Canadian IDN Status Report Andrea Buffam, CCRS, Natural Resources Canada Presented by Brian McLeod CEOS Joint WGISS and Subgroups Meeting Chiang Mai, Thailand September 15 – 19, 2003

2 Canadian IDN Node/GeoConnections Discovery Portal Overview The Canadian node of the CEOS International Directory Network is the GeoConnections Discovery Portal Overview GeoConnections is a national initiative to make Canadas geospatial information accessible on the Internet. One of the main roles is to facilitate the creation of the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI). The GeoConnections Discovery Portal provides the interface through which users can find and access data, organizations and services within CGDI. Operations are based in the GeoAccess Division, Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, Natural Resources Canada.

3 GeoConnections Discovery Portal – System, Connectivity and Service The System The GeoConnections Discovery Portal system was built on the Canadian Earth Observation Network (CEONet) technology. The current version is 3.1. Version 3.2 is scheduled for installation in October. Valuable keyword and thesaurus tables are provided to assist metadata providers and to ease the search process. Datasets are described using the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata standard. Fields are matched with the Directory Interchange Format (DIF). Services and resources, such as web mapping servers (WMS), portals or geomatics software are catalogued.

4 GeoConnections Discovery Portal – System, Connectivity and Service The Connectivity –The GeoConnections Discovery Portal is a contributing partner to the International Directory Network through the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD), NASA New automated Import/Export software for XML file exchanges for the GCMD/IDN and Discovery Portal systems are to be released soon. –Additional import/export to FGDC Clearinghouse (Z39.50 server registry) –Future interoperability expected with U.S. One Stop portal –An easy-to-use Web-based interface is offered for suppliers to identify and register their metadata describing data and services through the Discovery Portal.

5 GeoConnections Discovery Portal – System, Connectivity and Service The Service –Content and connectivity co-coordinators monitor and assist metadata providers with population of quality entries in both official languages (English and French) –Staff is involved in developing metadata standards, interoperability and establishing thesauri –Reusable tools, used by the Discovery Portal including gazetteers; APIs (including XML import/export); and, a WMS Viewer are available for developers to use, embed and integrate into their own Web sites

6 GeoConnections Discovery Portal – Content Statistics Statistics –As of September 1, 2003, GeoConnections Discovery Portal had the following published (client visible) entries: 1,920 Organizations 13,008 Data Products** 463 Services (no service interface) 265 Searchable Collections (Z39.50) 64 Web Services (with service interface – e.g. WMS) ** There are ~550 unpublished additional data products under review to ensure quality assurance (QA) before public availability. (Most were received through the incorporation of new data collections in July and August.) –Coding for GCMD/IDN to be incorporated in QA efforts.

7 GeoConnections Discovery Portal – User Sessions Notes Steady increase of user sessions since last May 2003 IDN report. 25% decrease in August due to the eastern North America power outage.

8 GeoConnections Discovery Portal – Accomplishments/Goals Accomplishments Provided the English and French versions of the GCMD Theme keyword thesaurus table (on the Discovery Portal) to the National Library of Canada for publication as an authoritative federal list of earth science keywords. Developed and installed new Services metadata interface with keywords formulated by matching terms to the North American Industrial and Product Classification Systems (NAICS/NAPCS) categories (ensuring use of established standards). Promoted the GCMD and IDN to 30 participants at the FGDC metadata training course held in Ottawa – June 10 to12. Hands-on experience gained through use of the Discovery Portal as the metadata input tool. Environmental training course scheduled for November in Nova Scotia – ~100 participants expected.

9 GeoConnections Discovery Portal – Accomplishments/Goals Accomplishments (continued) Updated from 1994 to the 1998 FGDC metadata standard and added ISO TC related fields to the Discovery Portal. Prepared input to ISO TC North American amendment proposal. Currently under review by U.S. and Mexico teams. Continued participation as IDN rep with the Global Change Master Directory Science Users' Working Group (GCMD UWG) for the American Coordinating Node. Monitoring the evolution of geomatics metadata standards and other industry activities to reflect ongoing development on the GeoConnections Discovery Portal. (For ex. ISO TC ) Involvement with new partners to continue increasing quick and easy access to geospatial data using the GeoConnections Discovery Portal.

10 GeoConnections Discovery Portal – Partnerships (New IDN Entries/Visibility) Data-Supply Partnerships with … –Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to integrate the Northern Information Network into the Discovery Portal entries imported (~400 new) –Atlantic Coastal Zone Information Steering Committee to integrate ~100 new entries –GeoNOVA to integrate ~350 new Nova Scotia entries –Canadian Geoscience Knowledge Network to integrate their data catalogue (data products and WMS) –GCMD - developing new import/export software to exchange DIFs between the Discovery Portal and GCMD using XML. Implementing use of new fields for queries being adopted by IDN (i.e. Data resolution fields proposed)

11 GeoConnections Discovery Portal – Partnerships (New IDN Entries/Visibility) Data-Use Partnerships with … –Canadian Information System for the Environment (CISE), Environment Canada –Land Information of Ontario (LIO), Ministry of Natural Resources, Government of Ontario

12 Contact Information GeoConnections Discovery Portal site: Andrea Buffam, Senior Metadata Co-ordinator, GeoConnections Discovery Portal Phone: