This document discusses the changes a user should see during the HEASARC's transition of Browse from Sybase to PostgreSQL Overall this transition is intended to be seamless, but there are a few differences. If you see something problematic please let us know.
This new version of Browse uses exactly the same database as the Xamin system.
Note that both the Sybase and the PostgreSQL versions of Browse are nominally using the the same code. They simply point to different databases. Internally, there are places in the code which recognizes the database being used and acts upon this.
There is one area where you may see differences between the two systems. The PostgreSQL version of Browse is using the data products developed for Xamin. Xamin supports a tree of arbitrary depth in its products while Browse uses a two-level approach of Data Product Sets and Data Products. A heuristic has been developed that converts the Xamin tree into the Browse sets and products so that the new Browse shows products similar to the old, but there are some differences. If you see any serious issues where you cannot get products you would like, please let us know.
The Browse keyword interface has also been removed. This has long been superseded by the Xamin keyword interface which is shown on the HEASARC home page.
Only operational tables are visible in the Xamin system, so test tables and tables which have been deemed obsolescent will not be visible in this system. This change has limited effects on the production versions, since these tables are rarely visible in the production database. There are a few links that have pointed to these tables and these are not retained in the PostgreSQL version of Browse.