FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

I have a question about...

• The System and how it works
• SMS formats
• Codes
• Users
• User types
• Website

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About iSIKHNAS

Who owns iSIKHNAS?

The iSIKHNAS system was developed by the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services and belongs to the Government of Indonesia. It was developed with technical assistance from the Australian Government through the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Emerging Infectious Disease. The iSIKHNAS system and all its data is 100% Indonesian owned.

Who owns the data?

The data managed by iSIKHNAS is owned by the organisations that provide the data, at the various levels of organisation of the Indonesian Government. The data is managed and owned by Indonesia.

How is the system managed?

See How is it managed?

What does iSIKHNAS stand for?

SIKHNAS is an acronym for National Animal Health Information System, or in Indonesian Sistem Informasi Kesehatan Hewan Nasional, which is the name of the previous system. The new system added the i to indicate that the system is now integrated.

Who can access the data?

Maintaining the security of the system is important. Only registered users can access (view and use) the data. Most users can access all of the data although the 'view' for user types is sometimes tailored to simplify the way the website is displayed, the data remains accessibile to most users. A very few users have restricted access and may only view certain areas of the website.

Who can report data?

Only registered users who are given permission to submit data may submit data. This is controlled by iSIKHNAS coordinators and system administrators who register new users, set their User Type and Permissions. This registration process indicates whether your role is one of reporter or not. Data is not accepted from non-authorised users. Users allowed to submit data include dinas field staff (paravets and vets), village reporters (pelsa), slaughterhouse recorders, and inseminators. All other registered users are usually assigned User Types which allow them to view data only.

What sort of phone do I need?

Any mobile phone can be used to send and receive SMS messages from iSIKHNAS, including inexpensive, older phones. Smartphones have more features that may make composing messages faster and easier. The best kind of phone is the one which suits you best and which you find easy to use, easy to read the screen and type on.

Where is the data stored?

The data is stored in a wide variety of locations - on many computers around the country in various forms, and in the cloud in several secure locations in its entirety.

What is "Cloud computing" and what are its advantages?

iSIKHNAS is a huge and complex system which requires powerful computing power and limitless storage capacity. The cloud offers a very low cost, flexible, efficient and powerful service which is responsive to the changing demands of the system.

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Submitting data

SMS submission

What is the iSIKHNAS SMS telephone number?

The phone number of iSIKHNAS is 0812 900 900 09. All registered data reporters (dinas field staff and pelsa) should have this phone number saved on their mobile phone contact list.

What sort of phone do I need?

Any mobile phone can be used to send and receive SMS messages from iSIKHNAS, including inexpensive, older phones. Smartphones have more features that may make composing messages faster and easier. The best kind of phone is the one which suits you best and which you find easy to use, easy to read the screen and type on.

Why don't I get a response when I submit data by SMS?

All communications with iSIKHNAS should receive an immediate reply. If you don't receive a response to your SMS, the reasons could be:

• you are not registered to use iSIKHNAS. Only registered users can submit data. If you want to become registered, you need to contact your local iSIKHNAS coordinator.
• you have changed your phone number and the system doesn't recognise you any more. Registered users are identified by their phone number. If you are using a different phone, the system can't confirm who you are.
• the network is congested. Usually SMS messages take only a minute or two to be returned. However if the network traffic is heavy, it may take several minutes.
• there is a problem with the system. Contact your iSIKHNAS coordinator, and they will check with system administrators to see if there is a problem.

What should I do if I forget the format for a message

Don't panic! It is possible to check the format of a message by just typing the start code of the message ie the letters which always start the message and which tell the system what type of data you are submitting.

Example: You forget the data required for a movement report. You know that it begins with SK so just send

SK 

and the response you receive shows you the correct data to enter,

[isikhnas:] Correct format: SK [owner ID] [origin] [destination] ([species/breed] [number of animals]...) {ownerphone}

What if I can't remember even the correct start code for a message?

If you forget the correct start code, just send in ?.

?  

The response will be

isikhnas: Format error: message must start with one of the following codes: AH, BB, BH, BHK, CKI, CKJS, CKL, CKO, CKP, CKT, CUL, DH, DHP, 
DKB, DKL, DP, DX, GI, IB, IH, IMAGE, JH, KGG, KODE, KOM, LAB, LAPD, LAPK, LAPSK, LH, LINK, LTL, OB, P, PK, 
PKB, PNEG, POP, PRP, Q, R, RP, RVAK, SK, SLAB, SLAP, SP, TK, TL, U, UC, VAK, VSK, Z

Instant messaging : What is it?

Instant messaging (IM) will be another way to communicate with iSIKHNAS. It is being trialled at the moment and will be more widely useable soon. It will use identical message codes to SMS, but instead of sending messages over the mobile phone network, IM uses an internet connection. The result is faster, cheaper communication, and allows larger messages to be sent and returned. It is only useful to those with an internet connection. As the network increases, more and more people will have access to this feature. It is also particularly useful for training and demonstrations because the IM diaglogue box can easily be projected from a computer. Live demonstrations of the system can be considerably enhanced by using this highly effective tool.

Spreadsheet submission by e-mail : How does it work?

