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To determine the initial configuration of the IMSMA^NG system, it is important to understand the two ways in which IMSMA^NG can be set up and the basic architecture of the system. IMSMA^NG is a client-server software application designed to run in stand-alone or networked mode. In a stand-alone system, both the IMSMA^NG client and server are installed on the same computer. The stand-alone configuration is the simpler type of installation: it requires no additional network equipment or infrastructure and is easy to maintain.

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Whether a programme uses a stand-alone installation or a networked installation, the IMSMA^NG software has two main components:

The IMSMA^NG server stores data and manages much of the data processing. The server has two main parts, the datastore and the business layer. The datastore is where data is stored for retrieval by the IMSMA^NG client. IMSMA^NG uses a MySQL relational database to store data on the server. Additionally, IMSMA^NG stores other data including attachments and some configuration files on the server in file format. The MySQL database is accessible via a variety of database access tools designed for browsing relational databases.

The business layer is where rules are implemented to ensure data quality and consistency. The business layer takes data from the datastore and transforms it for display in the IMSMA^NG client. All data interaction between the client and server database is handled through the business layer, which allows for multiple clients to be connected to the database while preserving data integrity in cases of multiple requests. This includes access from the IMSMA^NG client and from the reporting tool.

The IMSMA^NG client is the interface through which users can connect to the server and browse the system, enter data and generate outputs. The client includes an integrated GIS and reporting tools. Based on ESRI’s ArcGIS Engine, the GIS performs all geospatial calculations including distance/bearing calculation, coordinate conversion and reprojection. The GIS also allows each client to load and manage its own maps and geographic data which the client receives from the IMSMA^NG server. As a result, each client receives and locally stores a complete copy of geographic data from the IMSMA^NG server when it is connected to the server. This synchronized data is stored in a client ―sandbox‖ separate from the server and can always be updated by connecting to the server.