Frequently Asked Questions

Connections

• Why have we introduced Connections?

  • For Scalability - Connections provide customers with a price for the acQuire Data Model (ADM) that matches the acQuire usage within the organisation.

    To enable acQuire to be used in Enterprise Data Management (EDM) type architectures: Whilst acQuire is an excellent fit technologically for EDM architectures (because much of the critical functionality is at the database level) until now acQuire revenue has come predominantly from sales of its Clientside products – Manager, Client and DataEntry. Our version 4 licensing enables us to generate revenue where acQuire is used in an EDM architecture. Connections licences relate the cost of the serverside, the technology that ensures the validity, integrity and availability of your geoscientific data, to the level of usage within your organisation.

• What is an ADM Connection?

  • Connection Licences allow users to access the acQuire database. The licences are per-user (named) and one licence allows a user to connect to acQuire in whatever way they choose. A connection licence is required if you are connecting to acQuire through an acQuire client (Manager, Client or DataEntry) or via a GIS, Mine Planning system or via the web. Using the export facility to regularly export data, for example, an Access database, for further analysis is considered a workaround, and therefore a connection is required for this too.

• Are the charges for Connections one-off charges and what about maintenance?

  • ADM Connections are licensed, and therefore charged, on a per-user basis.
    Annual maintenance is payable on ADM Connections at the standard 20%.

• Do I need a Connection if I'm not using an acQuire application to access the ADM?

  • Yes, no matter how you access, or how frequently you access, the ADM each User requires a connection.

• Do I need a connection if all I'm doing is exporting to another database? Exactly what is a "User"?

  • A User of acQuire data is someone running an application that consumes acQuire data. Therefore a Surpac user who is regularly accessing data that has been exported from acQuire is a User. However, a person receiving a PDF report generated from acQuire is not a User because no application is consuming the acQuire data.

• Can I access an acQuire Database at another Site with my Connection Licence?

  • Yes. Only one connection is required to access any ADM database within the company.

    How will security on acQuire licence keys work going forward as a result of the introduction of Connections?
    At the moment there is no technology security on acQuire Connections licences. We are working on this at the moment and anticipate that we will be able to provide a technical security mechanism within 12-24 months.

• What should I do about Connections for contractors who work ephemerally?

  • If contractors are connecting to acQuire at your site, then you will need to have connection licences for them too. If you cannot name those people because they change, please send an accompanying letter on company letterhead to us explaining this, and note them down on the connections form as Contractor 1, Contractor 2 etc. n.b. you do not need an acQuire connection for Pocket acQuire or off-line DataEntry as there is no connection when you are working off-line. A connection and an acQuire client licence will be required to load data collected off-line into the database but that will be covered by, for example, the database administrator's connection licence if they are the ones doing the data loading.

• Do offline licences (DataEntry and Pocket acQuire) require a connection?

  • No offline DataEntry (used on ruggadised PCs) and Pocket acQuire licences DO NOT require a connection as you are not connecting to the database.

acQuire Data Model (ADM)

• Can I use the Coal ADM for Minerals too?

  • No, the ADMs are being tailored for each of the Minerals, Coal and Oil Sands sectors. Whilst the core data model is the same, different additional modules are required for the different data in these sectors.

• What is an ADM licence and how is a Site defined?

  • An ADM licence (e.g. ADM_Minerals) is a licence to use the Logical acQuire Data Model (ADM) at a site to create one or more physical databases. A Site is defined as an Operating Mine, or an Exploration Coordination Centre. A company may have multiple pits that it runs as a single operating mine, in which case they will need to purchase one acQuire Data Model which they may use to create Resource Development and Ore Control databases.

    If a company decides to centralise the databases for separate mines onto one large Server, the mines will still require an ADM Site licence each as they are two separate operating mines. One of our objectives was to keep the architecture separate from the licensing so that we were not forcing customers into a particular architecture.

Supported Platforms

• What platforms does acQuire support?

  • Click here to view acQuire's current supported platforms.

Client Side Licences

• What is the difference between a Node Locked and Floating licence?

  • acQuire Floating and Node Locked licences are available for all Manager, Client, Data Entry and layered licences.

    Node Locked licences are locked to a 'dongle' and can be used on only one machine at any given time in one location by one user (otherwise known as 'single use').

    With a Floating licence a hardware dongle is attached to the server. This manages the number of concurrent licences available. Licences can be checked out & in. Licence administration on the server provides security options for the client.

• What is the difference between LogReporter Design and LogReporter Report?

  • All tools to define the layout and aesthetics of the logsheet are available in LogReporter Design mode. This includes the ability to produce graphic logsheets.

    LogReporter Report mode is available for those who only want to define and display the data selection and to produce graphic logsheets (no design tools available). This option could be used by those who only want to check drilling and logging progress.

Agreements

• What is the End User Licence Agreement?

  • Click here to view the End User Licence Agreeement (EULA).