Ingres Open Source Assists German Federal Institute For Geosciences And Natural Resources In Global Earthquake Monitoring
Ingres Open Source Database Forms the Basis for Monitoring of Global Earthquakes and Compliance with Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
Slough, UK — 17 June 2008 – Ingres Corporation, a leading provider of open source database management software and support services, is helping the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) in its global monitoring of earthquakes, including the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck China’s Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008. The Ingres Database, a leading enterprise open source database, is the backbone of BGR’s Earthquake Monitor System (ERMOS), which is used to track real-time information on earthquakes in China, Germany, Europe, and around the world. Recent data from the monitoring of the China earthquake can be accessed at
www.seismologie.bgr.de/sdac/erdbeben/big_quakes/sichuan_080512_deu.html. In addition, the system also monitors compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), a prohibition of all forms of nuclear testing underground, underwater, and in the atmosphere.
Despite technological advancement in earthquake monitoring, today it is still nearly impossible for scientists to forecast when and where an earthquake might occur. Even though warning systems are in place in many of the regions most threatened by earthquakes, at present they are still only able to sound the alarm seconds after the event. For this reason, collection of the relevant seismological data is crucial so that it can be made available to research and scientific organisations across the globe. The BGR has historical data on earthquakes dating back to 800 AD, as well as metadata on more than two million seismological events, and the database continues to grow.
The BGR migrated to an Ingres open source database in 2007. The open source business model of the Ingres database brought the institute flexibility and costs savings. In addition, the BGR relies on a double support service – from active Ingres user groups that exchange ideas and tips, as well as from Ingres itself through its comprehensive support services.
“At the time, we opted for an Ingres database and after more than two decades, which have seen countless migrations and restructuring measures, I can only say that the Ingres database has never let us down,” said Markus Dohmann, BGR geophysicist. “The database is extremely robust and its reliability has consistently helped us exceed our data availability targets. We not only benefit from the lower cost of ownership attributed to the open source business model, but from the strong community surrounding open source as well.”
“The comprehensive support from Ingres, and the rapid feedback received from the community to queries on specialist topics, is also a major plus in working with Ingres,” added Dohmann. “In our sector in particular, the reliability and availability of data are decisive criteria. I think it is safe to say that the next 20 years will also see a continuation of our close collaboration with Ingres.”
“We are very proud of the long-lasting and successful collaboration with the BGR and we are especially pleased to provide the institute with the additional advantages of our open source model”, said Roland Pfeiffer, vice president and country manager D/A/CH, at Ingres.
Fast access to data and permanent availability are two of the key requirements for successful operation of the BGR. As a government agency commissioned to monitor and ensure compliance with the CTBT, the BGR must ensure a minimum 98 percent availability of data at all times. The International Monitoring System, (IMS), has 321 monitoring stations around the world that monitor adherence to the CTBT. The BGR is responsible for operating four of these highly sensitive listening posts and assumes the role of a national data center (NDC). The institute acts as expert advisor to the federal government and the CTBT organisation in Vienna.
