem. I he e a e n p oduc ion
sys ems and m dissemina ion sys ems, hen he e will be a need o n
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m in e aces
be ween hem. This will lead an explosion o wo k o long e m o ha e he da a
a ailable o end-use s. I a e e ence laye is inse ed o de-couple he p oduc ion
and dissemina ion en i onmen s, he in e ace p oblem educes o n
+
m and he-
e o e becomes much manageable. Once he in e aces o and om he e e ence
laye a e de ined, new ools, p oduc s o domains in ei he en i onmen a e easily
added. By de-coupling p oduc ion om dissemina ion, a e e ence laye enables
p oduce s he eedom ha hey equi e o choose he mos app op ia e ools and
echniques o do hei job. P oduce s also gain a common in e ace in o he e e-
ence a ea, a he han he many di e en in e aces ha hey ha e o cope wi h a
p esen . By p o iding well documen ed da a in a s anda d o m, he e e ence la-
ye p o ides dissemina o s wi h be e aw ma e ial o hei p oduc s This enables
hem o p o ide be e and mo e di e se p oduc s in a mo e imely and cus ome -
d i en, as desi ed in Eu os a s mission s a emen .
Keywo ds: A chi ec u e, e e ence en i onmen , s a is ical in o ma ion
sys em.
*Roge Dubois. Adminis a o Uni A3. In o ma ion Da a-Shop. Eu os a . L-2920 Luxembou g.
–A icle ebu l’oc ub e de 1996.
–Accep a el maig de 1997.
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1. FUNCTIONAL OBJECTIVES OF THE INFORMATION SYSTEM
The unc ions o he Eu os a in o ma ion sys em a e di ided in o ou sec o s
which co espond o he a ious s ages in he p ocessing o da a om hei collec ion
o hei di usion:
– p oduc ion: collec ion, alida ion and s o age o he da a and me a-da a;
– s o age o he e e ence da a (accep ance o he in o ma ion);
– use o he e e ence da a ( isibili y/secu i y and ind/deli e );
– di usion.
Co-ope a ion be ween hese ou specialised sec o s in ol es gene alised unc ions o
ca aloguing and con ol (manipula ion o da a/ esou ces managemen ).
In e ms o hei na u e, he unc ions can be classi ied in o six ca ego ies:
– acquisi ion and alida ion o he da a in o six ca ego ies;
– managemen o he p oduc ion da a;
– manipula ion o he da a and me a-da a;
– ex e nal p esen a ion;
– associa ed se ices.
The sys em o acquisi ion and alida ion ep esen s o Eu os a a majo wo kload
gi en he di e si y o he pa ne s and o he di e en da a p ocessing si ua ions
encoun e ed. The objec i e o he de elopmen o his sys em is o minimise he
wo kload equi ed despi e he inc ease in demand o s a is ical da a. The use o
EDI echniques (exchange o compu e ised da a) is he di ec ion o be ollowed in an
a emp o elimina e he a ie ies o magne ic media, o o ma and o in e p e a ion
in he collec ion o da a.
The managemen o he p oduc ion da a has o allow he mig a ion o he a ious
ypes o objec s which combine o o m Eu os a s in o ma ion sys ems. The Nomen-
cla u es a e called o play an essen ial ole in he c ea ion, he homogenisa ion and
hen he documen a ion o he s a is ical da a; hey cons i u e de ac o he hea o he
in o ma ion sys em.
The manipula ion o he da a mus , in he i s place, suppo he p ocess o da a
ans e be ween he a ious en i onmen s. A numbe o se ices appea s which
allow he es ablishmen o g oups o use s and o hei associa ed p i ileges; ce ain
me a-da a become con ol ules in he in o ma ion sys em.
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The di usion mus consis o quali y p oduc s which a e well-known and a e based
on a pla o m which is easy o acqui e and use (da abases, s a is ical documen s and
publica ions, ex ac ions om da abases, magne ic media, CD-ROM, e c.).
The las wo sys ems a e ac i i ies o a gene al se ice na u e which a e necessa y
o any da a-p ocessing a chi ec u e, while emphasising pa icula ly wo e y impo -
an ac i i ies o Eu os a : he STRINGS p ojec o elec onic publishing and he
secu i y o EDP applica ions.
2. TYPOLOGY OF THE DATA
S a is ical da a can be di ided in o wo in e dependen subjec s:
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S a is ical obse a ions which co espond o all quan i a i e (and quali a i e)
measu es associa ed wi h economic phenomena. This g oup is p ima ily com-
posed o nume ical alues associa ed wi h in o ma ion on hei empo al e o-
lu ion.
The p incipal ypes o p ojec s which make i possible o o ganise and o s uc-
u e his se o da a a e:
– ec o s and ma ices o numbe s;
– ime se ies;
– ables wi h one o mo e dimensions.
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All he s a is ical me a-da a ela ing o he cha ac e isa ion o economic pheno-
mena and o s a is ical obse a ions.
An i em o s a is ical me a-da a is cha ac e is ically associa ed wi h one o a
collec ion o s a is ical obse a ions so as o speci y he signi icance o he
ela ed da a.
The p incipal ypes o objec s which cha ac e ise me a-da a a e:
– The Nomencla u es and he dimensions, which allow he o ganisa ion, he clas-
si ica ion and he associa ion o economic phenomena and s a is ical obse a-
ions.
– The p ope ies and documen a ion, which allow he cha ac e isa ion and he
documen a ion o he phenomena and he obse a ions.
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Models: which de ine he p ocesses (o de i a ion o o alida ion) on he
s a is ical obse a ions.
I is e y di icul o gi e a single de ini ion o he me a-da a concep and i s ep e-
sen a ion o he ollowing easons:
– The me a-da a se es as a link be ween a conc e e en i y, he s a is ical obse -
a ion, and an abs ac en i y he economic phenomenon associa ed wi h he
obse a ion.
No e: he empo al e olu ion o hese me a-da a is he complexi y ac o .
– The me a-da a concep may be used ei he « o classi y»o « o seek»a subse s
o obse a ions. The hypo heses which unde lie hese wo ac i i ies can be
di e en and gi e ise o speci ic me a-da a.
– In addi ion o he «link»aspec , me a-da a cha ac e ise he «p ope ies»o a
subse o in o ma ion.
Fo example, he me a-da a associa ed wi h a ime se ies a e:
=
)
he economic phenomenon whose e olu ion is de ined by he se ies;
=
)
he equency, he sou ce, he ype o se ies ( low, s ock, e c.), he uni ,
he o de o magni ude, e c.;
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)
one o mo e commen s o desc ip i e ex s on one o o he aspec o he
se ies.
3. ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTION: A REFERENCE LAYER
3.1. A chi ec u e
The upsho o he di e si y and change in bo h he p oduc ion and dissemina ion
en i onmen s is he need o de-couple hem. I he e a e np oduc ion sys ems and
mdissemina ion sys ems, hen he e will be a need o n
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min e aces be ween hem.
This will lead o an explosion o wo k o long ime o become a ailable o end-use s.
This is no in line wi h Eu os a s s a ed objec i e o imely p o ision o da a.
I a e e ence laye is inse ed o de-couple he p oduc ion and dissemina ion
en i onmen s, he in e ace p oblem educes o n
+
mand he e o e becomes much
mo e manageable. Once he in e aces o and om he e e ence laye a e de ined,
new ools, p oduc s o domains in ei he en i onmen a e easily added. This enables
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Eu os a o manage he e olu ion and change inhe en in he Eu opean s a is ical
en i onmen , because changes o one pa o ei he p oduc ion o dissemina ion will
no ha e de imen al impac s o any o he pa .
MANAGEMENT
PRODUCTION
sys emsnsys emsm
DISSEMINATION
REFERENCE
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3.2. Po en ial bene i s
A. Fo p oduce s
By de-coupling p oduc ion om dissemina ion, a e e ence laye enables p oduce s
he eedom ha hey equi e o choose he mos app op ia e ools and echniques o
do hei job. I p o ides well documen ed da a o p oduce s when hey a e using
o he domains. I also helps hem o unde s and hei own domains when hey look
a old da a in hei own domain, no only because hei own memo ies may no be
comple ely accu a e, bu because he mo emen o p oduce s wi hin he o ice means
ha expe ise is no always a ailable.
P oduce s also gain a common in e ace in o he e e ence a ea, a he han he
many di e en in e aces ha hey ha e o cope wi h a p esen . They ha e mo e
mobili y o o he jobs wi h Eu os a , because he common wo king en i onmen will
be amilia o hem in a new pos .
B. Fo dissemina o s
By p o iding well documen ed da a in a s anda d o m, he e e encelaye p o ides
dissemina o s wi h be e aw ma e ial o hei p oduc s. This enables hem o p o ide
be e and mo e di e se p oduc s in a mo e imely and cus ome -d i en manne , as
desi ed in Eu os a s mission s a emen .
