ISIS: A PC Interface and a Mainframe SQL Data Base

Abstract

ABSTRACT An opportunity to reduce surveillance costs and to improve surveillance results was identified within Shell Oil Company's Production Department by implementing a modern production data handling system. The existing data handling system was not being used effectively for production surveillance because it was based on old technology and it was cumbersome to use. The Interactive Surveillance Information System (ISIS) project was designed to provide operating and engineering staff with access to the mainframe data base without the need to learn sophisticated computer programming skills. ISIS couples an SQL mainframe data base with an interface program which runs on a PC called PCIS--PC Interface to SQL. The primary objective of the project was to develop a data handling system that would make the production surveillance data "more useable." With ISIS a person can describe the data that he or she wants using a series of menus from PCIS. PCIS translates this description of the data into the necessary SQL code, and sends instructions to the mainframe computer. Once the data is retrieved, it can be printed or plotted or it can be transmitted back to the PC for use in other programs such as a spreadsheet or a local data base.