The ODMS (Oceanographic Data Management System) is the system used for cataloguing and archiving oceanographic data at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute. All oceanographic data sampled in the field within the framework of the many research programs will eventually be available here. The ODMS is made up of several systems and subsystems; the Web interface that you are now using will allow you to select specific data.

The ODMS is made up of two main units: the catalogue and the archive. The catalogue is an Oracle database containing a set of metadata that document the data, allowing for the knowledge of their existence and usefulness. Metadata are typically information concerning the spatio-temporal references as well as other information that allows even more refined queries, such as the mission number or the station name where the data were collected. The server archive contains copies of all the data files that are available in the system. These are not directly accessible by third parties; they are accessed by certain modules of the ODMS and the connection information (user identification and passwords) are carefully concealed and encrypted. These security features ensure that the data cannot be obtained by anyone who does not have the appropriate privileges. In addition, data having an access level set at RESTRICTED are not available to anyone except the holder of that data. Therefore, the existence of these data is known via the catalogue, but they may not be accessed.