Actian Case Studies Actian Helps the Scottish Qualifications Authority Pass Every Test

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	Actian Helps the Scottish Qualifications Authority Pass Every Test Actian

Actian Helps the Scottish Qualifications Authority Pass Every Test

Actian

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Database Management & Storage Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Computing
Applicable Industries	Education
Applicable Functions	Business Operation Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Real-Time Location System (RTLS) Remote Asset Management
Services	Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services Data Science Services
Challenge	The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) was faced with the challenge of rapidly expanding its database functionality and capacity to accommodate the increasing number of subjects and students. The agency needed to maximize the system’s development agility to offer new functionality in response to growing user expectations. The agency was also expanding to new markets in China, the Caribbean, and beyond, which required robust performance and open source flexibility. Read More
About Customer	The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is a government agency that provides accurate, timely results to more than 150,000 academic and vocational students each year who depend on SQA-awarded qualifications for their academic and professional futures. The agency is expanding its work to new markets in China, the Caribbean, and beyond. Read More
Solution	SQA chose to stick with Ingres Database, a leading open source database for business-critical applications, to meet its latest challenge. The agency performed a series of modifications to its core system to provide the expanded functionality its users expect. A new Web-based query facility was introduced, and the service was extended to all high schools. The most substantial change came when SQA used Ingres OpenROAD to move to Windows XP desktops at student registration and exam entry online. The agency is also working on the next big migration of the core system to take advantage of Linux clustering and new features within Ingres Database such as advanced Web connectivity. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Database Management & Storage

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Computing

Applicable Industries

Education

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Real-Time Location System (RTLS)

Remote Asset Management

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services

Data Science Services

Challenge

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) was faced with the challenge of rapidly expanding its database functionality and capacity to accommodate the increasing number of subjects and students. The agency needed to maximize the system’s development agility to offer new functionality in response to growing user expectations. The agency was also expanding to new markets in China, the Caribbean, and beyond, which required robust performance and open source flexibility.

About Customer

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is a government agency that provides accurate, timely results to more than 150,000 academic and vocational students each year who depend on SQA-awarded qualifications for their academic and professional futures. The agency is expanding its work to new markets in China, the Caribbean, and beyond.

Solution

SQA chose to stick with Ingres Database, a leading open source database for business-critical applications, to meet its latest challenge. The agency performed a series of modifications to its core system to provide the expanded functionality its users expect. A new Web-based query facility was introduced, and the service was extended to all high schools. The most substantial change came when SQA used Ingres OpenROAD to move to Windows XP desktops at student registration and exam entry online. The agency is also working on the next big migration of the core system to take advantage of Linux clustering and new features within Ingres Database such as advanced Web connectivity.

Impact #1	The agency has been able to seamlessly scale its operations.
Impact #2	The agency has been able to develop new functionalities with ease.
Impact #3	The agency has been able to leverage high-speed parallel processing.

Impact #1

The agency has been able to seamlessly scale its operations.

Impact #2

The agency has been able to develop new functionalities with ease.

Impact #3

The agency has been able to leverage high-speed parallel processing.

Benefit #1	The growth of Ingres Database by about 3,500,000 records, each of them multi-faceted.
Benefit #2	The service has been extended to all high schools – in all approaching 3,000 remote clients at 1,700 sites.

Benefit #1

The growth of Ingres Database by about 3,500,000 records, each of them multi-faceted.

Benefit #2

The service has been extended to all high schools – in all approaching 3,000 remote clients at 1,700 sites.

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Overview

Actian Helps the Scottish Qualifications Authority Pass Every Test

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit