Supplementary Specification

The user interface will be based on a menu and button driven design. It will use pull down menus, different frames for each session, etc. for ease of use.

The graphical user interface will be designed so that is easy to use for different levels of users. The purpose of the menus and windows will be intuitive and easily understood. A help file will be provided on the menus. There will be an optional menu on the client sites for use by the database administrator.

The server will have stability and security to service up to 100 workstations. The operating environment will be chosen to match to our needs. The system itself will have error handling features which will catch most exceptions and make the system fail safely to ensure security and integrity of data.

The system will be able to provide a connection to a workstation with sufficient bandwidth to ensure reliable performance.

Periodic maintenance will be performed during non-peak hours. During these maintenance periods, we will be able to perform a software version upgrade to the server. Backups will be performed on the system on a periodic basis.

The system will have to be built and adjusted to perform best in the operating system environment chosen. The operating system will be secure enough to store the database and will be capable of running a stable server. The server itself will be placed in a secured room and will be backed up by an uninterruptable power source to prevent a sudden electrical failure in the system. The system will be capable of handling up to 100 workstations connected to it at one time and still at able to function adequately. Records in the database are locked as they are accessed by users to prevent other users from making changes to the records while the original user is still accessing it. Records are released (unlocked) when the user is finshed accessing the record.