1. BioRS - An Integration and Retrieval System for Biological Data
The ever growing amount, heterogeneity and complexity of biological data demands efficient tools to store, organize, curate, search and extract the data from multiple sources. BioRS is an integration and retrieval system developed by Biomax Informatics AG to perform these tasks. The system quickly retrieves specific biological data from different data sources simultaneously and allows easy integration of heterogeneous public and proprietary databases. BioRS offers easy-to-use web interfaces for retrieving specific biological data.
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The use of BioRS is not limited to flat file data structures. It can also integrate data stored in tables of relational database management systems without converting the contents to a flat file. Both types of data storage - flat files and relational databases - are often used for biological data. BioRS can serve as bridge between these two types. BioRS can load flat files into relational databases with the ability to use SQL for accessing data. The data stored in tables can then be modified via BioRS and can be dumped from tables back to flat files.
BioRS has a client-server architecture and provides several modules (for searching, indexing and parsing) as services within a distributed computing environment. Communication between modules is based on CORBA standard. Each module is open for integration of external applications.
2. Access to BioRS
Web Server
BioRS offers an easy-to-use web interface for searching the (heterogeneous) databases installed in the system. Currently 54 sequence, sequence related and project specific databases can be searched from this interface. The number of provided databases will increase in the next months as it is planned to include more public biological databases.
Web Services
Web services are becoming the predominant means of exchanging information between distributed heterogeneous applications. They enable application interaction in a manner which is independent of programming languages, operating systems or hardware platforms. A set of 3 services have been implemented to enable the MIPS BioRS server to be accessed in this way.