Changes to the NASIS data model will require users to reinitialize after 20 April 2015.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Changes to the NASIS data model will require users to reinitialize after 20 April 2015. - A change is being made to the NASIS data model that will force all NASIS users to reinitialize their local database after 20 April 2015. - When the NASIS 7.0 data model was deployed, the Site Existing Vegetation table (this table was on the point data side of NASIS, i.e. not the componet (aggregated) side) was removed from the data model. Any data existing in that table were moved to the new Plot Plant Inventory table, which is a child of the Vegetation Plot table. This required a new record be created in the Vegetation Plot table. One of the columns in the Vegetation Plot table is the Vegetation_Data_Origin column. This field is used to help identify where/how the data came to be in the table. To help identify which vegetation plot records were created during the move of data from the Site Existing Vegetation table to the Plot Plant Inventory table a new choice has been added to the Vegetation_Data_Origin choice list. - The only data that was moved from the Site Existing Vegetation table to the Plot Plant Inventory table included the National Plant Symbol, the Scientific Name, and the National Vernacular Name, and perhaps the Order of Dominance, if it was recorded. There are many other attributes that can potentially be recorded for each National Plant Symbol in the Plot Plant Inventory table. However, unless the user has manually updated those records, only the few columns mentioned above will have any data in them. Basically, all the database is recording, at the time the data were moved from the Site Existing Vegetation table, is whether that plant was present. While this is important information, by itself it does not add much to the Ecological Site Description. - The new choice is labeled - "Site Existing Veg table". This will be displayed in the Data_Origin column in the Vegetation Plot table for each plant that was moved to the Plot Plant Inventory table. The change will be made without any interaction required from the users. - This choice can be used by the users when creating queries or reports used in their efforts to build new or update existing Ecological Site Descriptions. Include in a WHERE clause similar to: "...WHERE CODENAME(vegetation_plot.vegetation_data_origin) <> "site existing veg table" AND ...". Or, the where clause could be written as: "...WHERE vegetation_plot.vegetation_data_origin <> 8 AND ...". Including either of these WHERE clause parts in either a query or a report SQL script will ensure that only those records that record more than just a plant's presence is used for any aggregation tasks. Actions required from the User 1) As close to the close of business of 20 April 2015 as possible, the user should upload any changes made to records in the local database and then they should be checked in. This should be done at least daily as part of good NASIS standard operating procedure, anyway. 2) After the user logs into NASIS on or after 21 April 2015 the user will be asked if they want to reinitialize their local database. The user will need to give an affirmative response. Reinitializing the local database can take several minutes. Once the database has been reinitialized the user will be asked if they want to load any data the was in the local database prior to the reinitializing. Again, the user should respond in the affirmative to ensure any data existing in the local database prior the reinitializing will be avaible upon completion of that task. If there are any questions about reinitializing a local database or problems resulting from such a procedure please contact the SOILS Hotline via phone (402-437-5378)or via e-mail (LO-NE-NRCS-NSSC-SoilsHotline@one.usda.gov). Thanks, George Teachman