CDS News - Chemical Database provision from Daresbury   [updated 15 Oct 2013]

See details below:

Item added 15/10/13

CrystalWorks is now available available via the NCDS/RSC portal

Item added 10/10/13

CrystalWorks is available to all registered users

CrystalWorks has now been restored to all CDS/DL registered users via the STFC Chemical Database Service at Daresbury.

It is also planned to make CrystalWorks available via the NCDS/RSC portal quite soon.

Item added 01/05/13

General access to CrystalWorks will cease 10/5/13

General user access to CrystalWorks will cease on 10/5/13. Access to the "demonstration" version of the system will, however, continue.

Full CrystalWeb search function will continue to be available to registered users who are within the STFC network domain.

Item added 08/03/13

Full CrystalWorks facilities have been reinstated

Full CrystalWorks facilities have been reinstated via the Daresbury server. Unfortunately we can only guarantee general access until the end of March 2013.

Item added 02/01/13

General database access via Daresbury ceases 2nd January 2013

All new login database access for off-site users should now have been disabled. Users who were already logged in beforehand may find that they retain access in their current session. Such access will, however, timeout after a period.

Please note that access within the STFC domain will continue for a further period, which will be subject to review. The STFC domain basically includes the Daresbury and Rutherford sites as well as the Diamond Light Source.

Please note that STFC access is available to all usernames - it includes visitors to STFC/Diamond facilities and is not restricted to those registered with a specific STFC username. For this reason all current usernames will be retained on the Daresbury server for a period at least. The CDS/DL website will also remain in place.

We are also exploring the possibility of restoring general access to a limited range of facilities. This is only likely to happen if there is a proven need after the RSC service is in place. Also an adequate funding source will need to be found.

The RSC have announced that their service will be in place from 2/1/13

The RSC service is scheduled to commence operation. Established users of the Daresbury Service and prospective users of the new service should access the RSC/CDS web site:

http://cds.rsc.org/

Item added 20/12/12

An FAQ section has now been added to the RSC-CDS web site (see menu bar above) which gives further details about databases and access mechanisms.

We understand that there may have been some misunderstanding about the transfer of usernames passwords, and saved data from CDS/DL to CDS/RSC. In reality we received a very recent request from the RSC asking us to make a global transfer of such information. Clearly this would have been totally impossible if were to abide by Data Protection legislation.

The CDS/DL servers will no longer be supported under our contract with the EPSRC beyond 31st December 2012. However, if you find that you have any important research data resident on the DL system beyond that point we will endeavour to make arrangements for it to be transferred to you personally if you contact us via cdsbb@stfc.ac.uk

Item added 18/12/12

We have been lead to believe that the RSC intend to add an FAQ section to their web site which will also eventually provide access to their proposed services (for link to the web site see menu bar above).

Item added 17/12/12

Details of the RSC service are appearing via Chemistry World

The RSC is providing some details of hoped for functionality of their proposed service via the comments section of a recent article appearing on the Chemistry World website.

To keep abreast with this emerging information please access this article, which is entitled "RSC to launch new Chemical Database Service", (see menu bar above). The comments section following the article would appear to be a good place to view queries and comments from the community and any responses from the RSC. Also note that the CDS-UK Discussion List remains open. You can also add your comments there (also see menu bar).

If you have any concerns you are strongly encouraged to add your own queries and comments at the Chemistry World site and/or the CDS-UK discussion list (also see menu bar).

The CDS at Daresbury website will remain accessible after 02/01/13 as a vehicle for providing any future information should it become available.

Item added 11/12/12

There are some brief details of the proposed RSC service

We have recently been informed of the web site set up by the RSC which gives some details of the facilities which they expect to have available in their service at its inception. You are invited to inspect this link.

Item added 11/12/12

User access to databases ceases 02/01/13

As things stand all user access to the databases currently available via the EPSRC Chemical Database Service at Darebury will cease on the 2nd of January 2013.

We still have not been given any information about details of the RSC service other than the statement that it will begin operation on the 2nd January.

A fully functioning Service at Daresbury will operate until 2nd January, but will be running unattended over the Christmas period (24th December - 1st January).

Item added 30/11/12

As yet the CDS team has received no contact with regard to details of proposed transfer arrangements to the new service to be provided by the RSC.

We have sent out another broadcast message to all registered CDS users.

Item added 22/11/12

As things stand user access to the Daresbury Service will end shortly

Funding from the EPSRC for the Chemical Database Service at Daresbury ceases at the end of December 2012. There remains the distinct probability that we will not be able to provide user access beyond that point.

We have send out a recent broadcast message to all registered CDS users.

Item added 05/11/12

We still await further news

We apologise for the continuing lack of firm information of progress in the proposed hand over of operation of the CDS to the current preferred bidder.

We also have not been provided with any meaningful information on the nature and scope of the service on offer from the RSC. However, we have reasons to believe that it is likely to be significantly different from what is currently being provided.

We have been informed by the EPSRC that they are pursuing all avenues in an effort to facilitate the process.

Item added 30/10/12

We are still unable to provide more hard information about any hand over arrangements for the Service. Please accept our further apologies.

We appreciate that users may have concerns about this matter, but unfortunately we are still subject to circumstances beyond the control of members the current CDS team.

Item added 23/10/12

We await details of the new Service

We apologise for delay in providing details about the transfer of the Service. There are apparently some current legal issues which need to be resolved before we can be provided with more information to be passed on to the community.

Hopefully we will be able to post further information very soon

Item added 07/09/12

The EPSRC has given permission for the released the name of the Preferred Bidder in its Tender Exercise to provide future Chemical Database Facilities for the UK community. The successfully bidder is the Royal Society of Chemistry. Some further details are also given in the boxes at the head of this Newsfile.

The decision to select the RSC was, in fact, made early to mid August. The contact person within the EPSRC is Martin Sweet. The CDS Team at Daresbury is also happy to provide any further clarification if we can.

The current CDS team is clearly disappointed that the contract for continued service provision has been awarded elsewhere, but hope to be able to cooperate to provide a smooth transfer and so minimise any disruption for the user community. We have been informed by the EPSRC that they expect the RSC to have a fully functioning service in place by 1st January 2013.