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C. Fo cus ome s
While no di ec ly in ol ed in he e e ence laye , he e e ence laye should
p o ide cus ome s wi h da a ha is:
– Visible. They will know wha is a ailable.
– Unde s andable. I will be documen ed o an ag eed minimum s anda d.
– Accessible. They will be able o ge he da a mo e easily.
– Compa able. he s anda disa ion o me a-da a will help o enable c oss-domain
compa ison.
– Timely. The da a should be a ailable mo e quickly.
– Accu a e. The au ho isa ion o da a mo ing ou o p oduc ion should ensu e i s
high quali y.
– App op ia e. Feedback on usage by use s should help Eu os a p o ide wha
use s need.
D. Fo manage s
A e e ence laye assis s manage s because i can p o ide:
– Cen al secu i y and access con ol o Eu os a da a. This ensu es ha da a is
no le on insecu e and ulne able PC pla o ms, and can be sa egua ded as
he i al esou ce ha i is.
– Ha monisa ion o nomencla u es and code lis s leading o less duplica ion o
e o in cap u e and ansla ion o me a-da a. P oduce s will be able o e-use
p e ious wo k by o he s. The e will also be inc eased compa abili y o da a be-
ween di e en domains because o ha monised de ini ions o hei dimensions.
– Flexibili y o choice in p oduc ion ools and me hods and in dissemina ion
p oduc s.
– S abili y o Eu os a da a and me a-da a o e ime.
– Co-o dina ed ma ke eedback o enable Eu os a o dissemina e wha hei cus-
ome s wan and need. This in o ma ion will come om bo h he e e ence and
dissemina ion en i onmen s.
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4. TYPOLOGY OF THE PROCESSES
The p ocesses co esponding o one o o a numbe o unc ionali ies, mus occu
in one o he de ined en i onmen s: p oduc ion, e e ence, di usion.
An EDP applica ion is seen as an o de ed se o p ocesses; he la e need no
necessa ily be on he same compu e , bu can be on wo (o se e al) machines o he
same o di e en pla o ms.
The dis ibu ion o he p ocessing wi hin an applica ion o e he di e en pla o ms
is a di icul decision o which some ules ha e o be ixed:
=
)
gene al ules applicable h oughou he Eu opean Union;
=
)
olume conside a ions conce ning he da a and he popula ion o po en ial
use s;
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)
secu i y conside a ions equi ing a mo e o less p o ec ed en i onmen ,
access con ol unc ions, backup and eco e y, a chi ing e c.;
=
)
he a ailabili y o sui able so wa e on he di e en pla o ms.
4.1. P oduc ion
The p oduc ion laye di ides in o se e al subjec s acco ding o he ype o objec s
managed; p ecise desc ip ion o he objec s is needed and depends on he cons uc-
ion o s anda d applica ions gi ing a amewo k o u ilisa ion o Eu os a s a ious
p oduce s. Eu os a has selec ed, on his basis, FAME o se ies and ACUMEN o
mul idimensional objec s.
4.2. Re e ence
The «accep ance o in o ma ion»poses he p oblem o dynamic de ini ions and he
au oma ed con ol o he passage be ween p oduc ion and he e e ence. I depends
on he p oduc ion s uc u es and on he complexi y o he ules o be implemen ed. In
iew o he olume o exis ing in o ma ion, only a comple ely au oma ed p ocedu e
is iable.
The concep o quali y o managed in o ma ion is i al o Eu os a : he sepa a ion
in o wo en i onmen s mus p ese e he weal h o exis ing in o ma ion, i.e. allow
mo e ho ough in e oga ion o he se o in o ma ion a ailable i ha is necessa y.
The managemen o e e ence is conce ned wi h a homogenous solu ion allowing
uni o m access o he se o managed in o ma ion.
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The isibili y and secu i y laye mus ensu e con ol o he ac i i ies o use s
p i ileges and o da a con iden iali y. I is impo an o gua an ee ha no leaks o
in o ma ion c oss his laye o so wa e.
The «FIND and DELIVER»laye allows a non-specialis use easy na iga ion
a ound Eu os a s in o ma ion and a apid and exhaus i e eply o his ques ions.
4.3. Di usion
Eu os a dissemina es s a is ical in o ma ion by means o 3 ypes o p oduc s:
=
)
Publica ions o s a is ical epo s, which need o mix ex s, g aphs and
ables, using desk- op publishing p oduc s.
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)
Da abases.
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)
O he elec onic di usion se ices (download, CD-ROM, e c.).
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