NeSS Data Transfer Tool for InstantAtlas Server

data visualization tools and public health statistics

NeSS Data Transfer Tool for InstantAtlas Server

The InstantAtlas Server (IAS) NeSS Data Transfer Tool is a wizard based utility that allows the user to download and import indicator data from the Neighbourhood Statistics (NeSS) Data Exchange Service published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). This tool can be used to import data straight away or can be scheduled to run at particular times using the IAS Data Synchronisation Service.

Key Functions

Browse and import data from the Neighbourhood Statistics (NeSS) Data Exchange Service into InstantAtlas Server (IAS)
Choose specific Indicators and Instances
Set up multiple data transfer tasks
Decide to overwrite or preserve existing data
Match Indicators and Geo-Type features between NeSS and IAS to ensure data consistency and to avoid the creation of duplicates
Automatically create NeSS Indicators and Geo-Types if they do not already exist on your IAS system
Previously selected Geo-Type datasets are cached the first time they are used in NeSS Data Transfer Tools to allow quicker reuse in the future
Import metadata into IAS at Indicator and Instance level matching against standard Dublin Core
Configure data import immediately, at a specific date/time and on a regular schedule to minimise disruption to end users and to match ONS publishing schedules
Run on your IAS web server or on a local PC

Typical Uses

One off import of data from NeSS against matching Geo-Types
Regular import of the latest Instance(s) of data from NeSS, without overwriting any existing data



Enter details to connect to NeSS Data Exchange service. Choose Geographical Areas in NeSS. Browse and select the datasets available in NeSS for the geographical areas selected.	Connect to your destination IAS system. Define Geo-Type relationships between the features in NeSS and the features in your IAS system. Define Data relationships – on this screen you choose which Theme in your IAS system the NeSS data will be imported in to.

Define Date/Time relationships – this screen allows the user to control which Date/Time periods in IAS are used for the data imported from NeSS. Standard and Advanced data import settings - these replicate the standard and advanced settings available in IAS giving users of the NeSS wizard the same flexibility when importing data from NeSS as you would have importing through the IAS Admin Website.	Task Scheduler – this screen allows you to import the data immediately, schedule it to import at a specific date/time in the future, or schedule it to import on a user defined period.

Powerpoint Presentation | NeSS Data Transfer Tool Steps

FAQs

What are the typical uses of this program?

The NeSS Data Transfer Tool can be used for one off imports of data from NeSS to populate your IAS system with the data selected in NeSS. It can also be used to import the latest Instance(s) of data from NeSS as they are published by the ONS.

Is it a standalone program or an extension to my existing IAS system?

The NeSS Data Transfer Tool is a standalone program that links between the NeSS Data Exchange Service from the ONS and your IAS database. To be able to use it you need to be have to access the NeSS Data Exchange website (http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/) and your IAS system.

Does the program have to be installed on my IAS web server?

No the program does not need to be installed on your IAS web server, the program can be installed and run on your IAS web server or on a local PC. We recommend tasks set up to regularly import data are set up to run on your IAS web server rather than on a local PC to ensure that the server is running at the time the task is due to run (as client PC’s may well be turned off when the task is set to run).

Do my Geo-Type and Indicator names have to match with those in NeSS?

No, the names of your Geo-Types and Indicators in IAS do not matter (and will not be overwritten by the NeSS Data Transfer Tool). The user defines the relationships between objects in NeSS and those in your IAS system and the data is imported using these defined relationships.

Does the tool automatically import new Instances as they are published on NeSS?

It is possible to configure import tasks to run at a frequency which you can define that will import new data as it is published on NeSS. For example you can select a number of Indicators from NeSS which you wish to import on the first of each month at 2am, and providing new data has been published on NeSS then these will be imported in to your IAS database.

Is the data downloaded from NeSS stored in the same way as any data manually uploaded using the Excel Data Manager?

Yes, once you have download some data from NeSS in to your IAS system it is stored in exactly the same as any other Indicator you have in your system so you have the full range of options for manipulating and displaying the data, for example you can create new ratios from the NeSS data and other Indicators.

Is there a limit on the number of Indicators that can be downloaded from NeSS?

Users have complete flexibility in being able to choose specific Indicators and Instances that they wish to import, there are no restrictions on the number of Indicators that can be imported, or the geographic levels at which the data is imported. Users should however be made aware that NeSS does impose a limit of 10,000 data values in a single extraction request for performance reasons. Users of the NeSS Data Transfer Tools can set up multiple data transfer tasks to ensure that no single task exceeds the limit imposed by NeSS.

Is existing data already held in IAS overwritten?

Users are able to specify if existing data already held in IAS is overwritten or preserved. For example if you have some data in your IAS system that had been edited you may wish to overwrite this with the published data from NeSS to ensure it was accurate.

Do I have to have matching Geo-Types already in my IAS system?

No you do not need to have existing Geo-Types in your IAS system that match those in NeSS as these will be created by the program if they do not exists. Where you have existing Geo-Types with matching features the user defines the relationships between the NeSS features those in your IAS system to ensure data consistency and to avoid the creation of duplicates.

Do I have to have matching Indicators already in my IAS system?

As with Geo-Types if you have existing Indicators in your IAS system that match those in NeSS then the user defines the relationships between the two and the data is imported against the existing Indicators. However if the NeSS Indicators do not already exist on your IAS system they will be created automatically.

Is metadata imported from NeSS?

Yes NeSS Topic level metadata is imported in to IAS at Indicator and Instance level where available in NeSS. This is matched against standard Dublin Core elements where possible.

How often can tasks be scheduled to run?

When importing data from NeSS the user has the ability to configure when the data is to be imported:

Transfer tasks can be run immediately.
Transfer tasks can be configured to run at a specific date/time in the future.
Transfer tasks be scheduled to run with a given periodicity, e.g. once a month at midnight.

By scheduling tasks the user is able to set up the transfer to run at a period of low usage of the IAS system to minimise disruption to end users, and to avoid any periods of routine maintenance performed on the IAS system (e.g. nightly database backups). Configuring tasks to run at a given routine e.g. monthly at 2am makes it possible to set a task running that will import the latest Indicator Instances as they are published by the ONS, requiring minimum user input once set up.