Data Security System (DSS) /data Synchronization: Improving The Performance and Security of Minesight

Data Security System (DSS)/Data Synchronization: Improving the Performance and Security of MineSight®
Data Security System (DSS)/Data Synchronization:

Improving the Performance and Security of MineSight®
Introduction
Today’s mining industry is faced with economic hurdles, staffing shortages, Sarbanes
Oxley compliance, and increased requirements upon its professionals as they continue to
inherit more and more responsibility. Typically, medium to large-scale mining operations
are departmentalized (e.g., grade control, geology, survey, short term, long term, etc.). It
is imperative to know that you are working on the latest or official data set when making
changes or expensive planning decisions that will affect your bottom line.
The Data Security System (DSS) is designed to provide the confidence that an entire mine’s
data set is managed safely and efficiently, from small to large multi-user environments.
The DSS is a client/server application using SQL as the backend. This management tool
controls access to all objects within the DSS HUB for all users within MineSight®. Every
MineSight 3-D (MS3D) resource object (i.e., those files in the project resource folder having
an msr extension) loaded to the centralized hub has a unique reference identifier which
enables the DSS to control and monitor the checking out (Borrow), checking-in (Submit),
and all user authorities on the managed data objects.
With common practices of sharing local directories or drives, storing MineSight Projects on
network file servers, or constantly copying large files manually to keep the model updated,
many users experience extremely sluggish MineSight performance, high risk for data
loss, or unnecessary bandwidth consumption. Adopting MineSight Data Synchronization
techniques allows MS3D Projects to be manipulated on individual workstations rather
than across a network. It allows for full mirroring of projects either to the DSS HUB or any
other location on your network (for sharing or archival purposes).
The combination of DSS and Data Synchronization increases the performance of MineSight
and the reliability of secure, archived, “official” data.
The DSS Manager

The DSS Manager is the administrator’s tool to manage the Data Security System. Within
the DSS Manager, you create and manage users and their privileges to access objects
(MineSight resource files) under the classes, file structure, registration of historic or new
files (bulk load), and other system parameters. Below is an overview of each panel.
Mintec, Inc. Upon opening the DSS Manager (Figure 1), you are presented with two options. The first
Global is Create New Database to manage a DSS HUB. This will be set up by your MineSight
Mining Specialist upon implementation of a new DSS. The second option is connecting to the DSS.
Software
Solutions
Since
1970
Page 1
Figure 1. DSS Manager overview.
Connecting to the DSS is as simple as logging into your machine every day. Typical
authority will be Microsoft® Windows or NT Authentication (depending on the site
environment).
The DSS HUB

Six additional tabs will be displayed in the DSS Manager after successful login (Figure 2).
Before creating users and specifying permissions, the folder structure must be created on
the DSS HUB.
Mintec, Inc.
The Data Structure tab is used to manage the Class/Type/Status and Type/Category Global
available to the DSS. This will only work if the environment variables have been set correctly. Mining
The Class is the uppermost level of DSS classification. A Class is unique. The Type is Software
the second level of classification. A Type does not have to be unique in the DSS (it will Solutions
be unique for each Class). The Status is defined for each Class/Type combination. It Since
is simply a descriptor of status. The Category is another descriptor. For example, for a 1970
surface Type, you may have a Category called HW (Hanging wall) or FW (footwall). Both
the Status and Category are only tags that are attached to the objects in the DSS. They do
not affect the file structure.
The Class, Type, Status, and Category are added via right click menu. You must click on
another tab to save the results to the DSS (Figure 2).
Page 2
Figure 2. Data Structure tab.
Use the Folders tab (Figure 3) to manage folders for each Type set up on the Data
Structure tab. Folders can be added, removed, or renamed via a right click menu.
Any number of folder levels can be created in the Folders tab. The DSS Manager will
automatically recreate the structure in your windows environment.
To add a folder, click on the parent folder to highlight it. Right click and select Add Folder,
then enter the name of the new folder (Figure 3)
Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
Software
Solutions
Since
1970
Page 3
Figure 3. Adding a new folder from the

Folders tab.
To apply the changes, click on any other tab to get the DSSManager “verify changes”
message (Figure 4).
Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
Figure 4. Verify changes message. Software
Solutions
Click Yes to apply changes.
Since
Bulk Loading Data 1970
The Insert Objects tab (Figure 5) is used to submit a number of new objects at once. All
objects should be in the same directory and belong to one Class/Type/Category/Folder/
Status combination.
Page 4
To use this function, select the root directory (from which the historic data needs to be
moved) and the appropriate Class/Type/Category/Folder/Status combination, then select
Start (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Insert Objects tab.
Managing User Authorities

