1. RésEau: Developing a Water Monitoring OGC Portal Using Open Source Tools
Tom Kralidis
National Information Strategies Division
Environment Canada
14 September 2006

2. FOSS4G Implementations Demonstration Conclusion Questions
RésEau: Developing a Water Monitoring OGC Portal Using Open Source Tools
Project Overview
FOSS4G Implementations
Demonstration
Conclusion
Questions
Project Overview – John
SensorML – John
Station Discovery – Tom
Sensor Observation Service – Tom
Demonstration –
- Overview - John
- SensorML - John
- Sensor Discovery - Tom
Conclusions - Tom
Questions - both

3. ResEau: Project Overview *
RésEau – Water Information Network
reseau(fr) = network
eau(fr) = water
“Connecting Water Information for Canadians”
Purpose: to establish partnerships and projects to demonstrate the sharing, discovery, access, and use of water information over the Internet through the use of standards and specifications endorsed by the CGDI and the OGC
Partners: Federal, Provincial, Municipal governments, NGOs, & others
e.g. Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, PEI Dept. of Environment, Energy and Forestry, Centre for Sustainable Watersheds, Sackville NS High School
* Broader Presentation tomorrow during Enterprise Integration
Reseau = Network
Not a physical network, but not just an information network, but also a network of partners
Types of water information currently includes water quality, quantity, treatment, consumption and waterborne disease occurrences but could be extended to a much broader range of environmental monitoring
Partners from all levels of government and environmental non government organizations
CGDI – Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure
OGC – Open Geospatial Consortium
Note that at this stage it is a demonstration project to show what can done. Success of this project determines whether it will go on to full implementation with ongoing funding and support.

4. ResEau: Project Overview
Specifications Used: (to link to water related info in any given geographical area)
OGC
WMS, WFS - for mapping of monitoring locations, cataloguing
WMC documents – Load / save application state, predefined maps
SLD – Custom styling / symbology of data
SensorML – description of monitoring locations, variables measured
FGDC - for description of information collections, tools e.g. Water Use Calculator
- used previously for station-level metadata prior to adoption of SensorML
GeoRSS - for geo-relevant news feeds (locally, by watershed etc.)
Criteria: (for selection of standards)
CGDI endorsed standards (OGC, ISO, FGDC)
Most appropriate/best fit (SensorML)
Application:
Integration of Distributed Information through Interoperability
Description, Discovery, Visualization, Access and use of water related information
Monitoring locations = sensor systems
variables measured = outputs
Monitoring information = outputs from sensors
Line of business terminology and methodology need not change in response to adoption of SensorML since the two are decoupled and independent of each other
WMC = Web Map Context document

5. ResEau: Computing Overview
Servers:
2 clustered Windows 2003 (Xeon 3GHz CPU, 2GB RAM)
IIS6 (+IIS sync), Apache Tomcat 5.5
Databases
MS SQL Server 2003
PostgreSQL 8.0
Bug tracking
bugzilla
Storage
Minimal requirements as all data/services are distributed
Monitoring locations = sensor systems
variables measured = outputs
Monitoring information = outputs from sensors
Line of business terminology and methodology need not change in response to adoption of SensorML since the two are decoupled and independent of each other
WMC = Web Map Context document

6. Application Framework
End-User
Applications
3 –Tier framework
Chameleon
WMC
ftp Valids
Server
Web
Client
EDG
Gateway
GCMD
CIP RM
Translator
IMS
CIP-V0
V0-CIP
CIP
ODL
Constructor
Parser
IMS Server
(GSFC)
Mapbuilder
WMC
ftp Valids
Server
Web
Client
EDG
Gateway
GCMD
CIP RM
Translator
IMS
CIP-V0
V0-CIP
CIP
ODL
Constructor
Parser
IMS Server
(GSFC)
Search &
Discovery
Services
Web
Services
Components
MapServer
WFS
MapServer
WMS, WFS, WCS, GML
Using components, either in-house, or remotely with web services, a department can “assemble” higher level services. The data can be searched, accessed, manipulated, and ultimately used in decision-making. There is no need to treat specific kinds of data differently. With a focus on standards and component architectures, scientific data, demographic data, statistical data, geographic data, and so on can be combined and recombined and can be used to produce maps, charts, tables, spreadsheets, among other things.
For simplicity’s sake, the arrows here point upward. But in reality, the flow can be both ways. Data can be input from end-users and stored in the data bases, or the results of computations, models, research, etc. can be made available through the same mechanism. Thus the overall capabilities of the systems will increase over time.
Three tier architecture: data <-> services <-> applications
publish  find  bind approach
Distributed Data Components
XML
PostGIS
SFSQL
Maps courtesy of Environment Canada

7. Storage of OGC Metadata
PostGIS
Storage of OGC Metadata
GetCapabilities XML
SensorML
OGC Web Services Catalog (owscat) developed:
Harvest and provide interface for OGC Web Service Metadata
Front end admin tool
PostGIS backend spatial DB
OGC:WFS for portal integration
Will move to GeoNetwork Cat2.0 implementation
Monitoring locations = sensor systems
variables measured = outputs
Monitoring information = outputs from sensors
Line of business terminology and methodology need not change in response to adoption of SensorML since the two are decoupled and independent of each other
WMC = Web Map Context document

