An architecture for Spatial Data Infrastructures
- Paper number
IAC-07-B1.4.01
- Author
Dr. Mukund Rao, Navayuga Spatial Technologies Pvt. Ltd., India
- Coauthor
R Sivakumar, India
- Coauthor
- Year
2007
- Abstract
The world is talking of SDI - at national to regional to global level. The SDI is seen as the coming together of image and map databases to provide accessible services for enterprise solutions of public-good. This paper provides a perspecive of what is involved in designming such a SDI architecture. There are six important issues that need to be addressed for the success of SDI today. The first, is the availability and easy accessibility to spatial data – unhindered but regulated, maybe, and requiring sound and adaptive policies for spatial data sharing. We need the foundation of good, reliable and basic GIS databases (Make data available and applications, demand, market will follow through). This leads to the second, good “GIS Process Standards” – a standardisation of the entire process of “spatial technology” - images, mapping, GIS database creation, Spatial outputs, Spatial data Quality Assessment and Spatial Services (If all GIS data available is as per common and agreed standards, applications, demand and market development will be easier). The third is technical inter-operability - integration using the Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) and based on Web standards (Spatial data and Application Services will be the order of the day for GIS in the future). The fourth requirement would be spatial modelling and applications which brings new perspectives and visualization of spatial information and new insights to societal and economic processes of society - natural resources management, land planning, engineering and infrastructure, disaster management, education, health services and business (GIS Services will broaden and touch almost all aspects of society and citizens). The fifth important parameter is partnerships and enterprise for GIS - replete with the infrastructure, mission critical capabilities, and robust architectures associated with other enterprises. The “forced” boundary between Spatial Technology and conventional Information Technology will disappear – and horizontals of a new kind would emerge (the more inclusive GIS will be with other technologies/enterprises the more success for GIS). This leads to the last of the important issue – developing the GIS user communities by educating and orienting levels of society to become Spatial-savvy and benefit from the spatial technologies (if every citizen learns and benefits from GIS, it is he who will ultimately drive GIS technology and its future growth). Core to all this and the most critical element for the success of NSDI – which I have realized and re-iterate is DATABASES – both spatial and otherwise are KEY “engines” for SDI to be developing and protecting our society and our people and generating commerce. A society that has a good, reliable and detailed database of its resources, assets, people and infrastructure is able to better manage, develop and protect itself and also generate successful business. We need a national effort for the database that provides a first-level snapshot of the world – and this may be “stitched” from many national perspectives; a national database that provides in-depth assessment of national disparities and opportunities and through to a city-level or property-level database of land/property assets. Mainly a GIS DATBASE ENTERPRISE – a national GIS System of Systems is what will drive SDI. This paper discusses the techncial architecture and design aspects of assimilating images, maps and solutions on a SDI and enabling map and image services for societal benefit.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-B1.4.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.