Geospatial Systems Architecture

Todd Bacastow

Views of a 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.

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What is an architecture?

• A system architecture is the conceptual design that defines the structure and/or behavior of a system

• There is no universally agreed definition• Systems architecture can best be thought of as a

representation• Maybe expressed in hardware, software, or

organizational management• It is also a process because a sequence of steps• It can also be a discipline

Geospatial architecture

• Geospatial architecture is a strategic blueprint

• Broadly, geospatial architecture effort addresses the following views:

– business activities and processes,

– data sets and information flows, and

– services.

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

Product Families

  Autodesk ESRI Intergraph MapInfo Smallworld

Viewer AutoCAD LT

ArcReader GeoMedia Viewer ProViewer Custom

Desktop World ArcView GeoMedia MapInfo Professional

Spatial Intelligence

Profess-ional

AutoCAD / Map

ArcEditorArcInfo

GeoMedia Pro MapInfo Professional

Smallworld GIS

Hand-held

OnSite ArcPad IntelliWhere MapXtend Scout

Database Server

GIS Server

ArcSDE Uses Oracle Spatial

SpatialWare Part of Smallworld GIS

Component

In several products

MapObjects

Part of GeoMedia MapX, MapJ Part of Smallworld GIS

Internet MapGuide ArcIMS GeoMedia Web Map, GeoMedia Web Enterprise

MapXtreme, MapXSite

Smallworld Internet Applic- ation Server

CAD AutoCAD Map

In several products

In several products

In several products

Part of Smallworld GIS

Number ofUsers

CostInternetViewer

ComponentHand-heldDesktop

Professional

Functionality

GIS Software Classification

0 1000000 2000000 3000000

Users

Internet

Viewer

Component

Hand-held

Desktop

Professional

Type of Software System

GIS Market

ArcSDE Unifies Spatial Data Access

• ArcGIS Desktop ApplicationsArcGIS Desktop Applications

• ArcIMS , ArcExplorer, ArcPadArcIMS , ArcExplorer, ArcPad

• MapObjects MapObjects

• Third-Party applicationsThird-Party applications

SQL ServerSQL Server OracleOracle InformixInformix IBM DB2IBM DB2

ArcSDE Services

Enterprise GIS

Organizations expect to... • Leverage existing spatial data (eliminate silos)

• Integrate spatial data with core business data • Incorporate spatial into workflow between

departments (for a city…tax assessor, appraisal, DPW, police, fire, IT)

• Deploy IT standards to all their data• Move client / server GIS apps to the web and

wireless devices• Benefit from scalability and security

First, Spatially Enable The Data…

ArcSDEArcSDE

Data Is Independent of Application

ArcIMSArcIMSArcGISArcGIS

SQL ServerSQL ServerSQL ServerSQL Server

High Availability, High Performance, Secure, Scalable

Next, publish the information

ArcReaderArcReader

A New ExtensionA New Extension

PublisherPublisher

ArcMapArcMap

DataDataMXDMXD

PMFPMF

How? Distributed GIS

• 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 Internet Enterprise

Web Server

DatabasesDatabases

BrokerBroker

BrowsersBrowsers

Web

ApplicationsApplications

Emerging GIS Internet Enterprise

Web Server

Databases

Broker

Browsers

Web

Applications

Services

Distributed GIS Development

• New Concept – g.net architecture– leveraging emerging web technologies

• Web services– GIS technology for applications over the web

• Mapping

• Metadata

• GIS Functionality

– Spatial Data sharing and distribution

• Extends ArcGIS System concept– Desktop Applications

– Back Office Servers

– Distributed “Services” via the Internet

G.net 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

Searc

h Cat

alog

and

Find

Find

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

seWorld Wide Web

Author, Manage, Serve Geographic Information Collections

Author, Manage, Serve Catalogs

“Software for G.Net”

GIS GIS ClientsClients

GIS GIS ClientsClients

GIS Web GIS Web ServicesServices

GIS Web GIS Web ServicesServices

ArcGIS

Used to build

• Data

• Maps

• Models

• Applications

• Metadata

ArcGIS

Used to build

• Data

• Maps

• Models

• Applications

• Metadata

ArcIMS

• Serve GIS

• Data

• Maps

• Apps

ArcIMS

• Serve GIS

• Data

• Maps

• Apps

ArcGIS

• Author and Manage Metadata

• Build Catalog

ArcGIS

• Author and Manage Metadata

• Build Catalog

Array of GIS Clients

Access and use GIS data and services

• ArcReader

• Map Objects for Java

• ArcGIS Desktop & Extensions

• ArcPad

Array of GIS Clients

Access and use GIS data and services

• ArcReader

• Map Objects for Java

• ArcGIS Desktop & Extensions

• ArcPad

ArcSDE

Used to manage

• Data

• Metadata

• Transactions

ArcSDE

Used to manage

• Data

• Metadata

• Transactions

ArcSDE

Used to manage and distribute

• Metadata

ArcSDE

Used to manage and distribute

• Metadata

ArcIMS

• Manage Metadata

• Provide Search Services

ArcIMS

• Manage Metadata

• Provide Search Services

MetadatMetadata & a &

Catalog Catalog ServicesServices

MetadatMetadata & a &

Catalog Catalog ServicesServices

Market Forces Are Driving Change

• Organizations are moving and consolidating spatial data into relational databases to improve interoperability

• Organizations are moving client/server mapping applications to the web and looking to web services for the future

• Organizations are integrating spatial data analysis and map visualization into key business applications to improve decision making and service delivery

Views of a 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.