Technology Guidance for Safeguards Information Management*

The Safeguards Information Management Systems project, SIMS, seeks to provide information access tools to the IAEA to assist in implementation of enhanced safeguards. The Technology and Systems Group advises the SIMS project in the selection of hardware and software, the integration of system components, and the evaluation of realistic information management approaches. The group's guidance has led to reevaluation of the system hardware choices, visual data storage methods, and geographical data sources. Consultation with the Agency has resulted in a major realignment of our effort towards providing information access on Networked Microsoft Windows desktop computers rather than separate SUN workstations. The manner in which imagery is stored and presented is another developing area. Initial systems delivered to the Agency relied on analogue videodisc recorders and VCRs. Future systems will store and manipulate digital images. The initial source of map data for the workstation was analogue videodiscs from the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency. Many of these maps are restricted in their distribution, therefore additional map data sources were developed. The Technology and Systems Group's efforts to steer a clear course through this ever changing mine-field is described.