8. 38 Web Services (OGC:WMS, OGC:WFS, OGC:WCS)
MapServer
38 Web Services (OGC:WMS, OGC:WFS, OGC:WCS)
All deployed using MapServer by multiple distributed stakeholders
Using all MapServer OGC metadata
EC internal support for MapServer
In addition to mailing lists and online resources
Monitoring locations = sensor systems
variables measured = outputs
Monitoring information = outputs from sensors
Line of business terminology and methodology need not change in response to adoption of SensorML since the two are decoupled and independent of each other
WMC = Web Map Context document

9. MapServer Catalogues owscat (OGC Web Services) statcat (SensorML)
Use of OGC:WFS interface for use by portals and applications
out of the box, easy to integrate w/ PostGIS
Monitoring locations = sensor systems
variables measured = outputs
Monitoring information = outputs from sensors
Line of business terminology and methodology need not change in response to adoption of SensorML since the two are decoupled and independent of each other
WMC = Web Map Context document

10. Map Viewer Clients Mapbuilder Chameleon AJAX OGC viewer
Pure client side, JavaScript
Chameleon
Generic WMC viewer client
Easy to develop templates
Many out-of-the-box widgets
Monitoring locations = sensor systems
variables measured = outputs
Monitoring information = outputs from sensors
Line of business terminology and methodology need not change in response to adoption of SensorML since the two are decoupled and independent of each other
WMC = Web Map Context document

11. Why mapbuilder and chameleon?
Map Viewer Clients
Why mapbuilder and chameleon?
Demonstation project
Investigate functionality, ease of use
Both good implementations, but different approaches
Will be moving towards one for future upgrades portal (package TBD)
Monitoring locations = sensor systems
variables measured = outputs
Monitoring information = outputs from sensors
Line of business terminology and methodology need not change in response to adoption of SensorML since the two are decoupled and independent of each other
WMC = Web Map Context document

12. Station Metadata Requirements Discover SensorML station metadata
Visualize station locations in OGC:WMS
Access observation data in OGC:SOS

13. Station Discovery Framework
End-User
Applications
Active
Hydrometric
Real-Time
Data/Map Server
Sensor
Observation Service
ftp Valids
Server
Web
Client
EDG
Gateway
GCMD
CIP RM
Translator
IMS
CIP-V0
V0-CIP
CIP
ODL
Constructor
Parser
IMS Server
(GSFC)
Active
Hydrometric
Real-Time
ftp Valids
Server
Web
Client
EDG
Gateway
GCMD
CIP RM
Translator
IMS
CIP-V0
V0-CIP
CIP
ODL
Constructor
Parser
IMS Server
(GSFC)
Search &
Discovery
Services
Using components, either in-house, or remotely with web services, a department can “assemble” higher level services. The data can be searched, accessed, manipulated, and ultimately used in decision-making. There is no need to treat specific kinds of data differently. With a focus on standards and component architectures, scientific data, demographic data, statistical data, geographic data, and so on can be combined and recombined and can be used to produce maps, charts, tables, spreadsheets, among other things.
For simplicity’s sake, the arrows here point upward. But in reality, the flow can be both ways. Data can be input from end-users and stored in the data bases, or the results of computations, models, research, etc. can be made available through the same mechanism. Thus the overall capabilities of the systems will increase over time.
SensorML
Distributed SensorML Documents
stationList
XML
Harvester
Harvester
Maps courtesy of Environment Canada

14. Sensor Observation Service
For extraction of station data
OGC document r1
Deployment using MapServer
Implementation in MapServer CVS, will be part of next formal release
EC will deploy water quality observations using MapServer OGC:SOS by Fall 2006

15. Demonstration
Demo

16. Leveraging the Open Source “stack”
ftp Valids
Server
Web
Client
EDG
Gateway
GCMD
CIP RM
Translator
IMS
CIP-V0
V0-CIP
CIP
ODL
Constructor
Parser
IMS Server
(GSFC)
MapServer
mapbuilder
chameleon
perl
python
Apache
(httpd,tomcat)
ftp Valids
Server
Web
Client
EDG
Gateway
GCMD
CIP RM
Translator
IMS
CIP-V0
V0-CIP
CIP
ODL
Constructor
Parser
IMS Server
(GSFC)
php
java
gdal
proj
ogr
shapelib
PostGIS
ming
libjpeg gd
xpm
libgif
postgres
xerces
curl
freetype
zlib
pdflib

17. FOSS4G Benefits Supports Specifications
No charge to acquire (licensing, etc.)
Code Extensibility / Customization
Contribution to main dist
Quicker turnaround time for upgrades to serve direct needs and requirements
MapServer ODBC “Simple Points” support
OGC:SOS implementation
Many other OGC upgrades

18. FOSS4G Benefits Platform independence Easier to use
Easy to get involved – welcoming community (OSGEO)
Enables increased capacity within organization
Higher awareness among developers
Can aid in development of expertise at various levels

19. But don’t use CVS on an operational app!
FOSS4G Benefits
Released versions stable
Activity on software via CVS updates
Bugs addressed by severity
Active developer community
CVS repositories rarely broken
But don’t use CVS on an operational app!

20. FOSS4G Challenges Lowering barrier to entry Optics
Corporate IT environments
Optics
Compared to Big Commercial Vendors

21. RésEau: Developing a Water Monitoring OGC Portal Using Open Source Tools
Website:
Articles:
Thanks!
Tom Kralidis
tom.kralidis at ec.gc.ca