# Building an AnimalTrakker® Registry We're committed to providing a livestock registry experience that's approachable, reliable, and affordable. We know that running a registry can be difficult and expensive, especially for heritage and rare breed associations. [[AnimalTrakker® Philosophy|Breed stewardship is important to us]], and we want to help you keep these breeds alive. To that end, our goal is to provide the best in data conversion and operation services for livestock registries. Our options are adaptable to your specific needs. We offer three basic options for those looking to launch an AnimalTrakker® registry, listed in order of increasing cost: 1: Data conversion only 2: Data conversion + web portal hosting for registry members 3: Full registry operation ## Data Conversion Only If you have paper data that needs to be converted to be compatible with our registry structure - even if it's pen and paper - we're happy to build you a quote. Once your data's been converted, you can use that data with our free, open-source desktop software and web portal software to run your registry. Our fees may change based on the quality and quantity of your data, and we can quote a fixed fee or a per person and per animal fee. We also have an initial set of questions that needs to be answered to start the conversion process. In addition to the AnimalTrakker® team, a successful conversion always requires at least one person from your registry who is well-versed in the people, animals, and history of your breed. This liaison can help interpret data when we run into issues, conflicts, or missing entries. We depend on your knowledge of the breed to ensure we can convert your data as accurately as possible. The liaison must be available via email or other messaging methods so we can send and receive updates and corrections in a timely fashion. Our team will work with you to identify your specific configuration needs for your registry. Then, we'll move to extracting your historical data from its current form and formatting it to our database structure. The length of time this will take depends on the amount, format, and accuracy of the data. We may also uncover quirks that require us to customize our database schema to support the collection and storage of the data you need. As part of our commitment to being open-source, we'll later add these customizations to our program for the benefit of all users. Finally, we'll verify the data and search for anomalies or issues that need clarification. We'll attempt to resolve these issues with the assistance of your registry liaison, then we'll re-run our data verification tools. We'll repeat this process until all parties agree that the data is as accurate as possible and ready for general use. Only once your data has passed all tests do we turn over the completed database to you. At that point, you can download our [[AnimalTrakker® Registry Desktop Overview|registry software]], configure your registrar's system, and, if desired, install [[AnimalTrakker® Registry Web Overview|our web software]] on a server of your choice for members to use. ## Data Conversion + Hosting We offer web portal hosting for your members to send in registry transactions. The monthly fee for this is calculated from a base fee plus monthly usage. Once your AnimalTrakker® database is complete, we'll host an independent subdomain for your registry. We'll manage the server operations, maintain a 30-day rolling backup of your data, and conduct all server software updates as required. We will provide updates to the Registry Web software as available. You'll still be required to have a designated Registrar who will maintain and operate the actual registry database on their computer. The Registrar will be responsible for downloading all member transactions and processing them using the AnimalTrakker® Registry Desktop software package, then uploading an updated copy of the database to the server. Your Registrar is in control of the "real" registry data. ## Full Registry Operation If you'd prefer a hands-off approach and want to hire us to manage and run your registry for you, we're happy to do so. Once data conversion is complete and hosting is set up, we'll designate someone within the AnimalTrakker® team who will act as your Registrar, plus one additional team member who will act as backup. The Registrar will process submitted transactions according to your registry rules. This can including printing registration papers and other services. At any time, your Association may request all of the current data and materials (special certificate paper or official seals, etc.) be returned to you. Your data will never be our property, and you are free to move it elsewhere or run the registry yourself whenever you choose. We only offer this option if you are using online submission for all registry transactions. The fee for this service includes the cost of the data conversion, hosting costs, and a set fee per transaction conducted by the Registrar. ## Typical Costs The following section outlines typical costs involved in working with AnimalTrakker® to build and run your registry. Note that these costs may change based on the number of members in your association and hoe many transactions the registry will require on a monthly basis. The scenario below outlines a typical installation where AnimalTrakker® handles all registry operations. In this example, the registry holds approximately 16,000 animals, 750 total members (current and previous), documents 1,200 births per year, and brings in approximately 700 registrations per year. - $60.00/month for web hosting and backups - $0-$25/month for server usage - A certain number of "hits" on the registry server are included in the base cost, but if number of hits exceeds what the hosting service allows per month, these over-limit costs will pass to you. - $5 per registration or transfer - We do not charge for birth notifications. We believe that rare breeds need to know about the entire breeding population, and allowing for free birth notifications helps facilitate this. - Actual costs for printing, postage, paper, etc. for registration certificates, seals, and other paper documents ## Questions, Comments, and Concerns If you have any remaining questions about building an AnimalTrakker® registry, please reach out to our support department at [email protected]. If you've decided that you'd like to start the process of building your registry with us, we'd love to hear from you at [email protected].