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NASIS Release 5

NASIS Release 5.0 began operations on April 2, 2001. On May 3, 2002, an upgrade to release 5.1 was installed to add new capabilities requested by NASIS users. On December 17, 2003, release 5.2 was installed to add support for the Soil Data Warehouse and Soil Data Mart.

The online version of the Getting Started Manual is now available for your use.

The Release Notes provide information on changes and fixes to the 5.0 release up to the current version.

This page describes the overall concept of NASIS Release 5.

Photo of a NASIS Central Server.

NASIS 5.0 was the first implementation of what we are calling the “central server architecture” for NASIS. The NASIS databases have been combined and moved from the MLRA Offices to this new hardware platform at the Information Technology Center (ITC) at Fort Collins. This has offered several advantages:

  • Improved security for the database, as well as better access for users at non-NRCS sites.
  • Newer and faster computers to run NASIS.
  • Removes the burden of supporting and maintaining NASIS sites at the MO’s.

 

 Access to All Data

You are able to use data from all NASIS sites and you have authority to edit data belonging to any group of which you are a member, regardless of location. Some important capabilities of the central server:

  • Copy data from any NASIS site and paste it without restriction.
  • Link to objects (such as data mapunits) from any NASIS site without having to copy.
  • Become a member of a group at any NASIS site, thus gaining permission to edit data there. Group membership is under the control of designated MO data set managers.
  • Change ownership of data to a group at any site, not just to groups at your site.

New SSURGO Export

The export formats that were formerly called SSURGO and NASIS exports have been merged into a new format that will be used with all new SSURGO data sets. This export contains the data elements that have been added to NASIS over the years since the old SSURGO format was defined, and provides a structure that is easier to use than the previous NASIS export. The complete description of the new SSURGO structure is available on the SSURGO Version 2 metadata page.

Data Model Changes

There are several changes to internal identifiers in the database which do not affect the way NASIS is used. The changes in the actual soil data attributes are summarized here. A complete description of the NASIS database is available on the NASIS 5.1 metadata page.

  • Other Vegetative Classification data has been moved to its own tables, to provide a consistent lookup list for vegetative classifications. Instead of entering this data by component, you link from a component to a lookup list, as is done with Ecological Sites.
  • Structure and consistence can be recorded for horizons in a data mapunit.
  • Multiple colors can be recorded for pedon concentrations, redoximorphic features, and ped void surface features.
  • Transects are recorded differently than in the past, so that it will be clear which pedon at a site is used in a transect, in cases where more than one pedon is recorded at a site.
  • Text tables are available to record change notes and other documentation for queries, reports, properties, evaluations, rules, and calculations.
  • New columns have been added to the Rule table to help define interpretations more precisely. The Primary Rule column indicates whether a rule is intended for use as an interpretation or as a base rule. The Subrule Sort Order column indicates whether the sub-rules (reasons) are sorted with ones or zeros first, signifying whether the rule describes limitations or potentials for a land use.
  • New attributes include:
    • Export Certification Status (Legend)
    • Export Certification Date (Legend)
    • Export Metadata (Legend)
    • Conservation Tree Shrub Group (Component)
    • Relative Effective Annual Precipitation (Component and Site)
    • Horizon Designation Master Prime (Horizon and Pedon Horizon)
    • Geomorphic Feature Modifier (Component and Site Geomorphic Description)
    • Parent Material General Modifier (Component Parent Material)
    • Soil Taxonomy Edition (Pedon)
    • Primary Interpretation (Rule)

Screen and User Interface Changes

NASIS 5.0 continues its familiar appearance, with a few new features:

  • NASIS Preferences (Options menu) allows selection of fonts for several interface features
  • The User table is independent of the NASIS Site table. Users can be assigned to groups in any site. The User table is not automatically displayed as the NASIS Site table is; you must run a query to bring up data for the User table.
  • The DSM Flag has been removed from the User table. Data set managers are defined by their membership in special groups that own each of the NASIS Site objects.
  • The locations for export files and saved reports have been changed, so that these files can be retrieved easily with the Secure Copy utility. The NASIS server directory /share will include three main directories, SSURGO, FOCS, and REPORTS. These are the locations for SSURGO exports, FOCS exports, and saved report output. Under each main directory there is a sub-directory for each state and “Other”, to help in locating your files.
  • A new button to select on Ready For Use has been added to dialogs that select queries, reports, properties, evaluations and rules. This will reduce the size of these choice lists in most cases. Also, a button for Primary Interpretation has been added when selecting rules. This limits the list to rules that are intended to be used as interpretations rather than as sub-rules to an interpretation.
  • The Calculation table has been made visible (see menu View/Calculations/Calculation). Editing of this table is only allowed to NSSC staff, but anyone can look at the calculation and validation scripts to see how they work. They use the same scripting language as reports.
  • If you type in an incorrect value in a column that uses a choice list, the choice list will not automatically pop up. You have the option of correcting your entry or calling up the choice list.
  • The Change Owner and Change Default Group options both require that you choose a NASIS site, because they both allow changes to any NASIS site.
  • If an Edit Setup other than the default is in effect for a table, a small “ES” indicator will be shown in the upper left corner of the table’s grid display.

Calculation Changes

Calculation procedures are planned for several more data elements, as indicated by the small “S” (source) box next to a data column. Not all of the calculations are ready for release with NASIS 5.0, but they will be added when they are tested and approved. Calculations under development can be found in the Calculation table with a Ready for Use flag of “no”.

  • The new data element General Modifier has been incorporated into the Parent Material Group Name calculation.
  • The new data element Prime has been incorporated into the Horizon Designation and Pedon Horizon Designation calculations. Also, new suffix codes have been added and restrictions are included on some suffixes, such as those used only with O horizons.
  • The new table Horizon Structure Group has a calculation for the Structure column, derived by combining the entries in the Horizon Structure table into a single name.
  • The Particle Size Estimator calculation now calculates the Total Silt as well as the sand fractions.
  • When a calculation produces an invalid result (generally due to incorrect data) it will store a null value rather than producing an error message.
  • Calculations can now store multiple results into separate records of a child table under the base table. This allows, for example, the Unified classes for a horizon to be calculated and placed in the Horizon Unified table.

Report Language Changes

Some improvements have been made in the scripting language for reports and properties:

  • The ROUND function has been added to round off the result of a calculation to a specified number of decimal places.
  • The base table for an interpretation may be specified separately from the base table for a report.
  • Subreports have been reworked so that calling properties and recursive subreports within a subreport will work correctly.
  • The PAGE PAD feature that did not work correctly has been fixed.
  • The SORT option SYMBOL has been modified to handle more types of map unit symbols. Virtually any combination of numbers and letters in a symbol will now sort correctly. For example, A2b will sort before A10b now, which it didn't in the old version.

Supported Platforms

NASIS 5.0 will operate on a centralized host computer and can be run from the same PC or Unix workstation that you have been using for NASIS. For improved security you will log in through Secure Shell, an encrypted channel to the NASIS server, before starting up a NASIS session. The Secure Shell allows NASIS to be accessed from both USDA and non-USDA locations without compromising the USDA network security. Each user will be issued a unique Secure Shell password.

Detailed instructions for obtaining the Secure Shell software and the NASIS Secure Access program for Windows workstations are found on the Downloads page.