The Users tab (Figure 6) is used to manage the names and privileges of users. If you are
using SQL Authentication, each user must be created in the SQL Database under DBNAME
| Security | Users before adding them through the DSS Manager. They must use the exact
Mintec, Inc. name and password created for SQL Authentication.
Global You then create your user names in the DSS Manager using their network ID so they may
Mining login with their typical Microsoft Windows login. Note that there is a 24 character limit in
Software this field (Figure 6).
Solutions
Since
1970
Page 5
Figure 6. Users tab.
To add a new user, click Add New User and enter a User ID, Name, and a Default Class.
Click OK (Figure 7).
Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
Software
Figure 7. Adding a user. Solutions
NOTE: the User ID above utilizing the employee ID for Microsoft Windows Authentication Since
1970
To delete a user, click on the ID you wish to delete and click Delete User (Figure 8).
Page 6
Figure 8. Deleting a user.
To edit the User ID, Name, or Default Class of a user, select the ID from the Users tab and
click Edit User. Make the changes in the Edit User dialog and click OK to submit (Figure 9).
Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
Software
Figure 9. Editing a user.
Solutions
Since Assigning Authorities
1970 DSS user authorities are defined as follows:
Borrow: Allow a user to borrow a DSS object.
Cancel: Allow a user to cancel a Borrow on a DSS object.
Submit: Allow a user to submit an object back to the DSS.
Delete: Allow a user to permanently delete a DSS object.
Page 7
To add authority, click Add under the Authority section of the Users tab and select the
authority to add. Click OK when done (Figure 10).
Figure 10. Adding authority.
To modify the authority of a user, click on the user in the ID list, select the Class in
which you want to change authority, click on the authority in the list, and click Remove
(Figure11).
Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
Software
Solutions
Since
1970
Figure 11. Removing delete authority.
Above, Monty is a funny guy, but we don’t want him deleting objects from the Class
“01LAYOUT”.
Page 8
Cancelling Borrowings
Sometimes when there are network hiccups or the unfortunate Microsoft Windows crash,
it may be necessary to manually cancel borrowed objects from the Hub. From the User tab,
the system administrator can also cancel borrowed items for any DSS user. To cancel all
borrowings: select the User ID, select the Class, and click Cancel Borrowings.
Connecting and Using the DSS HUB via MineSight

After completing the administrative preparation, it is now time to work in MineSight..
Figure 12 shows a visual depiction of a DSS HUB configuration with administrators having
complete authority over a Class (bi-directional arrows) and all other users having read only
privileges to the rest of the directory. It is possible to have more than one administrator with
full authority over more than one Class.
Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
Software
Solutions Figure 12. DSS HUB configuration.
Since When trying to view MineSight objects through DSS, you will be asked to authenticate. You
1970 will be prompted to connect to the DSS. If you know the name of the ODBC you can enter it
with your credentials as seen in Figure 13.
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Figure13. Database connection.
Otherwise, select ODBC Entries and select the proper connection (Figure 14).
Figure 14. Selecting a database.
Once a connection to the DSS has been made, the data to be viewed may be selected through Mintec, Inc.
the MS3D Data Manager | Security menu (Figure15). Global
Mining
Software
Solutions
Since
1970
Page 10
Mintec, Inc.
Global Figure 15. MS3D Data Manager | Security menu.
Mining
NOTE: The View by Volume option allows for spatial selection which will help limit the
Software
amount of data retrieved.
Solutions
Since Depending on how your DSS HUB has been populated, you can select additional criteria
1970 from the upper right side of the View Objects dialog box to filter the objects you wish to
load to your project (Figure 16).
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Figure16. View Objects dialog.
Borrowing from the DSS

In order to make permanent edits to objects that are hosted on the DSS HUB, you must
Borrow the objects from within MS3D (Figure 17).
Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
Software
Solutions
Since
1970
Figure 17. Borrowing an object inside MS3D.
Page 12
The method of managing geometry objects within the DSS is straightforward. The object
is treated as a standard MS3D linked object until it is borrowed. Once borrowed, the DSS
will verify user authority and either WARN (Figure 18) or PROMPT (Figure 19) for an
explanation to record before the object is copied to the local working area.
Figure 18. Warning for

insufficient authority.
Figure 19. Prompt for explanation.
The object is then treated as any standard MS3D object until the point of submission. When
the object is submitted, by default, it is submitted as Normal and it is returned back to the
same area on the DSS HUB structure. DSS will update the records referring to the borrowed
object and update the log file.
Copying from the DSS