• This functionality is available to laboratory staff, coordinators and a few other specific user types. It offers an efficient way of transfering larger quantities of data into the iSIKHNAS system. Staff must have undertaken specialist training and be given permission to be involved.
• A registered user enters data into a standardised spreadsheet template. It is important to use the standard template so the system can recognise what data is being sent and how to manage it.
• The spreadsheet is then sent as an attachment with an e-mail to iSIKHNAS.
• iSIKHNAS automatically checks the data for errors. If any are found, the spreadsheet is returned to the sender with errors highlighted for correction.
• When an error-free spreadsheet is submitted, the data is inserted into the database and is immediately available for viewing and included in the automated reporting.

Type B and C Laboratory staff manual

What is the e-mail address for submitting data to iSIKHNAS?

The email address is provided to authorised users by their supervisors.

The dates in my spreadsheet are in the wrong format. What can I do?

Microsoft Excel uses the settings on the computer to decide what format to show dates. For submission of data, dates need to be in standard Indonesian / European format dd/mm/yyyy (for example, 23/04/2014).

Some computers may have a default configuration to use US date format: mm/dd/yyyy. If you try to submit dates in this format, it will result in an error.

It is sometimes hard to quickly see what format is being used. To test, try entering a date that would be invalid in the other format (for example 1/1/2014 is valid in either format, but 24/3/2014 is only valid in Indonesian, not US format).

To change the way dates are shown, you need to update your computer settings.

In MS Windows, the way to change it is slightly different between different versions of Windows. However you need to open the Control Panel, and go to the Region and Language settings.

There, under Format:, select Indonesian (Indonesia) and then OK to save.

When you restart MS Excel, the dates should be shown in the correct format.

Getting information from the system

How can I get information from the system?

Registered users can access a wide variety of information from the system through their phone via SMS or IM. Of course, computer users with internet access can access data through the iSIKHNAS website -

www.isikhnas.com

Getting information about codes

What if can't remember one of the codes to use in a message?

Most messages use different codes so that the message is shorter and easier to type, and to avoid spelling differences and errors.

There are two ways to find out a code:

• KODE messasge: For short lists of common codes, you can find all the codes by using the KODE message. To find a code list, first send just the KODE message.

KODE

The reply will be:

Format: KODE {code type}. Code types: SP (species), RP (abattoirs), JHRP (slaughter animal types), 
POP (population types), TAN (signs), AH (animal fate), JP (user types), PK (case outcomes), 
SL (lab sections), BS (specimen form), SIN(priority syndromes), SUM (source of disease), 
UC (rapid tests), JI (infrastructure types)

Next to get the full list of codes for a particular type (syndromes for example), send:

KODE SIN

Returns:

Abortion or swollen joints KGS; 
Unusual or potentially important disease PLB; 
Fever in pigs DMB; 
Limping, drooling and vesicles PLL; 
Sudden death MTD; 
Biting and behaviour change GGA; 
Poultry mortality MMU

• Cari Kode... messages: for longer lists, there are a set of special SMS messages to help you search for the right code. Each of these messages start with CK (cari kode) and then another letter to specify what you are looking for.

Examples include:

• CKS - Cari Kode Spesies - search for a species code
• CKO - Cari Kode Obat - search for a drug code
• CKL - Cari Kode Lokasi - search for a location code

The format for each of these messages is slightly different so check the format first.

Where do I look for codes relating to laboratory submissions?

How do location codes work?

What are infrastructure codes and how do they work?

How do I determine which User Type to choose when I am registering a new user?

Getting information about cases or livestock when you are in the field

Using the web site

What is the address for the iSIKHNAS web site?

Registered users can access the web site at www.isikhnas.com. To access the website, you must log in with a password. Some limited information is available to the public

How do I get access?

To access the web site you must first be registered. Only relevant government staff and others with a legitimate need to access the system can be registered. In order to be registered, you must ask for access from your local iSIKHNAS coordinator.

I want to change my password. What is a good password to use?

The biggest security risk for iSIKHNAS is when users us weak or easy to guess passwords. The internet is full of automated robots which try to hack into web sites by making millions of guesses a minute, using commonly used passwords.

If your password is weak, then the security of Indonesia's animal health system is at risk. Every single user is responsible for protecting iSIKHNAS.

Some tips for choosing a good password:

• Longer is better. Use at least 8 characters, but more is always better
• Don't use common words, names, phrases or key sequences
• Use a mix of letters and numbers, upper and lower case, and include symbols
• Don't use the same password for different systems
• Don't write your password down where somebody could find it and use it
• Never let anybody (even another registered iSIKHNAS user) use your password
• Never tell anybody your password, not even an iSIKHNAS administrator. Nobody should ever need to know your password.

Using many different long, complex passwords makes it very difficult to remember. How can you choose a password that is easy to remember? There are a number of common strategies:

• Use secure Password Safe software. This is like a wallet for all your passwords, which is, itself, protected by one password.
• Use an easy-to-remember phrase, and take the first letter of each word as the password (preferably mixing in some letters and numbers and symbols). For example remembering your password is as easy as singing your favourite song.
• Use a combination of 4 everyday but unrelated words - it makes a long password, that is easy to remember but very hard to guess
• Use a standard personal password (based on either of the two previous options) and then have a standard way to make it different for each web site. For example, add the name or an abbreviation of the site or URL to the end of your personal password to make a longer password that is different for every site.

• Troubleshooting guide for Coordinators