Geospatial Systems Architecture Todd Bacastow. GIS Evolution

Geospatial Systems Architecture

Todd Bacastow

GIS Evolution

http://wiki.gis.com/wiki/images/8/81/FallSDS11Fig2-1_Evolution.jpg

Number ofUsers Internet

ViewerComponentHand-heldDesktop

Professional

Functionality

GIS Users

Market Forces• Integrating spatial data analysis and map

visualization into key business applications • Moving and consolidating spatial data • Moving client/server mapping applications to the

web and looking to web services

What is an architecture?

• There is no universally agreed definition• A system architecture defines the structure and/or behavior

of a system• Best be thought of as a representation• It is also a process because a sequence of steps• It can also be a discipline

Analogies

• Consider a community that maintains an infrastructure for a public service to homes and businesses. This infrastructure might include:– Electricity producers– Drinking water purification and distribution– Sewage treatment– Other waste disposal– Natural gas distribution– Public transport– Cable television and telephones– Roads and toll ways

Evolution• business processes• systems structure• technical framework• product technologies

Evolution

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

GIS Configuration Alternative:Stand alone

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

GIS Configuration Alternative:Connected Desktop

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

GIS Configuration Alternative:Centralized Configuration Alternative

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

GIS Configuration Alternative:Centralized Configuration Alternative

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

GIS Configuration Alternative:Federated

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

GIS Configuration Alternative:Mobile

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

Internet/Web

Web Server

DatabasesDatabases

BrokerBroker

BrowsersBrowsers

Web

ApplicationsApplications

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

Cloud Architecture Building Blocks

GIS Portal

GIS Portal

• Network architecture

(Distributed)

• Loosely Coupled

• Internet Standards

• Many GeoServices

• Many Clients

• Metadata Servers

• Open / Interoperable

• Full GIS capabilities

GIS Users

GIS PortalMetadata

Server

Searc

h Cat

alog

and

Fin

d

Searc

h Cat

alog

and

Fin

d

Publish GIS Data & Publish GIS Data & ServicesServices

Document in CatalogDocument in Catalog

Connect and U

se

Connect and U

se

Checkout and U

se

Checkout and U

se

World Wide Web

Author, Manage, Serve Geographic Information Collections

Author, Manage, Serve Catalogs

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

How? • Consume and expose Web services for:

– Mapping

– Metadata

– Data sharing and distribution

– Geoprocessing

• Provide standard services and components for web developer

(.Net, “generic XML/SOAP”, or Java API’s)

GIS Services Enterprise

Web Server

Databases

Broker

Browsers

Web

Applications

Services

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

Integration

business processes + systems structure + technical framework + product technologies

Another view of architecture• Enterprise• Information• Computational• Engineering• Technology

System Architecture• ISO Reference Model of Open Distributed Processing

(RM-ODP) – Enterprise Viewpoint:

• It is directed to the needs of the users of an information system.

– Information Viewpoint: • It focuses on the information content of the enterprise.

– Computational Viewpoint: • It deals with the logical partitioning of the distributed applications independent of any specific

distributed environment on which they run.

– Engineering Viewpoint: • It addresses the issues of system support (platform) for distributed applications.

– Technology Viewpoint: • The technology model identifies possible technical artifacts for the engineering mechanisms,

computational structures, information structures, and enterprise structures.

Architecture Development

.

Steps

• Defining Architecture Requirements. – to enable the system to meet the community’s goals and objectives.

• Defining a Candidate Architectures.– to evolve an architecture gradually.

• Defining Enterprise Architecture. – integrate it into an enterprise architecture model.

• Defining Reference Architecture.– a working example designed and proven for use in by the participants

• Validating a Reference Architecture.

Timing is everything

Readings

• GIS software architectures– http://wiki.gis.com/wiki/index.php/GIS_Software_

Technology

• ESRI GIS products– http://wiki.gis.com/wiki/index.php/GIS_Product_

Architecture