Another option under the Security menu (Figure 17) is the Copy option. You may need to
grab a copy of an object to duplicate in another area of the DSS, or to do some work locally,
or while on the road.
Copying an object from the DSS detaches the link and any reference to the original object.
The copied object becomes a standard editable MS3D object. All users who have access to
the DSS can do this.
Object Submission
There are a number of ways to submit objects, Normal, New Object, New Class, Rename,
and Archive. These methods are quite self-explanatory.
Mintec, Inc. The Normal option will return the borrowed object to the DSS and remove the flags
Global indicating that it has been borrowed. This is the standard method of submitting. Submitting
a New Object will add a new index or reference to the DSS and this object will become a
Mining
standard object stored in the central data system. Submitting a New Class lets you put the
Software object back to the Hub with a new class. Rename will simply rename an existing entry to a
Solutions new name. Archive lets you submit an object and archive it at the same time.
Since
1970 Borrowing and submitting objects from/to the DSS HUB is the greatest display of the DSS’s
ability to manage authority, security, and unnecessary duplication.
Data Synchronization
While the use of DSS improves the security and speed of MS3D and its “official” objects,
it also provides a centralized area for site IT departments to do daily backups. The
combination of using Mintec’s Synchronization Techniques, further allows easy backup and
centralization of all other data/settings from local MS3D Projects.
Page 13
Mintec utilizes Unison, developed by the University of Pennsylvania. Unison is a file-

synchronization tool for Unix® and Microsoft Windows. Using Unison, two replicas of a
collection of files and directories can be stored on different hosts (or different disks on the
same host), modified separately, and then brought up to date by propagating the changes in
each replica to the other.
Unison shares a number of features with tools such as configuration management packages
(CVS, PRCS, Subversion, BitKeeper, etc.), distributed file systems (Coda, etc.), uni-
directional mirroring utilities (rsync, etc.), and other synchronizers (Intellisync, Reconcile,
etc). However, there are several points where it differs:
• Unison runs on both Microsoft Windows and many flavors of Unix (Solaris, Linux,
OS X, etc.) systems. Moreover, Unison works across platforms, allowing you to
synchronize a Microsoft Windows laptop with a Unix server, for example.
• Unlike simple mirroring or backup utilities, Unison can deal with updates to
both replicas of a distributed directory structure. Updates that do not conflict are
propagated automatically. Conflicting updates are detected and displayed.
• Unlike a distributed file system, Unison is a user-level program: there is no need to
modify the kernel or to have superuser privileges on either host.
• Unison works between any pair of machines connected to the internet,
communicating over either a direct socket link or tunneling over an encrypted ssh
connection. It is careful with network bandwidth, and runs well over slow links
such as PPP connections. Transfers of small updates to large files are optimized
using a compression protocol similar to rsync.
• Unison is resilient to failure. It is careful to leave the replicas and its own private
structures in a sensible state at all times, even in case of abnormal termination or
communication failures.
• Unison has a clear and precise specification.
• Unison is free; full source code is available under the GNU Public License.
Data Synchronization allows for safe, efficient replication. It can be automated at startup,
logoff, or shutdown. Unison can also be run manually at each user’s convenience. Not only
can it be set up to backup MS3D files, it can reliably backup any other set of directories and/
or files the end-user defines to either a centralized location or multiple destinations.
Consider the scenario where site or corporate Backup/Disaster Recovery Models make
it necessary for MS3D Projects to reside on network file servers rather than on local
workstations. Some customers have asked for help when they are faced with projects that
take upwards of 15 minutes just to open. There are other considerations besides bandwidth Mintec, Inc.
limitations and unmanaged directory structure that affect MS3D performance. The biggest
consideration is working with large block models. Many medium to large sites have Global
deposits with block models growing well past 1 GB. Mining
There is a common need for multiple users to have access to the latest “official” model Software
version. Using Unison in the familiar Star Topology (Figure 20), the large model only Solutions
needs to be fully copied the first time. After that, daily updates to the replicas only reflect Since
any changes that were made from the Master, which results in reliable, fast, lightweight 1970
performance hits on the network and ensures all users have the necessary information to
make valuable business decisions.
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Mintec, Inc.
Figure 20. Unison Star Topology configuration.
Global
Mining Here are some performance results using a 3.5 GB project working over the network and
working locally with DSS and Data Synchronization.
Software
Solutions Opening the project in MS3D over the network took 4:05 (MM:SS). Opening the same project
locally took 00:06. This alone was a 97.6% improvement.
Since
1970 Changing the range on the model over the network took 22:00 to apply (another 20 after
clicking OK). Changing the same range on the local project took 00:30. This was a 97.7%
improvement.
Changing grade on a single block over the network took 13:25 to apply. Changing the grade
locally, only took 00:01 (99.9% improvement).
Copying the latest model can be painful. As tested, it only took 13:38 minutes across the
network. Using Unison Synchronization, the time is similar… the first time.
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After making the change to the block in the previous step, it would be necessary to manually
copy the entire model over to a shared destination or to multiple workstations. Using Unison,
only the actual changes to the model need to be updated to the synchronized destinations.
The entire synchronization update took only 06:26 (>50% improvement).
Propagating updates
UNISON 2.27.57 started propagating changes at 16:43:49 on 11 Feb 2009
UNISON 2.27.57 finished propagating changes at 16:50:15 on 11 Feb 2009
DSS and Data Synchronization were recently implemented on a large client site. Their
old configuration employed the “working on projects over the network” architecture.
Immediately they noticed improved MS3D performance, working with a local project and
MS3D objects hosted on the DSS HUB.
A backup strategy was implemented, using Unison, replicating their local projects to
a central file server so that site IT could easily implement their Backup/Recovery plan
on the file server rather than on 20+ engineering workstations. Fortunately we began
implementation on Monday. On Tuesday, one of the workstation’s operating systems took
an unfortunate turn of events (Figure 21).
Figure 21. Not a message you want

