1. EnviroGrids Geoportal
www.envirogrids.cz
Karel Charvat, Stepan Kafka, Petr Horak, Premysl Vohnout, Martin Vlk, Jachym Cepicky,
Tomas Chvatal, Tomas Mildorf, Karel Janecka
Geoportal is a place which allows users to search, view, examine and share spatial and non-
spatial data. Geoportal is based on interoperability standards (OGC, W3C, OASIS, ISO)
which are connected to other resources on web and helps to create distributed structure of
information and knowledge based on spatial localisation. Geoportal should not be closed
central storage of spatial data without possibility of redistribution of this data. Geoportal
should not be a solution that doesn't support searching of data and information and their
viewing and using by external sources.
The Envirogrids Geoportal is based on principles of Geoportal4everybody and 4rh way to
SDI, which was presented by Czech Centre for Science and Society on INSPIRE conference
2010. This model was currently extended to offer possibility to build Social space for sharing
spatial data. Envirogrids Geoportal is a new, integrated solution being designed as
combination of previous technologies - Uniform Resource Management, Geohosting and
new technological development of a visualization client based on HSLayers and principles of
Social Networks. EnviroGrids Geoportal is not one integrated solution, but set of modules
and services, which are able to communicate through interoperable services (OGC, W3C).
The solution is modular and could be easy modifying for different purposes. EnviroGrids
Geoportal is based on Open Source technologies, but it could be integrated with different
technologies like MS SQL or ArcSDE. Uniform Resource Management (URM supports
validation, discovery and access to heterogeneous information and knowledge. It is based on
utilization of metadata schemas. The URM models currently also integrate different tools,
which support sharing of knowledge. Geoportal contains common visualization, data sharing,
metadata and catalogue functionalities. Additional parts of solution could be also tools for
management sensor observation and spatial data transformation and processing.
Uniform Resource Management (URM) provides a framework in which communities can
share information and knowledge through their description, which is easy understandable
inside of the community. In order to effectively share information and knowledge, there has to
be a standardized schema, which will support uniform description of information and
knowledge including common vocabularies. A schema defines the meaning, characteristics,
and relationships of a set of properties, and this may include constraints on potential values
and the inheritance of properties from other schemas. The schema specification language is
a declarative representation language influenced by ideas from knowledge representation
(e.g. semantic nets, frames, predicate logic) as well as database schema specification
languages and graphic data models.
The Geoportal contains these parts:
• Authorization
• Simple Content Management System – Simple CMS
• Catalogue client
• Visualization client
• Metadata Editor
• Geohosting
o MapMan
2. o DataMan
• Geoserver
• Metadata Extractor
The applications are working relatively independently, main communication is done through
metadata system.
Geoportal also offer connection with existing Social Network like Facebook and Linkedin.
Envirogrids Geoportal could be also easy interconnected with other portals on the base of
interoperable standards
Geoportal
Geoportal has three basic levels of users:
• Guests
• Registered users
• Administrator
Guest functionality
Guest can access the information accessible through the Home page, which is prepared
using SimpleCMS and he can also discover information and services and view information,
which are publicly accessible through portal or interconnected portals. Detail information
about discovery and visualization is in parts focused on Catalogue and Map (HSLayers
client)
You can also login from the Guest menu (see part of authorization).
3. Registered users
Registered users can:
• Use all functionality of Guest users (they have access also to authorized context
additionally)
• Edit metadata using metadata editor (MiCKA = Metadata editor).
• Upload data on the server and manage databases (DataMan = Data Management as
part of Geohosting).
• Manage data using Geoserver
• Publish data and prepare data composition (MapMan = Map composer as part of
Geohosting).
• Publish non-spatial information (using Metadata extractor).
Detail information about all functionalities is in the next chapters.
Administrator
Administrator has the following functionality:
• All functionality of registered users
• Modifying of Home part of portal using SCMS tool
4. • Managing of users of portal
• Detail information about all functionality is in the next chapters.
Authorization
As was mentioned in the previous chapter, there are three basic levels of users:
• Guests – with possibility of discovery and visualization.
• Registered users - with possibility of discovery, visualization, data management and
data publishing.
• Administrator - with possibility of discovery, visualization, data management and data
publishing, modification of home page and user management functionality.
There is also possibility to make mix of privileges because they are set for every application
separately. Users can be put into groups and then given permissions to this group.
Users have to push login button on the top-right side to login.
5. After this Login page will be opened.
You have to fulfill User Name and Password and press the login button.
For Logout use the button on the top-right side.
External communication and social networks
The URM concept also allow to access any information stored on one portal with other
portals using URM principles.
6. What we would like also promote is to shift from the pyramid paradigm, which is often
mentioned in the relation to building of Global SDI to paradigm of spider net. With our
concept we prefer system of distributed data sources, where every provider could decide
about accessibility of his data against concept of cloud computing, where one organisation is
managing all information. The idea is not against outsourcing of data or services or using of
external services, but to have control about data from the side of data holders. For
implementation of this concept, we suggest ideas of Geoportal4everybody. The principle of
URM allows to build "spidernet" SISE infrastructure supporting interconnection of any two
portals and effective exchange of information
The focus of the Geoportal4everybody project is on social network sites (e.g Facebook,
Twitter) as one of the main dissemination and communication tool.
7. The Geoportal4everybody will be an entry point for any news (new developments,
problematic topics, progress in the project, etc.). News will be posted by the project partners
and will be automatically distributed to a number of selected communities – social network
sites.
This approach will allow involving other communities from one place without having to enter
each community. Users of various social network sites can read entries and comment
through their respective communities and don’t have to register elsewhere.
Geoportal4everybody is in principle also social network offering sharing of information
(including spatial] among community. Principle sharing of information among portal also offer
support for exchange information among communities
The Geoportal4everybody is an entry point for any news (new developments, problematic
topics, progress in the project, etc.). News will be posted by the project partners and will be
automatically distributed to a number of selected communities – social network sites.
Feedback from these social network sites will be retrieved using RSS and answered again
from the central point. This approach will allow involving other communities from one place
without having to enter each community. Users of various social network sites can read
entries and comment through their respective communities and don’t have to register
elsewhere.
GeoPortal4everybody also support utilisation of information from other social networks like
SlideShare or YouTube
Other functionality is combining text with interactive maps.