to see.
We were able to reinstall MineSight and recover the synchronized project directory so that
the client had not lost one item from their local project.
The client’s site synchronization configuration resembles the image below.
Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
All users work from a local MS3D Project (C:\MS-User). Software
All users sync to their respective \\..\MS-User folder Solutions
with R/W access. Since
1970
All users share Read Only access to all other project
directories.
Each user has a custom preference file to allow
synchronization either automatically at logoff or
shutdown, or they can run the synchronization after
making important changes they do not want to risk losing.
Page 16
After research and testing, Mintec promotes the use of Unison not only for our clients but
for our use in-house. It can be set up to safely replicate and synchronize entire directories.
We recommend using it to manage any pair of folders (e.g., A>B, B>A). We have
successfully tested configurations like the Star Topology (Fig. 20).
Another successful scenario has more than one contributor editing the MODEL (Figure 22):
Mintec, Inc.
Global
Figure 22. Another Unison configuration.
Mining
Software This scenario manages synchronizations like A>B, B>A, A>C, C>A. Successfully using this
Solutions configuration requires communication (verbal, email, etc.) between contributors B and C to
Since ensure each user syncs their local directory to A so that they have the latest version before
making additional edits. This configuration is so flexible that it can be set to allow Newest
1970
or Older to win when conflict arises in changed files as well as forcing the direction of the
synchronization.
As there are many additional synchronization features available, we will continue to
research additional “merging” features within Unison to handle concurrent editing
(concurrency) before recommending and supporting them.
Page 17
Conclusion
The MineSight Data Security System (DSS) and Data Synchronization allows operations with
many users to access a centralized, common data set and maintain this data with proven
security management. The combination also enables sites to meet the various requirements
placed on them regarding Backup and Recovery Plans. The various users in their respective
departments can not only maintain (modify, replicate, and update) their own data, but can
view all the other data for the mine from other departments. This greatly aids the planning
process, and guarantees that everyone is viewing the most up-to-date data.
Mintec, Inc.
Global
Mining
Software
Solutions
Since
1970
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Data Security System (DSS) /data Synchronization: Improving The Performance and Security of Minesight

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Data Security System (DSS)/Data Synchronization: Improving the Performance and Security of MineSight®

Data Security System (DSS)/Data Synchronization:

The DSS Manager

Figure 1. DSS Manager overview.

The DSS HUB

Figure 2. Data Structure tab.

Figure 3. Adding a new folder from the

Figure 5. Insert Objects tab.

Managing User Authorities

Figure 6. Users tab.

Figure 8. Deleting a user.

Figure 10. Adding authority.

Figure 11. Removing delete authority.

Connecting and Using the DSS HUB via MineSight

Figure13. Database connection.

Figure 14. Selecting a database.

Figure16. View Objects dialog.

Borrowing from the DSS

Figure 17. Borrowing an object inside MS3D.

Figure 18. Warning for

Figure 19. Prompt for explanation.

Copying from the DSS

Mintec utilizes Unison, developed by the University of Pennsylvania. Unison is a file-

Figure 21. Not a message you want

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